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A New Start -Advice?

3.2K views 32 replies 21 participants last post by  HollowHeaven  
#1 ·
So as some of you may remember, I lost my moon and stars three and a half months ago. Not a single day has gone by that I haven't thought of him, haven't remembered. It isn't getting any easier.
There will never be another that could take his place, there will never be another like my Diesel, and I know not to expect it from another dog. But I do find myself missing having a dog.
I'm back where I started now and I miss swimming and going for walks and runs and not having a hiking buddy.
So I went on the search. I was looking for a wee sausage of a puppy, a coonhound/mix or a pit/mix. I wanted sorta size and that nice slick coat. And, as it should be no shock, there are plenty of single coated puppies to be given away.
Bu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ut. . .

Image

Image


I saw her and fell in love.

Her name is Sarabi, she is 7 months old and the ad said she was a mini-poodle X great pyr. and if that is true, holy crap. They told me she weighs around 30 pounds and is housebroken. At 7 months, I don't know how true that is, but hopefully she has a good foundation started. They said she isn't leash trained, she just lays down, but Diesel did that his first time on a leash too Lol. I didn't ask why they're rehoming her, but their cover photo on FB is of newborn twins, and I think it's safe to assume that's why.

I'm going to meet her Tuesday. Hopefully we click. I already have a basket full of toys, bowls, a bed, and a huge crate. (Yes that means I got the go-ahead to have an indoor dog!!)

I'm excited to meet her. But I'm freaking out.
 
#3 ·
Well she looks very cute, not sure about the mix they listed, but still really cute. All of my dogs have been housebroken by 7months, even Freyja who I didn't think was ever going to "get it" finally caught on before 7months (I think her last accident was around 6months and they were rare accidents by 5months). My males have always been easier and Blue was super easy. Now if they mean house broken like not chewing things in the house when left alone....that probably depends as much on breed as anything else. Lad can be left alone and he is only 9months but Freyja can't even be gated in the entryway or she eats the walls, it isn't separation anxiety, she is fine, she just gets bored (she is a husky mix) and she will be 2 soon.

Anyway, hope your meeting with her is great.
 
#8 ·
You keeping the name?
Absolutely.


I don't see either of those breeds, but she's cute! She looks sort of BC to me. I hope you two click!
I don't either. Maybe the pyr to some degree? But I thought BC when I saw her too. That both excites and mortifies me.


When I contacted the owner, the first thing he asked me was 'do you have a big yard?' and that pretty much tells me she's wild and they can't do anything with her Lol
I was like, no, but I go for runs and walks and hikes, etc, so she will be exercised. He said 'good, she likes to play' Yep.
 
#6 ·
I don't see either of those breeds, but she's cute! She looks sort of BC to me. I hope you two click!
 
#11 ·
I hope things work out too. I hope I have a click with her, but if I don't, I'm walking away. I'm in love from the photo but that doesn't guarantee a click, ya know? I don't want to come home without a dog tuesday, but I don't want to come home with another Aleu. I knew from the start we weren't good for one another and ignored it. I don't want to do that again.

I'm super anxious that I'm not going to be good enough for her.

But I've got all these big ideas in my mind for training, for us being able to be partners in crime. I'd love to be able to take her to parks and play off leash and go hiking and have her follow me on rides

I'm mostly nervous about crating, though. I don't think she is crate trained, I'll have to ask, but this will be my first time crating a dog. I've got the general idea of make it a positive place but still
 
#12 ·
everyone one of the adult dogs I took in to work with were not crate trained, nervous wrecks that I wouldn't put into a crate because they would of hurt themselves.. Gave them the puppy room to keep them safe and started crate games (feeding times) and just general in and out games during the day.. didn't take very long to get them to the point that I knew they would be just fine happy content in the crate when I wasn't there... week, 3 weeks, a month depending on the individual.. Main thing is that they safe for the moment, and crate can come when they ready for it...
 
#13 ·
When I crate trained my roommates dog, I started off with crate games like Patricia suggested. I basically got the yummiest treat I had at hand (cheese) and just tossed pieces into the crate, while saying "crate," for him to go get and come right back out. When he started anticipating that I'd toss the treat in there he would go in first, or stay in and wait for another treat, that's when I started shutting the door and feeding him treats through the bars of the crate. I rewarded every instance of calm behavior (sitting, laying down) For him it took about a week before we started leaving him alone, and I still always give a treat when he goes in, which he does enthusiastically now :).

It might take some patience on your part but if you work on it every day and stay consistent eventually you'll have a crate trained dog.
 
#15 ·
Aww she is cute. Do not see poodle but hey anything is possible these days. Yes, sometimes when getting a dog from an owner you just have to fill in the blank spaces when the owner starts to talk about the dog. One thing I have learned is the dog could act totally different with you. What may be bothersome to one owner could bring a smile to a face on another owner. You will just have to wait and see. One thing for sure, she looks like a dog many adventures could be taken with. Good luck hoping for the best for you two
 
#16 ·
She's adorable, love the name and I'm hoping you click :grinning: maybe she can bring some joy back into your life to help with the loss of diesel though I know it probably won't ever go away completely
 
#17 ·
Hope you and Sarabi click! I don't see poodle; my guess would be border collie, maybe something spaniely. No matter what her mix, she looks like fun!

Someone (Shell? Dagwall? Hanksimon?) posted a nice overview of crate games somewhere. Unfortunately, the bookmark to that thread is on my now-dead computer. I have some handouts from a class if you're interested.

Hope this means you'll be back here. :)
 
#19 ·
I see why you're smitten with her picture, I hope you feel that connection when you meet her. Also I hope the family who is rehoming her is honest with you so you can at least have a good idea what you are getting into. Like what was said above its never too late to crate train unless they have confinement anxiety or really bad separation anxiety they'll figure it out pretty quickly.
 
#20 ·
She's beautiful.

Hope you two click. I clicked with Bucky even though he was over the top out of his mind scared being at the shelter and so much as looking at him would have been ill advised much less touching him. Only thing he was doing positive was staying next to my leg rather than fighting the lead and that was mostly because I wasn't the scary kennel guy that lassoed him and gave him shots..
 
#21 ·
I'm hoping the crate won't be a forever thing. But for now I can't take any chances, especially since I Just (over a year ago) came off a dog that LITERALLY ate my walls for the fun of it.
Plus, I'm sure my cat is gonna be just t h r i l l e d with this. Lol. They said she gets along with their other dogs but has never been around a cat before. That makes me nervous BUT, Aleu, her entire life, wanted nothing more than to maul cats, and with the LAT game, I had her sharing a bed nose to nose with them, she could be trusted alone, so I have hope.

It's weird getting a dog through a re-home though. So many of my animals have been strays or animals that someone else has thrown away -literally.
 
#23 ·
Very sorry for your loss. One does well to have a dog that is a perfect match to one's family & lifestyle. I have been blessed to have 2 who were just perfect. How long one waits after the loss of a beloved pet varies. There is no right or wrong answer. Dont rush into taking the first one you come across. This is problematic for me as I would keep them all.

We do not choose who we love whether human or animal. Bless you for adopting, especially a black dog. I think the breed type given is mistaken. Perhaps lab & cattle dog. If you do click with Sarabi, give yourself & her time to learn about each other. Learn her cues for when she needs to go outside or wants to play or is hungry. When the current owners asked if you had a large yard, I took it to mean they care about her and want the best for her whether it is in their home or another's. Im usually optimistic about others though. Newborn twins and an energetic pup is a lot to handle. When you visit Sarabi, you will be able to tell how she has been treated by her behavior. Watch her interactions with her current owners.

My family has rescued, rehabilitated & re-homed many abused and neglected boxers the last 20 years. If she has been mistreated, you must go slower in her re-training. Patience, compassion and love should drive your training sessions. Good Luck and bless you for deciding to adopt.
 
#25 ·
Since I heard my name mentioned :) ... a few unsolicited, hopefully not too preachy, suggestions:

1. Crate: Prepare a wonderful Kong that smells good. If the dog is a heavy chewer then consider freezing it. [The Kong, not the dog.] Let the dog sniff and even lick the Kong, tease the dog with it. Toss the Kong into the crate and close the door, with the dog on the outside. Then, stand back and watch. The dog will do everything to try to get into the crate. Eventually, the dog will give up, sit down, and look at you for help. Then, you've got her! Let her in, then close the door behind her. She should sit and chew for a few minutes, hopefully, sleeping when finished. [This came from Ian Dunbar.] Note that a very new dog may be too anxious to be interested.
2. Try to borrow about 2 weeks worth of the old dog food, so that you can make a gradual switch, if desired.
3. Recall that a new dog may be relatively subdued for the first few weeks or so. And she may forget housetraining briefly.
4. You will compare her to Diesel ... Do it, accept it, don't beat yourself up about it ... and move on.....
5. You might consider writing down a 'training' plan, so that you don't forget something ... b/c "Diesel knew how to do that..." AFTER you trained him....

Sorry about Diesel ... Let us know about Sarabi...
 
#26 ·
5. You might consider writing down a 'training' plan, so that you don't forget something ... b/c "Diesel knew how to do that..." AFTER you trained him....
This will be one thing I'm confident I won't have to worry about, because that dog did nothing xD Lol. Sweetheart, but not good at the book learnin'... so to speak.


Thanks for advice about the crate. that's by far my biggest worry.
 
#28 ·
omigosh she's in heat. DX Already got her dolled up in silky panties Lol