Pet Lovers

[Flopsy]

Good morning pet lovers.  I have never posted a new thread but do read a lot of the post and sometimes leave a comment.  I find the support is truly wonderful and advice from all fur baby parents so informative, so on that note, we have adopted a dog, Snowball ( not our choice of name but he knows his name lol).

Snowball is an 8 year old Matipoo whose mummy when into an elderly home.  She was heartbroken to leave him and put him in boarding kennels temporarily but she never came out.  A local rescue took him and we were lucky to become his new parents.

We have an older dog Toby and Snowball is very clingy, any advice on dealing with this would be appreciated, he tries to dominate my/our attention.

Also, he has just had 15 teeth removed and needs about the same again.  That's been a huge shock and a learning curve on adopting but we are committed to Snowball and already in love with him.

Any advice would be so appreciated.  His manners are not quite as they should be, jumping up, up and down on the bed at night, anxiety when leaving but he is so loving and hes had a hard few months.  I would post a picture but don't know how, I will try later.  Thank you in advance.

[ellybeth]

How about this pic

[eddyandme]

Snowball is ADORABLE!!!!!

Thank you for giving this baby a loving home.  I'm can't give any expert advice.  I can tell you from experience it's natural for him to be wanting all your attention:  being a new family member,he'll soon fit in.

My Eddy named himself!  And. I think Snowball is a fitting name for this beauty.  Just continue giving Snowball plenty kisses and hugs - afterall, he's lost his mummy and needs all the love you can give.  In time it all falls into place:  this "child"  will soon blend into his new family.

[Mz iMac]

[Venezia]

@Flopsy - Bless you for giving Snowball a new home.  He'll probably be clingy because his world has been turned upside down.

I haven't had a dog in years (only cats now), but my feelings would be the same:  just give him time and as much love as possible, so that he learns he's "home" and secure again.  He'll repay you a thousand times over.

We had a rescue cat that ended up having to have a lot of teeth extracted.  She did just fine afterwards.

I'm sure we all look forward to seeing a photo, if you figure out how to post one.

[Puppy Lips]

How wonderful of you to give this older dog a new home and a new life.  I am sure he will settle in with time.

As a side note, we had a Husky mix who had some sort of condition where her immune system was attacking her gums.  There was no specific "test" for it, but by process of elimination, that is what they came up with.  My vet sent me to a specialist who recommended removing all her teeth at once.  I just did not have the heart to do that.  So we removed some, maybe just a few times.  She was older then and eventually passed.  But apparently dogs do fine without teeth.  I think the thought of it is harder on us than the dogs.

[KingstonsMom]

@Flopsy 

First on my list is thank you so much for giving an older dog a loving home!

Please keep in mind that his former Mom just went into the elderly care home, so it's likely that before that decision was made, Snowball had maybe not gotten the love and attention that he needed and craved, through no fault of his former Mom, she may have not been able to give him that, at that time.

I think his anxiety right now is normal and he won't always be so needy once he realizes that he's not goin' anywhere and he has a loving family with a neat sibling to play with!

If at all possible, maybe you could spend some one on one time with Toby and Snowball individually, for them to feel like the 'special' one, then the rest of the time is spent with them both together with you.

Let one lay on one side of you on the couch while watching TV, while the other one lays on the other side. That way you can stroke each one at the same time, LOL!

[Foxxee]

Edit:

@Flopsy 

Tips for rescue dogs at the link below.  

9 Vital Tips for Training a Rescue Dog - Alpha Trained Dog

Congratulations on Snowball.  What a little cutie.

Had you thought about starting a training program  yourself or taking him to classes?

Dogs are happier when they know what their owners expect from them.  Training also keeps them safer.  I'd expect him to be pretty smart since he is half Poodle.  He'd probably learn quickly.  

You would learn how to correct him when he does things you don't want him to do. Bedtime is bedtime, not the time to jump up and down on the bed.  

His clinginess can be corrected as well.  He might be having some sort of separation anxiety.  He might be afraid you will leave him like his former owner and never come back.

You could try leaving the room periodically during the day leaving him alone with Toby for short periods of time.  Then return letting him know you will be back. You need to do that consistently until these symptoms subside.  Don't reinforce this behavior if he begins to bark, cry, or howl by entering the room when you hear him start.  Ignore it.  I know that is very difficult.

With a bit of training and time, he will learn you will come back when leaving the house. 

You already have a dog, so I don't want to assume you don't know anything about these issues.  

Small dogs often have dental disease, worsening as they age, so losing his teeth is not surprising.  Even the best dental program, brushing their teeth every night and regular cleanings may not stop it.  

[Flopsy]

Thank you to all for the support you are giving me, fyi that picture is not Snowball but he/she is Cute.  I must work out how to post one.  I know Kingstonsmum you are an expert in patience and love and thank you Foxxee, eddyandme and muzimac for your input.  It's all helped and I probably was thinking everything would fit just in place all at once - silly me.

Snowball is better today from his 15 extractions.  When finally finished he will only have 5 and they will also have to be monitored.  Yes I feel awful but he probably is in less pain already.  I can tell you are all animal lovers and genuinely care how they feel.  The adoption process is hard, indepth and we have had disappointments at not being chosen.  Now I feel Snowball was sent to us.  So glad we found each other.  Thank you all for your support.xxx

[KingstonsMom]

@Flopsy 

Snowball and Toby are the luckiest dogs on the planet, that they have you  to love and take care of them.

Just the fact that you asked for help and opinions shows how much you care about them!

Keep us posted how it goes, I'm sure it will work out fine for all!