i’ve been thinking about getting a dog for awhile but had decided to put it off until next summer. i’m a teacher so i wanted to wait for the summer to have the time needed to house train and whatnot.
well, a couple of weeks after i came to that conclusion, an interesting opportunity presented itself to me. a good friend has to get rid of one of her dogs because she is moving to an apartment where she can only have one, so she is keeping the one she has had longer.
so. daisy is a 5yo golden retriever. she is fixed and housetrained. she is great with kids (i have a 6 yo son). my friend isn’t moving immediately so i don’t have her yet and am not entirely sure when i’ll be getting her. i have a great backyard with a tall fence. she will be an inside/outside dog as she is now. i’m just wondering what i need to do in preparation. i’m really really excited.
anyone have experience with getting slighty older dogs (as in not a puppy)?i’m sure there will be an adjustment period of sorts. help?
We got our late, beloved dog, Tosh, when his owner left his family and left the dog behind. Tosh went wandering to my stepdad’s workplace and decided that he wanted Vic as his new owner.
When Tosh first came to our house, we walked him around the house and the property, showing him where we was allowed to go (we didn’t let him upstairs, where the bedrooms were). It worked well, he caught on quickly. Honestly, it was so much easier that we got him already trained and housebroken. I wouldn’t want a puppy, they are so cute but training them properly is such an investment, I don’t know if I’d be up to it.
Daisy will probably miss her owner and her old home very much . If she has a dog bed that might make the transition easier, since she’ll have something that smells like “home” in her new home. If she doesn’t, ask your friend for an unwashed t-shirt or something to put where Daisy sleeps. Our Tosh would get so sad when Vic had to spend the night away from us, we’d put a bit of Vic’s laundry on Tosh’s bed and the scent would comfort him. Of course it goes without saying that if possible, you should keep Daisy’s schedule the same: when she’s fed, what time she goes out to pee in the morning, what time she goes for a walk.
Good luck. Tosh was a great member of our family and although we were never “dog people”, we were definitely “Tosh people”.
that’s a good idea about the t-shirt. daisy doesn’t have a bed, but we’re getting her from my best friend so there will be ample opportunity to bring butter, the other dog, over to play. hopefully that will make the transition easier
Just a week ago I acquired another dog. He was abandoned by his family, along with 6 horses. The dog bunked with the family of another boarder for a while, but that boarder couldn’t keep him. I volunteered to take him and he settled in almost immediately. He’s been a life-long outdoor dog, but he’s decided that he likes coming in during the evenings. He just settles into one of my dog beds and hangs out. An adult dog is so much easier than a puppy. You won’t have go through the housebreaking and the seemingly endless chewing phase. Make sure you get the same kind of dogfood they’ve been using, so he doesn’t have an upset stomache on top of everything else. You might consider getting a dog bed now and letting him get used to it at the old house and moving it with him. I think that would be easier than his old owner’s scent, because you want him to transfer his allegience to you and not dwell on them. Treats and affection will go a long way to get a dog to love you. Good luck and congratulations on your new pet!
Congratulations - having an adult is a great way to start dog ownership, and Goldens are usually wonderful pets.
I’d second the suggestion to feed the same food. Also, obedience training is a great way to help a dog bond with you and get you off on the right foot.