Oh my giddy god......

[HangingOver]

I can't actually believe I'm finally typing this... I think I'm getting a dog!

I've wanted one of my own my entire life. I had one growing up and look after friends and neighbours at every available opportunity as I adore dogs so much. A rescue came up locally and I thought he looked lovely, he was snapped up immediately, but came up again yesterday! Me and DP are meeting him this afternoon.

Any tips for meeting a rescue for the first time? Other than being gentle and calm? He's 8 months so a bouncy chap.

ARGGGH! So excited. 😁

This is my boy, we got him from a rescue at 6 months. He’s nearly 11 now. Best thing we ever did

good luck hope pick up goes ok today xx

Congrats! Looking forward to the pics. As others have said, there will be highs and lows but so many smiles. I always wonder what people who don’t have dogs laugh at 😀

Top tip: get a robot vacuum if you don’t already have one!

This made me cry 😭...
X

Ooooooo so exciting! I have an amazing Romanian rescue. I have 3 human DC but she’s my favourite. She’s only small and when she curls up she’s like a little apricot croissant.

Also hello to @BettyBardMacDonald 😊. I think we’ve talked before about our marvellous names

Congratulations on this very exciting news chapter of your life that is about to start. Good luck and enjoy every minute. Take it slowly at the start and be careful with keeping on lead etc and building up confidence. If he's a rescue he may be unsure of certain noises, fireworks are the worst and coming up soon. Also rescues can be particularly protective of women and scared of men in my experience so keep that in mind.

Peggy our rescue ddog says hi!
When we were chosen for her my DH said 'I know.. let's call her Peggy...'
(She's got 3 legs!)

Weeeeeeeeeeee exciting stuff!

I highly recommend the puppy training app (it has a lot of stuff applicable to older pups and rescue dogs, its not just for the first few weeks of puppyhood at all!) ZigZag Puppy Training...

You get 24/7 access to a live chat with a qualified trainer/behaviour consult as well as step by step lessons - really good for support if you're not sure what to do or just having a bit of a wobble after the initial excitement fades and the hard work becomes apparent!

There is also a facebook group that goes iwth the app (which is free, the app is not free but does have a trial period where you can test it out).

Free resources - Dog Training Advice and Support group on FB, run by professionals, it is not a standard FB group where all and sundry can offer their opinion and dodgy advice.

Be wary of trainers who are really slick at the social media stuff, there are some real snakes lurking who lure people in with what sounds like common sense and then sneak up the aversives, shock collars, grots, prong collars etc.

It takes a dog around 6 months to really settle in so the early days are very much the honeymoon period - take things steadily, the first things he needs are to feel secure and that means being with you all the time, and to learn where the toilet is... everything else can follow!

Lovely thread. Joins the waiting queue to see your new boy.

Here are my two. The staffie is a rescue aged 14. The GSD is 3.

A caring home unfilled by a dog or a cat lover, is a wasted home … 🐾❤️ you know what you need to do!!!

I have a twin of your dog here 😁-a 6month old female black Lab!

@ThisTentLikeThing
What an absolute horror of a human being you are. Shame on you 😡

This is my gorgeous schnauzer waking from a nap with proper bedface!

I saw a gorgeous episode of that once where the dog was really off with a woman who was clearly desperate for a dog to love. She was so good. She didn't show that it upset her. She just stayed calm for ages and ages and eventually the dog came and sniffed her and then sat with her and it all worked out in the end. I remember thinking I'd have assumed the dog hadn't taken to me long before she did but she had such patience. It was a real lesson.

Where is op ?? 😭

What a miserable outlook! I feel for you, you’re clearly missing the love of an animal in your life

Probably settling in her new boy! Come back OP, we would like to see the baby

Marking my place for the rescue dog photo...

Oh your Peggy is so sweet, unfortunately my Peggy has a face only a mother could love!
My husband brought her home a year ago today actually, and I was "no, no, and more no", took about a week for her to become my baby!

Here she is!

Not sure why it’s sensitive content!

Aww, this is so nice. I love when pups find loving homes.

I am far too invested in this thread and i need a picture OP

Okay... He was lovely when we picked him up and a bit woofy in the car. Then when he came in the house he just... I don't know it was wild, he just started attacking anything soft he could see... So all the cushions, sofa cushions, coats hanging up, he pulled things off the counter, pulled out wires. It was a bit of a frenzy for about an hour. I must admit I got overwhelmed. He wasn't interested in toys or treats or praise just tearing things apart. So my amazing friend went back to hers and picked up as many of her spare dog toys as she could find and just tipped them all over the kitchen floor so it was covered in toys and he attacked those instead. I've taken everything off the counter and put all the cushions and sofa cushions away.

He's got sit in the bag though and did loads of zoomies and only did one wee indoors.

He's tired now and sleeping in the sun on the sofa.

I'm trying to keep calm and remind myself it won't always be like this.

He's so lovely though!!

Oh, naughty boy 🙊 he’s probably just REALLY excited and a bit overwhelmed as so many new changes for him, but I’m glad he feels comfy and at home on the sofa already! Poor boy is probably not used to having a lot of ‘stuff’ around him and wanted to investigate all of it at once.

It won’t always be soft furnishing massacres, I promise! ❤️