Hi all, yesterday I met Aaron a rescue from Spain who was brought over by a local rescue who Ezra came from (if you remember him from earlier this year). Anyway he is 8/9 months old and looks like a lab lurchercross but is huge and vets in Spain think he's a Mastin Cross but he doesn't look anything like one. He was very playful with Maisie, eventually she got a bit less tolerant and told him off. He was lovely though and I think could mainly do with some good training. Iv agreed to have him on a trial basis to see what he's like with the cat as he isn't cat tested but also to see whether Maisie is happy with him. The thing that has got me thinking is the difference between a rescue and buying a puppy, with a puppy you have that instant love for it like a baby but I guess you don't get that with a rescue? Like, I don't love Aaron yet but I guess I will grow to love him as I train him, but obviously it's different from buying a puppy. If we decide to keep him im going to change his name I think.
Hi. We have always had our dogs from pups.I found it to be so much easier. We rescued poppy 5 weeks ago she is now eight months. I have found her to be so much more hard work. Even though she is young she has come with baggage and some of her learned behaviours are shocking and i am have trouble breaking them and turning them in to good habits. don't get me started on her lack of manners. We are starting to love her as she has such a zest for life and she is very funny. I think she is finding it hard to bond with us to. Due to her past. I think it will just be a matter of time. I think we must give her the boundaries, consistences and the security that she needs to develop. I just hope we can hang on in there and enjoy the ride
I didn't love Charlie when he was a puppy like I love him now. I felt a huge amount of worry and responsibility that this adorable fluffy bundle was mine to look after, but it wasn't until Charlie was older and his personality emerged - and I really got to know him - that I started to love him properly. Puppies are quite boring in a way (they keep you busy, for sure, but they are not as interesting as dogs I don't think).
I grew up with rescue dogs and I can say absolutely, positively and wholeheartedly that you grow to love them in exactly the same way. Yes, they can have challenges because of their baggage. Our first, Sam, was terrified of wooden spoons, another barked incessantly in the car, another was great with people but horrible with other dogs and had to be muzzled on walks, and my parents' latest one just doesn't know how to be a dog, and is completely shut down most of the time. But, I have plenty of challenges with my current dogs, too, who I've brought up from scratch. OK, they're different challenges, and obviously not to do with abuse, but you're a good trainer, Frankie, and you will be able to address any issue with the same mindset and process. I certainly love my two a lot more deeply now than when I first had them. Of course, the small puppies were so much fun (and so much stress in equal measure!), so cute and bouncy and gorgeous. I, too, felt a massive sense of responsibility for them, and would have been devastated had anything ever happened to them, but it's not comparable to the connection I feel to them now; and that they feel to the two of us. I think that is something that comes with time and trust, on both sides. Good luck with this, Frankie. I hope it all works out for you. By the way, I met a Mastin Español a few months ago and she looked a great deal like an overgrown Golden Retriever; far slimmer that the average Mastin. I guess they come in many shapes and sizes, just like our Labs.
When I get on my iPad il post a pic and you can see what you think. Thanks everyone. It's scary but in a diff way to a puppy. How long should I give it for Maisie to accept him? X
It didn't take onyx long at all maybe a week. I just keep telling onyx that he is very handsome and he likes the fact that the treats have gone up. Poppy can be quite rough, in fact he gave her telling off this morning. I really hope it all works out. it is scary there are days when i think " what have I done" I think this is normal. ( I hope)
I don't think you love any dog properly until they have been with you for a bit. After about 2-3 weeks a piece of my heart went to Spero. I was devastated handing him to his forever home, but at the same time happy he had a forever home where he would be adored. It took Harley about a week or two to properly accept him being here and she now gets so excited every time due sees him . Good luck and I hope Maisie settles down with him soon x
I deeply loved my rescue dog who I didn't have until he was 13 months old, I probably loved him more because of his past.
So he's here. He's constantly trying to play with Maisie, they are both being a bit rougher than I would like and she gets to a point and tells him off which I'm trying to avoid . He's so big though it's ridiculous lol. He keeps lying over her and eventually she snaps. They are currently both led on the floor biting each other's mouths. Will they get it out of their system?
Bitey face is a good sign - it's play and great fun. Will they get it out of their system? Hmm, well mine still play that way now, a year on. So maybe not. But they will learn each other's rules about how much is too much, and you need to step in and be able to break it up when it gets too much for you, too. Willow plays "bitey face" with my hand sometimes, when she's feeling very full of herself. There's no contact, but it's like I hold my hand really wide and she opens her mouth really wide and then turn them left and right, so I'm almost waving and she turns her head side to side, like when the dogs are doing it together.
What a lovely thing you are doing Frankie! I think with a young rescue, they do take a while to settle down, they have been through a lot and are still in that "want to play with every dog" stage, so they do need a bit of a hand to help them relax and time have time process their new and very different environment I would be thinking of using a crate at this stage, to make sure that Aaron has a place to relax, and give everyone a break! They can get over tired/overexcited, and this is when mishaps can occur. We have got Blake used to a crate straight away, otherwise he would be playing bitey face all night with Benson...and Casper can get a bit irritated... We had Benson as a puppy, and a number of older fosters since..all labs or lab crosses. It took a good couple of weeks really to get fond of both Benson and Casper, I love them both dearly, can't imagine life without either of them, but they are very different. Blake it was instant, he is so eager to please and gentle at the same time, I know it is going to break my heart to see him go.
Your really not going to keep Blake Kate?! They are currently both asleep downstairs, him on the sofa and Maisie on the chair (I can check using my webcam). He was quite whiny when I first went upstairs so I have put the radio on for them and he's been fine now. I was going to use baby gates to keep them separate when necessary as my husband isn't keen on having another crate after we have just decrated Maisie but as we have moved house and we have more room I think I might do it anyway. Before I came up to bed I had a lovely cuddle with Maisie in the sofa and Aaron came to my otherside and I hugged them both and had a little cry for Murphy. I am also worried Maisie might think I don't love her as much and a few times this evening she has given me a look as if to say 'mum!'. My husband thinks aaron looks like murphy and thinks that's why I like him but it's not. Well not consciously anyway. I miss Murphy so much
Ah Frankie,bless you , I feel for you missing Murphy xxx What a wonderful thing you have done taking Aaron into your home...I think the crate or at least separate areas are a great idea....you can give everyone a bit of time and space from each other then. Good luck with settling him in and I sure Maisie will be ok,it sounds like she is teaching him when she has had enough so hopefully he will learn from her signals ,although it might take time....but doesn't everything. Just as an aside...I loved Dexter the minute I saw him coming through the airport cargo doors in the shipping crate.....but I quickly realized that is wasn't unconditional love ...I really didn't like him much when we were lead walking for quite some time. I had to really make a conscious effort to stay calm and not display the grumpy feelings he gave me when we got home .....it wasn't his fault he couldn't walk on the lead bless him x Good luck ,have you changed his name yet? I like Aaron x
No havent changed his name yet. If we do we are going to call him Rupert . We had a good night, both slept downstairs all night and didnt hear a peep, although when I cam down in the morning there was a wee on the floor. That is my own fault though as when i put them out to the loo at 11pm last night he went for a poo but didnt wee and i was too cold standing there and didnt wait for a wee. I will tonight though! I took him for a walk this morning with maisie and my friends two labs and he was great. I let hm off and his recall was great and he was good with the other dogs although did get told a couple of times when he was being too rough. I have set the crate up now and fed him his breakfast in there and left him for an hour this morn, i kept checking in on the webcam and there was no barking or whining which is great, however if i ever go upstairs he whines and barks behind the baby gate until he sees me again. What do i do about that? Hes been better with maisie today, i think hes starting to not feel the need to play constantly. Earlier he was playing with some of the toys and it was really sweet. I popped hi to the vets this morn to weigh him and he weighs 24kg. The rescue thought he was underweight, but the vet nurse thinks hes fine as hes got a lovely waist and you cant see his ribs. Il try and post some photos...
Oh, what a lovely face and ears! You're right, he doesn't look anything like a Mastin Español to me, either - not in this picture, anyway!! Maisie is looking fabulous, too. Rupert is a great name. No good for me, because I have trouble with my Rs (or my *rse, as DH likes to say!) so I'd be calling "Wooput! Woooooooput!"
Lol, thanks for fixing that pic! Please cam you fix this one too? Also il find one which shows how big he is image by Frankie Whittingham, on Flickr
Oh that one works! Here is one of hm at his old foster, but shows how big he is! image by Frankie Whittingham, on Flickr Argh
