ok so like a week ago I posted a thread about that I'm gonna dog sit my friends 8year old rescue lab which is very scared and won't leave bedroom. I now had her here 4 hours and I introduced her to Millie through putting Millie in her crate in our bedroom and let Rosie sniff around in the house. In return I put Rosie's blanket in Millie's crate for her to sniff on. After one hour I let Rosie enter our bedroom and say hi to Millie through the crate. Millie was so great so I let her out. After 3 hours we had a pee and poop break and I had them both out on leads , loose even! Millie is so respectful to this older one and she tried to get her to play with bringing her the favorite pig but she gave up fast. Rosie which is a rescue from a puppymill is scared but she is very curious at the same time and she already bonded with me, I think. She follows me around and buff me with her head if I stop pet her. She's panting a lot but I think it's from new environment plus she been walking a lot which she hasn't done in over a year. Both are napping now. Millie In her crate and Rosie on her blanket next to the crate. I just had to share my relief over this. I been so worried that my 7month old Millie would be a total nightmare since she never really met any dogs.
That sounds like a good beginning. How long has your friend had Rosie? It can take them some time to settle in. Our rescue had not been well treated, hit or at least very roughly handled. It was some months before she stopped being nervous around us and a year till she really settled right in like she belonged to us. Your Millie might really help Rosie. I swear they take cues from how other animals react to some people and gain trust from the other animal.s behaviour toward people, things and places.
Well they been having her 2years and she was doing great and wasn't that scared. But when they had people coming working on their house she became super scared of all sounds and refused to leave their bedroom unless it's for potty time. She seems more relaxed now then when she got here and she's snoring hard at the moment haha. Millie too for that matter, I told my friend that if it goes good this weekend we could have her over for a couple of hours each day as a beginning for rehabilitation to get her out of the pattern she is in at her own house. Since we live further away from roads then they do she can stroll around in the yard without having cats next to her. She seemed to enjoy it today when we went out. Or is it a bad idea u think to bring her over in the future on a daily basis to be with Millie and I?
Sounds like it's going really well. I think that regular play dates in the future would be a good thing. These ex-puppy mill bitches are so traumatised.....it's great that this girl is safe now, even if the world still seems very scary...
You are doing a very kind thing, and it's lovely she has a break from a scary routine and just the bedroom at home. Good work by you and Millie.
I don't think I'd be brave enough to help out a traumatised dog, so thumbs up to you for doing so (and for doing such a job!)
Well im dog sitting the weekend since my friends went to the beach and I offered to take her in. I was worried it would go bad so I got their house keys as a safe card. But they are doing great. So instead of falling over one lab when I'm cooking I now fall over two that lays next to another and won't move. At least Rosie is not hiding and she's been wiggling her tail all day long, I don't know if it's all from being happy or if they do it from being nervous too? She seems very happy though, went to my husband and wanted to get petted so now he wants to ask our friends if we can keep her (this comes from the man that said one dog only and it's my responsibility).
I just realized I said in the post before the last one "stroll around in the yard without having cats next to her" instead of cats it is supposed to say cars. I was writing on my phone and it autocorrected it wrong, terrible wrong haha
A wag of the whole tail from side to side means she's happy. Nervous wags tend to be rapid and involve the tail held low, with an overall crouched look to the body. I'd say she's happy
Sounds like you are doing a fantastic job - Rosie must be enjoying herself. Play dates are great for dogs, Bailey loves his. Well done for stepping up to help
It's lovely to read how happily Rosie has settled. I wonder if being with another dog has helped reassure her as well as all you've done.
I got a question for those with older dogs, Rosie is very fat... Didn't exercise in I don't know how long and I think it hurts her joints with all extra weight plus she's 8years old. My question is how much exercise do you think I can start giving her? She seemed fine with 10 minutes strolling around in our yard, is it a good idea to get her some suppliments? She don't got arthritis but u can tell the over weight is bothersome. I slept in the sofa during the night, I felt so bad for Rosie . She saw Millie jump up in the sofa and Rosie started wiggle her tail and tried to get up too...without luck. I gave her a super big fluffy pillow which she been snoring on all night (except for when she woke me up by licking my face). It's clearly pissing me off my friend been neglecting her. What I noticed is she got a bit food aggression, she barked at Millie when Millie's stuffed bone was laying next to Rosie (Rosie had just put it there). I removed everything food wise from the floors to prevent this from happening again.
