CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => General Cocker Spaniel Discussion => Topic started by: Lottielove on November 10, 2013, 02:13:39 PM
-
Hello, I'm new to the forum and new to cocker spaniels, but we have adopted a lovely old girl Lottie whose elderly owner had to go into a care home. We have only had her 4 days, and are absolutely in love with her. We have 2 children aged 11 and 8 and she is brilliant with them. We are her third (and final) home this year so understandably she's a little nervous. We have never owned a dog before and I'd like to make sure I'm doing everything right, and that there isn't more I could be doing to make her comfortable. This seems like the right place to ask!
We aren't sure exactly how old she is, but likely between 8 - 10, although lots of people when out with her yesterday mistook her for a puppy.
Last Monday she had teeth out - the lady who was fostering her told me two teeth but it says on the vet paper she gave me 9 extractions. She is therefore on soft food at the moment, and her last day of antibiotics today. We are unsure if she has been vaccinated or not, so she is going to the vet this week both to check her teeth/gums and to vaccinate her. She seems to be happy and healthy otherwise, but she is quite nervous when we go out - her legs can shake a lot when she's like this.
She has 2 soft beds, and blankets over the sofa as she appears happy to just be cuddled the whole day. She doesn't really want to leave the house in the rain (I can sympathise!). She isn't drinking much, but I wonder if this is because she's on tinned food at the moment rather than complete food. She doesn't seem dehydrated. She seems happy to sleep downstairs without any fuss and she's not a chewer at all. She's generally a calm, steady girl except when there's any postmen about! We also have house rabbits and she ignores them - they are separated by a puppy pen.
I'm not sure if she had training and forgot it, but she seems to have no recall at all, so for the moment she is staying on lead. Training classes may well be in her future but are not financially possible at the moment.
We will be getting her a coat as she sometimes seems cold outside, and I'd be grateful if you could let me know any other must-haves. Please feel free to let me know if we're doing it all wrong, as we are complete novices and just want to do what's best for Lottie.
-
Hello and welcome to COL :D and well done for taking Lottie in to your home and hearts :luv:
She sounds very sweet. I've never had a rescue dog so can't really advise on how to help her settle in, although it sounds as though you're doing all the right things. I think giving her time to settle and adjust without putting pressure on her is probably the way to go. I think she may show changes in her behaviour as she becomes more confident in her new home and more of her character comes out. Hopefully some of the people on here who have rescue dogs or are involved in rescue work will come along and give you good advice.
I wouldn't worry about her not drinking too much at the moment. Tinned food has a high moisture content so she won't need as much water as she would if on a dry food.
Training classes sound like a good idea and may be something that the children can help with too. It will all help the whole family to build up a good bond with her. But you can also do some training in the house and garden to help with her recall. Have some small treats in your pocket and when she comes to you of her own accord reward her. Next stage is to add her name and "come" or "here" or whatever you choose (just choose one word and be consistent with it) once she's realised that coming to you is rewarding. The idea is to help her succeed, so at first you only use the name and cue word when she's already approaching you.
I hope she continues to settle in with you :D
-
Hi there, welcome to you and Lottie :luv: who sounds absolutely lovely. We adopted a rescue girl a few years ago, and I think you are doing great. Lottie will soon learn how your home works and she will just slot right in. Training classes are a good idea for socialisation, I think you will both enjoy them. I wouldn't risk off lead until you are more confident and Lottie recognises you as her person. As time goes on you will soon see Lottie's personality emerge, it will just take a little time for her confidence in you to grow, perfectly natural. You are in the right place for help and support, ask as many questions as you like there is always some one to help. Enjoy getting to know Lottie and well done.
-
Thankyou Elaine, I'm going to do some reading up on training I can do at home - the last time I was involved in dog training was with the rottie-next-door about 25 years ago!
She is currently giving big sighs in her bed - not sure if that means she's happy or something isn't quite to her satisfaction but I'm sure she'll let us know if anything is drastically wrong.
Thankyou ejp, I hope it won't take too long for her to settle in, but I dread to think how many owners she'd had really, as I know the elderly lady certainly wasn't her first. It's a shame such a sweet dog hasn't known a forever home.
-
Thankyou Elaine, I'm going to do some reading up on training I can do at home - the last time I was involved in dog training was with the rottie-next-door about 25 years ago!
She is currently giving big sighs in her bed - not sure if that means she's happy or something isn't quite to her satisfaction but I'm sure she'll let us know if anything is drastically wrong.
Thankyou ejp, I hope it won't take too long for her to settle in, but I dread to think how many owners she'd had really, as I know the elderly lady certainly wasn't her first. It's a shame such a sweet dog hasn't known a forever home.
Well, Lottie has found her forever home now ;) You will be surprised how quick she settles, one day it will just hit you, I bet you won't even notice! It has obviously been a busy time for Lottie just lately, so getting settled into a routine will be really good for her. Dogs live in the moment and Lottie will be happy to have a nice family with lots of cuddles and love. Enjoy.
-
Hi and welcome to COL - if you want to do some training at home check out the Dogs Trust training videos on U Tube -
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14EED13B9859A457
They are very easy to follow and take things step by step.
-
Thankyou piph I'll take a look at that tonight. :blink:
-
It is brilliant that you have taken on an older dog like Lottie. No wonder she is a little nervous if you are her fourth home in twelve months. Oldies are lovely, and not as demanding as a young dog. She will soon settle down and will return your love and affection many times over.
-
Lovely that you have taken Lottie and obviously have her best interests at heart. You are doing all the right things and have been given great advice so I won't add anything extra. She will repay you 100x over for your kindness. Enjoy :luv:
-
Lottie is definitely a lucky cocker to have found you. She sounds lovely. Please post pictures!
-
A very warm welcome to you and Lottie, looking forward to hearing more about her.
-
We've been letting her settle in so not taken pictures yet - this is the only one I have.
Lovely Lottie.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1452142_10152054658461057_12191273_n.jpg)
-
Lovely Lottie, indeed! and also a lucky girl to have found you :D
Not sure where you are but there may be COL members close by who might be able to help with hints, tips or training advice - or simply a COL meet that Lottie can socialise with other cockers ;)
Jayne and Pearl
x
-
Lottie looks lovely.
Delilah came to us when she was 6 and had been a kennel dog. What I remember most is that she barely moved out of her bed for the first few weeks then suddenly she became my shadow and her personality started to show.
As others have said, just give her time and space and she'll start to come out of herself once she feels settled.
There are lots of useful threads on here and helpful advice.
-
We are in Stratford upon Avon. Lottie is already my shadow, she follows me round and wants me to sit on the sofa with her so she can fall asleep on me. I'm guessing she did this a lot with her elderly owner.
-
Lottie is a very beautiful fur baby indeed :luv: :luv:
Welcome to COL, it's wonderful that you can open your hearts and home to a rescue girlie, once she is all settled I am sure she will pay you back for your kindness ten fold :-*
Feel free to ask anything and everything's, lots of knowledge and experience on this friendly forum ;)
-
We've been letting her settle in so not taken pictures yet - this is the only one I have.
Lovely Lottie.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1452142_10152054658461057_12191273_n.jpg)
Pretty girl :luv: :luv:
-
:luv: Awwww Lottie is gorgeous :luv:
We recently got our 3rd cocker (all 3 have been rescues) and we just let her settle in in her own time. It's only recently clicked that we come back to her, and the howling has almost ceased. She's now quiet when we leave (if we cant take her will us) and only occasionally howls when she hears us return. They do learn pretty quickly!
Once Lottie has started to establish a routine, you'll find she'll start to trust and settle in more and more.
Sounds like you're doing the right things :-)
-
Awww Lottie looks adorable. What a lucky girl to have found you. She will repay your kindness 100 times over. she reminds me of our Pebbles who is 2 now and also an Orange Roan.
:D
-
She has been specialising in cuddles today, bless her. She doesn't seem to be interested in toys, or games like fetch, she just wants cuddles!
-
Lottie is so pretty :luv: Best practise the cuddles then, Lottie knows best! :005:
-
:luv: :luv:
Aaaw she is beautiful. Such a gentle looking girl. Get cuddling - who could resist. So hope it all works out for Lottie and all of you. She certainly deserves her forever home at last. Well done to you for re-homing her. I'm sure she will repay you tenfold with lots of Cocker love.
-
She is beautiful and you are very lucky to have found each other. Don't worry about the big sighs. I think it's a cocker trait. :D
-
She's still lovely, and I think she's bonding with us all very well although I do think she is quite insecure - she'd like the cuddles and the eye contact to be pretty much constant! She's happier to walk now, though she often has to be persuaded first and last thing to go out for a wee - and turns straight round to come back after. Her eating still isn't good, but I've found she will eat the kibble if it is mixed with a bit of pate or a cheese triangle (I know this isn't good - but it's the only way she will eat it). Every single bit has to have a tiny bit of pate or cheese spread on, or she won't eat it. Fussy girl. I need to find some other ways to get her to eat.
We have introduced her to my friend's lab because we're hoping she can stay there for a couple of nights when we are away over Christmas. I took her round a couple of days ago, and to our great surprise when the lab (who is huge, 4 times Lottie's size) came too near me Lottie lunged and growled at her. The lab is now wary of her and leaves her alone, which is fine by her owner as she said she needed putting in her place! We presume she thought she was guarding me, as my friend picked her up today for an hour to take her without me and she was fine. She ignored the lab and sat on my friend's lap. But I never would have imagined sweet little Lottie would behave like that.
-
:luv: aw it's early days still
you will be finding out all about
each other :D
I wonder if she might like a wee
bit of salmon oil on her foods, good for her
coat ;)
-
OK I shall search for salmon oil. :D
-
some rescue cockers can get overattached to their new owner which is a possiblity
my foster cocker would sit on my lap 24/7 if she could or at least be attached to me if I let her but I tend to treat her as if she's always been here and everything is no big deal and make her go to her bed every now and then just so she's not attached to me
-
Yes that is what she's like. I'm home almost all the time but I have to work (and look after the children) so she can't be on my lap all the time. She's asleep on the sofa at the moment but she looked pretty sorry for herself before she went to sleep! She also didn't eat anything this morning and has only eaten a bit of ham today that I fed her to make sure she would eat if she wanted to. I'm hoping she'll eat her dinner.
-
I wouldn't force her to eat (my current foster didn't eat for the first few days she was here but I didn't persuade her) - and unless mine are ill, if they skip the odd meal I don't worry and don't give them a substitute as you can set them up to be picky
-
She's already picky unfortunately, but don't worry no forcing involved, she loves a little piece of ham. She did eat some dinner so maybe she just wasn't hungry this morning. Mind you, her dinner wasn't kibble.
-
Lottie looks beautiful, so glad you have found each other, may you have many happy years together.
Try putting a small amount of cooked chicken in with her kibble, or you could try another brand of dry food.
I find Arden grange very good.
-
Lottie looks lovely. My boy is nearly 10 and has a small amount on Naturediet in with his food or else he won't touch it. I divide 1 pack into 9 then wrap in foil and freeze it, just use 1 cube a day divided into his 3 meals. He also has omega 3 capsules for his skin and coat.
Just give her time, I've had rescue dogs in the past and they're worth it. :blink:
-
Thankyou both. The last few days I've added whatever meat/fish/rice we had for our meal to her bowl with a little kibble and a little bit of pedigree 'gravy' and she has eaten it. In fact today she ate 2 half meals so she's improving. I will try the Naturediet though as I'd rather get rid of the pedigree stuff and the vet said she doesn't need to be on soft food anymore.
-
Lottie has settled in so quickly you have done so well, you should be very proud of yourself. Lara loved her Naturediet, it is a good quality food and she did really well on it. I will say that the quantities recommended are pretty generous, so trust your own and Lottie's judgement as to how much she needs.
-
Thankyou. Lottie definitely doesn't need large quantities of food, even without her lack of appetite she's a slight little thing. I've lost count now of then number of people who've asked if she's a puppy.
-
What it must be like to look younger than your years :005:
-
You love her, she must be in heaven, don't worry you are doing great, she is beautiful
kate x
-
Lottie had her 2nd vaccination at the vets yesterday and she has put on weight, she's now 8.3 kg. I don't know how she's managed it but she must be eating more than she ate before anyway. As her foster carer had 4 other dogs perhaps she wasn't getting as much food as was thought. She's still as fussy as ever about food but Marks & Spencer was her friend this morning with lots of cooked chicken drastically reduced and now in the freezer! She's getting into our routine now and tells me when it's time to go and pick up my daughter from school and then my son from the bus stop. She has been introduced to the house rabbits who gave her a sniff and then lay down nearby. Lottie bless her was so nervous she had to sit on my lap.
She's definitely finding her voice, as the postman will testify.
Lottie says Merry Christmas
(https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1465331_10152128969466057_1842937187_n.jpg)
-
Bless her heart :luv:
So glad she is settling in and growing in confidence. :clapping:
Sure this will be her best Christmas ever - Happy Christmas sweetie :luv:
-
Aah bless her :luv:
Pleased everything is going well and she's settled in :clapping:
-
Oh she is gorgeous :luv: What a lucky pup to have found such a loving home
-
Beautiful girl, and so lucky to have found you.
-
She's so beautiful :luv:
-
Such a beautiful girlie :luv: :luv:
-
lottie looks lovely,
I'm sure she will settle in quickly,
not sure if they are just in my area but i took my two to my local Jollyes pet store for puppy training classes, there were also older dogs in the group, it was a 6 week course and cost about £30 per dog which was much cheaper than others i found ,the trainer was qualified but it was more of a social gathering and repetitive training at home... you can also get training DVDs and books.....
-
Thankyou, we do have a Jollyes petstore here so I will ask if they do it.