Give me the doggie low down

[drinkswineoutofamug]

New to keeping a dog. It's my daughters and both of them moved back in yesterday. That's fine (ish) we have a big garden for her to run about in. She's a whippet cross. The old owner apparently got her jabbed but we have no proof of this , so the following questions.

Should I get her re jabbed?
When to get her spayed?
Worming
Flea treatment
Registering her at the vets, how much should I get her insured?

She's a beautiful dog and I want to do what's right with her. She has company all day. The old owner just left her in a back yard. She loves to snuggle and have belly rubs and has a grin on her face like she's laughing. She follows me around the house, is this normal, it's like she doesn't want to miss out on doing the washing up! Sorry for all the questions.

Register with a vet asap (always wise anyway) & speak to them re vaccinations & worm/flea etc. They will maybe be able to track her records down if you know the previous vet, or they will suggest a suitable course. Again with being speyed, they will tell you if/when she can be done.

Insurance personally go for the best policy you can afford. My last dog was a failed foster who in the 6 months i fully owned her cost me £3k for medical treatment...no insurance due to pre-existing conditions & her age/breed. I would never have not paid for her treatment but it stung 🙈 check for things like lifetime cover so that any issues aren't then excluded in renewal.

Yes to vet ASAP, they will advise re spaying. Vacs are yearly, worming and flea monthly, but again the vet may have a scheme where you pay monthly for all that. Definitely insure, IMO Petplan are by far the best, not the cheapest maybe but in all the years I’ve used them I’ve never had an issue with them paying out, unlike some companies. Finally, is she chipped? If yes, make sure the chip is updated with all of your details not the previous owner and if not, get her done ASAP as it’s now the law.

Thank you. Will register her today

Re the following you around, if she was left in the yard alone she might be scared you're going to leave her. Don't make a huge thing of her following you, don't acknowledge it but don't tell her off either...she will hopefully start to relax & realise that you going into another room is actually okay

Just sort insurance with pet plan 👍🏻

Some other factors to consider. How old is she? If she is an elderly dog I'm not sure vaccination is a great idea. You can have a Titer test done to check antibodies. Also insurance is much higher for older doggies. You may be better putting £50 per month away into a savings account. Often the excess for older dogs makes the usual ailment claims void. Obviously you have to factor in how to pay for a major op and insurance might be the best option if you'd find it difficult to come up with a few thousand. The above is simply something to consider. I don't condone non vaccination but believe once a dog has reached middle age it has all the antibodies it needs.

She's about a year old.

I'm off into town to get doggie supplies. We have plenty of food for her. Both wet and dry. Need poo bags , toys, and something to chew that's not my husbands feet!
I don't want to let her down like her old owner.
I'm not on face book but going to look for a local dog group

Miranda i agree with you there re older dogs & vaccs. My girlie was 9 when she came to us, i refused to vacc or spey her because the risks outweighed the pros (she did have medical issues too).

OP get a kong if you can, they're amazing distractions & can be frozen to last longer

That's good that she's young. The vet will just start her vaccine programme from scratch and then give you a record card showing what she's had and when to go for boosters. You will need this if she ever goes into kennels. Insurance is dictated by breed, age and where you live so shop around. We had direct line for years when our dogs where younger and it was great but got less affordable as ours got older. We are with another less popular insurer now but considering ditching as our girls are 12 and 14. Do you have a crate for her? This is useful as you can give her a place of her own and leave her safely if you go out. We have a kennel and run in the garden but a crate can work as well.

My daughter doesn't work so where she goes the dog goes.

Just looked up Kong and we have one already just didn't know what it was called.
Wednesday for the vets.

If you stuff the kong & freeze it, keeps them occupied for longer. Mine used to go dippy for a kong. Good luck with the vets, hope they sort everything else out for you 😊

Took her to the park, she came back when she was tired. My god that dog is fast. Soon as she was off her lead, played with other dogs , answered my call. She's just chewing on her ham knuckle in the back garden

Ahh you sound a bit smitten with this dog well done you, sounds like it's going well!

She's beautiful Tropic and deserves a chance. She's scared of tin foil, the hoover, the mop and tall men. She hid her chews in my daughters bed. Daughter not impressed

Wow! Love those ears, she's a beaut.
My dog hides our shoes in her own bed. She'll probably chill out more and more as she settles in

Gorgeous OP

As you've only just got insurance bear in mind that usually have about a 2wk period where won't cover illnesses & anything your new vet records on notes will be classed as preexisting. My dogs bout dire rear meant any bowel conditions were excluded.

With rescues with no history they usually just restart the vaccinations so 2 jabs few weeks apart & worm.

If you've only just got her be careful letting her off lead in areas could run off as many dogs go missing this way, need to build up bond & training so sure recall is actually solid. Need to be little more aware of potential dangers with sighthounds as they can cover a large area quickly & often become deaf to calls & blind to obstacles of get focused on prey.

Thank you every for your words of doggie wisdom

She sounds like she has landed on her feet - and I love those ears!

Just for future reference, raw meaty bones are good for dogs, but cooked ones are dangerous as they can splinter when chewed

It was a raw one that I found later this afternoon hidden under the cushion on the sofa
Bless her

How do I get her to walk in the rain? She's been for the quickest toilet time this morning and is under her blanket refusing to move
I don't want to make a big deal of it as I wouldn't appreciate it either but I can't have her bouncing round the house !
I am so sorry for some of these questions, like I've said I want to do what's right by her.

Right the dog is jabbed, she was already chipped so changed ownership. She's actually 10 months old. Is in excellent health. Weighs 130kg. Goes back in 2 weeks for her 2nd injection. The vet doesn't want to spay her till she's had a season.

She can't weigh 130kgs - that's 20 stones