Inheriting a dog

[Mol1628]

I'm taking on my nanas dog. Have had cats,rabbits,various reptiles and rodents, never a dog!
I'm not completely clueless but it's new to me. I'm just wondering what I've forgotten and what else I need to consider

She's a middle aged small dog, not sure on breed. She was kept as a breeders dog for 5 years and though not mistreated she didn't experience much life when young so consequently she's timid. Well behaved but timid.
I have two small children but room for her to be able to be away from them when she wants.
She's used to sleeping and going into her cage when my nana went out of the house or went to bed so I assume I should keep up with this and keep it her safe space where the children aren't allowed to approach her.
I'll be bringing her cage, bed, toys, food, bowls etc everything with me.

All medical stuff is up to date she's been well cared for so after a couple of weeks I'll take her to register with my local vet. Assume I shouldn't do this straight away till she's come to trust me a bit more!

We have a secure garden with grass so she can toilet and exercise out there and she's scared of traffic noise so I think early morning and late evening walks.

What am I forgetting?! I'm actually quite nervous despite having taken on lots of animals in the past.

Thanks in advance.

Got her some pouches today. Some james well beloved (used these for my cats) and also wainwrights I think it is. Gave her half a one mixed in with the kibble and she ate everything including the dry food. Quite happy to feed a mixture if that's what she likes. I'll be avoiding the 4% meat rubbish.

Peggy is gorgeous and very lucky.

Sorry about your Nan, but I am sure she would be so happy to know you have her Peggy

Thank you. I hope I can do a good job for her.

She definitely sees us as her owners a lot more now. She's asking for food a lot more and following us around the house.

Had another good day. Mostly she's been in the living room with us whilst the boys have played. She's had the option to leave the room and go in her crate but stayed with us. She's happy for the children to stroke her and the sound of them playing doesn't seem to bother her at all.

Continuing with the three walks a day which is working well. She doesn't seem to like toileting in the garden and always waits till we go on the walk.

She eats all her dried food if it's mixed in with some egg, wet food, or anything more exciting really so I'll continue with the mix feeding.

Still shutting her in the crate when I go out and at bedtime or hectic times where I can't watch her with the boys. She's generally happy to go in she has her dentastick at bedtime then some small treat whenever I shut her in to go out and she seems alright.

Sorry this has turned into more of a diary hasn't it!

Hah thanks. She's not actually the first animal I've rehomed.. animals seem to find me. The cats and rabbits I've had were all unplanned additions, and my lizard too actually. One rabbit I found under my car on the street as I was about to go to work I never found her owners so I kept her I had her for 7 years and adopted her a friend from a rescue. The lizard was someone I worked with, he went abroad and just left her at his shared flat, I heard about it and brought her home that night, I still have her. And the cats we've had were strays too but they've sadly passed away

So basically it just sort of happens to me and it's a familiar experience! But I've never had a dog.

Aw what a lovely thread. I'm sorry to hear about your nan OP but pleased that lovely Peggy has found a loving home. You sound like a lovely family

Thanks maxi :)

So I tried to play with her in the garden. She doesn't really know what to do. She gets all excited when I throw a ball but doesn't know how to play fetch. It made me a bit sad!!
Can you teach this to an older dog or do some dogs just not get it?
I thought it would be a nice way to burn off some extra weight and energy in between walks if she's feeling awake enough!

Looks like westie cross Lhasa apso, how is she doing x

I'm really enjoying your updates - lucky Peggy. Some dogs just don't like playing with balls - my last one thought they were totally uninteresting, my present one isn't keen on tennis ball-sized ones but is definitely interested in footballs (has grabbed someone's and bitten a hole in it in passing - we had to leg it before they noticed, but they had accidentally kicked it straight at us, so tough luck).

Getting on ok thanks.

She's excited about her food now. Two meals a day is working well. Morning and evening. She excited about it and eats the lot. Just the dried mixed with some wet.

She's still willing to go in the crate when told so I'm hoping this carries on. As soon as she goes in when told and I shut it she gets a small treat.

She's spending less time in her crate when it's open though and joining us in the living room. She has a basket in there for when she's not allowed on the sofa.

Traffic noise. She's anxious about it. My nana mentioned this to me several times so it's not new. She just looks up when she hears a loud vehicle and near a busy road she gets very pully on the lead and seems unsure where she wants to go.
This is the only time she seems particularly scared. In the house and around the children she is very relaxed.

Awww, these updates are so lovely to read! I'm so glad she's settling in and you seem to be trying so hard to make the transition as easy for her as possible.
Re the ball... yeah, some dogs seem to love them but others not so much. If she has terrier in her (looks like it) she may love a squeaky toy or a little teddy :)
I think your nan would be really proud of you, OP :)

I'm loving these up dates she's a very lucky pooch.

When you say she doesn't know how to play fetch do you mean she doesn't chase it or doesn't bring it back? If it's not bringing it back then I'm afraid that's just the terrier in her! Any terrier I've had laughs at the thought of actually bringing the ball back to you.

Try a game of football or better still, tug of war!

She's lovely and you sound like your doing brilliantly for her

My third dog (terrier) won't chase a ball either, whereas dogs 1 and 2 (labs) would play ball all day. She sometimes picks the ball up and runs to get the others to chase her, she loves running around with the others chasing her.

I'm glad it's going so well. It was always going to - you sound perfectly used to settling new animals in! You sound a bit like me. I've a house full of animals, mostly rescues!

OP I'm sorry for your loss. You are lovely to take this dog on. Just a thought. Stair gates give the dog freedom out of crate but separate from kids. We have one to keep our dog downstairs and away from the escape route of the front door!

OP so sorry for your loss. I agree with the other posters who've all said what a lovely thing you are doing looking after your Nana's dog. You'll sound as though you're already doing fine and you've put so much thought and care into everything. Peggy is adorable. It seems as though she isn't keen on the dry food though so have you tried adding warm water to it to soften it? There is a brilliant website for comparing brands of dog food if you are looking for alternatives. www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/the-dog-food-directory

It sounds like you're doing a grand job Mol!!

I don't know if you've seen it but there's a Doghouse sticky thread which has got all sorts of stuff on you may find useful as a new dog owner.

Haha yeah she runs after the ball then just wants me to go get it to throw it again! She has a favourite soft teddy which she keeps in her crate and sometimes carries it round in her mouth, it's one that I brought with her from my nanas house.

You know we took the stair gates down a few weeks ago because my youngest learnt how to open them 🙄 But I have been shutting the kitchen door, our kitchen is pretty big and the handle is high up so only adults can reach it. That's helpful for he hectic mornings. But to be honest when I shut the kitchen door she's usually happy to just go in her crate anyway.

I tried adding warm water to the food she still didn't like it. But now I'm mixing it with wainwrights pouches and she happily eats the lot.

I'm really enjoying getting up and going out for a walk first thing, it's a lovely way to start the day, then she has breakfast and is tired out so rests whilst I get the boys ready for school so it works well. My 2yo also naps in the pram when I take her for the afternoon walk which is also excellent hah.

Ahh this is so lovely sounds like you're getting on great! I second squeaky toys for terriers, I've got a revue JRT who's blind and he didn't know how to play when we got him. He goes NUTS for a squeaky toy now, he also likes a rope for a tug of war - it produces the most hideous growling and snorting for some reason, apparently that's his version of telling you how much fun he's having

Revue? I can assure you that dog would never star in a revue He's a rescue

Right I'll put a rope toy and squeaky things on the list! I might find more things of hers at my nanas we've got to go at the weekend to sort out.

Here she is enjoying a bit of sunshine with her favourite teddy

It's nice she's carrying it around the house a bit now. She's feeling more comfortable.

I wanted to go on a slightly different walk this afternoon but it meant crossing the main road. She just gets so worried. Pulls and doesn't know where to put herself. Wait command doesn't work she's just so anxious and pulls to get away. I don't know whether I should just ignore her and keep doing it daily to get her used to it or if this is just going to increase her anxiety and make her worse.

Hi OP,

You sound like you're doing a wonderful job and it's heartwarming to read your updates.

The fetch thing made me laugh. My old Westie, beautiful girl, was exactly the same. She loved the ball to be thrown and would run after it and play with it herself then just drop it and wander off. I used to send my spaniel after the ball, at which part the westie was interested again. Typical terrier 😀.

Enjoy your beautiful dog, she's just gorgeous.