This is Emma and Maggie (ADOPTED.)

“ANOTHER Dog?” Perhaps the most common reaction from family, friends and relatives when someone tentatively mentions that they have entertained the thought of adding a dog to the existing canine resident(s). There is a lot to be considered before you add another L.L. Bean bed to the kitchen or invest in the super-king waterbed that will now be needed to accommodate all of the two and four legged creatures at bedtime.

The first question to ask, is WHY? There are many reasons why someone might add another dog–the most-common being:

• A friend, buddy, companion for the existing dog.

• An “unplanned” addition–saw or heard of a dog that you just could not resist.

• A desire for something “new” (sometimes after the loss of kids moving out, going away to school, a death in the family, etc.)

The reasons, in and of themselves, are not right or wrong, but they should be explored. Perhaps using the following guidelines to stimulate the thought process or initiate a family discussion will be helpful. A list of “Pros and Cons” is always a good place to start: only in this case you will need TWO lists–one for the humans and one for the existing dog(s).

Dog’s List of Potential Benefits of Adding a Brother or a Sister

1. I am a “pack animal” and I do like to have other “beings” around.
2. The humans are not home much and I would like to have a companion to keep me company. I get so bored and lonely–maybe it would help me recover from my “stress reducing behaviors”–like chewing, barking licking my self and watching endless hours of the “soaps”.
3. I have all this extra ENERGY! I lie around all day and rest up for when the humans come home. But then they say they’re tired from working all day! I wish we could all be tired at the same time.
4. I could be in better shape. Perhaps I’d stick to my workout program if I had a friend to do it with me–it’s such a bore to exercise alone!
5. I could run, wrestle, play tug ANYTIME I wanted to. I wouldn’t have to wait for the humans to come home and then hope that they were in the mood!
6. In my older years it just might “keep me young”. I’ve heard my buddies at the park talking about how a new dog in their house perked them right up and added years to their lives–and active ones at that.

Dog’s List of Reasons not to Add a Sibling

1. How can I am make them understand that I don’t WANT a buddy? OK, I’ll admit that I’m a bit spoiled–OK a LOT spoiled. I have been their “only pupsy wupsy” for years and I intend to keep it that way! I get all the attention, all the table scraps, all the pats, the choices spots on the furniture–why would I want to share that?
2. I really am quite jealous of my human paying attention to other dogs. Why would they think I would want one to LIVE with us?
3. I have always been a bit of a loner. I really don’t like to play with other dogs at the park and at social functions I would rather find a human to pat me. I think another dog in the house would invade my space.
4. I’m very protective of my property. I don’t let any of the neighbors’ dogs in–that’s one of my jobs.
5. I’m getting older now and I don’t WANT to play any more. I am happiest when I can lie in the sun–undisturbed–or just be with the humans, like going for rides in the car–we have no room for another dog in the car!
6. I’m really pretty much of a quiet dog. I’m used to the schedule in this house and I am not stressed by the long hours alone. I think the humans are feeling guilty. How can I let them know that I am really fine, just the way things are?

Human’s List of Reasons to Add a Dog

1. Poor Fred is so lonely. We’re away at work so much during the day.
2. Fred would like a buddy–a dog to play with, to exercise with.
3. With Fred getting older, we want to add another dog so that we will not be left “dog less” when Fred’s time comes.
4. That dog needs a new home and we could provide a good one.
5. If Fred played all day while we were at work, perhaps we would not have to spend as much time walking him and playing with him when we get home. Not that we spend that much time…the REAL issue is perhaps we would feel less guilty.
 

Human’s List of Perhaps Why Not to Add a Dog

1. That would double the vet bills! Double the dog food! Double the grooming bills! Double the boarding bills!
2. EIGHT muddy paws instead of just four! Twice the dog hair to vacuum! Twice as much to brush!
3. Where would we put two dogs in the car? We can hardly fit what we have now!
4. Is there room in the house?
5. Do we have enough quality time and attention to give to two dogs?
6. We have no fenced area for them to play. We would have to walk two dogs.
7. Fred’s not that well trained. What if we ended up with two dogs with problems?

As you can see, you and your dog often hare some very similar points of view, while in other cases you are not communicating at all! I sincerely believe that in most cases, with a little sensitivity and patience, you will be able to have a little chat with your dog and develop his list.

If you are unable to do that and are still unsure of the right decision, I suggest do some “trials”. Invite a friend’s dog “over for play” for a day or a weekend and see how things go for you and your dog. Perhaps signing your dog up for a “Doggy Daycare” for a day or two a week might help you arrive at some answers. Did Fred interact? Did he enjoy playing with the other dogs or did he keep to himself? Did he sleep all day? Did he “long for home and/or humans?”

If you and Fred decide that another dog is appropriate, now you must decide:

• Would Fred like someone his age or a younger model, or perhaps an older “role model”?

• Would Fred like a buddy or a girlfriend (altered of course)?

• Would Fred like to stick to his own type or branch out with some other breed(s)?

• Should you get a dog that is all trained or a “fixer-upper model”?

These and other issues are fuel for another article. But in the meantime, some advice from this human who has added many dogs from time to time:

• I would not suggest you even CONSIDER a second dog unless you have a fenced area in which to let them out to play and do whatever. Invisible fencing or regular fencing–either one–but two or more dogs with no fence is a lot of EXTRA WORK!

• TRAINING: Getting a second dog will not solve training problems with your existing dog. But, it very often takes the “High Energy Edge” off, making your dog easier to live with you. No matter how many dogs you have owned or trained in the past–it is (or should be) a nice bonding experience for both of you.

Think carefully for all concerned. Adopting is a wonderful experience. If you and your “Fred” agree this is for you, everyone will benefit. You will have a new dog, Fred will have a buddy, and your adoptee will have a wonderful new life with all of you.

Jennifer is proprietor of Canine Consulting–Caring Consulting for Canine Concerns, 108 Newburyport Turnpike, Route 1, Rowley, MA 01969. 978-948-5353. Reprinted with permission.

One of our favorite Love of Lab’s dogs, is now known as ‘Fletcher’.  In Fletcher’s prior life, he was known as Mac.  Mac was adopted by a family in Indianapolis from LOLIN, after we had pulled him from a horrible shelter that was due to kill him.  This family kept him for 4 months and unexpectantly returned him.  They didn’t offer any reason for the return, just said they wanted to give him back.  So, of course, LOLIN took him back with no questions asked, and Mac went back into our President’s home with her, her husband and their 3 labs.  They were Mac’s prior fosters and they already loved Mac, who STILL was a loving, sweet, funny Labby.

After having Mac for a few weeks, LOLIN found a wonderful couple to adopt him.  After the adoption, Mac NKA Fletcher, started having some problems.  Fletcher started acting out towards men, even as far as growling, snapping and lunging at them.  The difference here is that his new ‘owners’ simply refused to give up on this boy!  THANK GOD!

They hired a trainer to work with him in their own home , you see, they realized that a dog is a LIFETIME committment, so they worked through the problem.  Fletcher is still their baby boy and has NO aggression issues at all now.

So much so, that during their wedding, Mr. Drop-Dead-Gorgeous Fletcher was their Ringbearer……how wonderful is that??

CONGRATS to Dean & Charlene, Fletcher’s wonderful “parents”.

The Pastor is taking the wedding rings from Fletcher here ;-)  Fletch has been blessed by having these 2 people love him, and so has LOLIN!

by Christine Finch

Well, ask many new pet owners and these three words will not be used in sequence to describe their first week with a newly adopted rehomed pet. The reason for rehoming bears little significance on the behaviors which you will observe in the first thirty days after opening your home and your heart to a homeless animal.

Following are some tips to ease the transition and assist the animal in becoming a member of your pack:

1. Introduce him to your home slowly. Give him a section of the house the first day, then a bit more to explore the second day and so on until he has been introduced to the entire home. Do not rush this as you don’t want to overwhelm him with all of this new territory.

2. When you leave the home, give him a very small space in which to stay. Provide him with an old blanket, towel, pillow or sweatshirt which smells like you. While buying a new bed for your new addition is a nice gesture, it may end up shredded due to displays of anxiety in the new space and in your absence. Wait a month or two and then purchase the bed as a reward.

3. Give them some reward or very positive treat or toy when you leave the home. Remember, this pet has already been abandoned at least one time. They don’t know that you will be returning. Make your departure exceptionally pleasant. Turkey nibbles or cheese nibbles are best in the very beginning.

4. Take five minutes to visit the Kong website at www.kongcompany.com. It offers some excellent fillers for use in your Kong. These are essentially indestructible rubber hollow enrichment toys which range in price from $5.99-15.99 depending on your dog’s size. We stuff with peanut butter or cottage cheese, then place overnight in the freezer. It feels good ice cold on their gums, and it takes longer to lick out the stuffing if they are frozen.

5. Crate training is one of my favorite means to adjust a rehomed dog. It is like giving them their own room. It will smell like them, they always get rewarded when they go in their “house” and when you have that emergency visit to the vet which forces them to spend the night, they will be less anxious if they are already comfortable staying in a crate/kennel. Crates are safe for you and safe for your dog. Six hours is the absolute maximum for crating. If you work longer than that, you might consider placing a kennel flush against a doggy door. Make sure that it’s secure so that they cannot move the crate and cruise around the house. The other viable option is to hire a dogwalker to come in daily or alternating days (prices usually range from $10-15.) for the first few weeks to make the adjustment easier.

6. Assume that your new pet will have an accident or two in your home, and be prepared for that Treat them as if they are not housebroken to avoid preventable accidents. Take them out frequently to a potty place, tell them to “Hurry Up” or “Go Potty”. If they do, praise and reward like they just discovered dried liver! The reinforcement must be given during or immediately following the desired action, thus increasing the chances that your dog will offer the behavior again.

7. The average time that it takes before a rehomed dog eating a full meal is about 3 days. Do not be concerned unless your pet is not drinking water, or shows other signs of illness like lethargy, vomiting, etc. Please note that if you change the diet suddenly, you may see diarrhea about 2-7 days following the change. You can add a ½ cup of white rice or ½ of a baked potato and half of the prescribed amount of food to get their digestive systems regulated.

8. Protect your dog. By this I mean ask strangers to approach slowly, avert the eyes and squat down sideways to pet the new pup. In addition to this, scratching under the chin is much less intimidating from a stranger than pats on the head (which most well adjusted dogs will resent!). Try having a stranger place their flat palm above your head. I bet you will move to see what they are doing. Keep this in mind when introducing the dog to new people. You can even use the “Oh please stay back, we are in training” reasoning if you prefer not to have them approach your dog.

9. Learn your dog’s body language. Just sit still and watch. Look at the facial expressions, the eyes, the whites of the eyes, the lips and expressions, the ears, the forehead, the piloerection (hackles raised on the back of the neck and base of the tail), the tail status, the tail wag (tight vs. loose wag), body posture forward or submissive body posture. Take notes if you need to, or use a digital camera to capture images.

10. Allow your pet a few days to just settle in and relax before really beginning an obedience schedule. While this will definitely help you bond with your new addition, it will be frustrating for you and confusing for them if they are too overstimulated.

11. Become a benevolent leader to your new pet. To quote Patricia McConnell, PhD, from “The Other End of the Leash: “Keep in mind that there are basically three homes in which your dog can live: - A home in which the humans use force and intimidation to get the dog to be obedient; - A home in which your dog has all the social control and gets what he wants whenever he wants it; - Or a peaceful, harmonious household in which you are a wise, benevolent leader. You get to choose. Just remember, your dog can’t.”

12. Contact your rescue group for referrals to a great positive reinforcement trainer/behaviorist in your area. When the dog is settled, group classes are an excellent way to socialize with other dogs and people, as well as to train or polish your dog’s commands.

13. Visit the website www.clickersolutions.com for information on clicker training. Clicker training is an excellent, simple way to train your dog. Tricks come quickly using a clicker. Rent a video called “Take A Bow Wow” to learn more advanced tricks.

14. Get involved with your dog. Activities like Rally O!, flyball, agility and obedience trials are all great ways to interact with your pet. Delta Society’s Pet Partner Program certifies pets to visit hospitals, nursing homes, children’s facilities, etc. for monthly pet therapy visits. Additional information can be obtained locally through www.AnimalsBenefitClub.com or through www.deltasociety.org.

15. Have fun with your new pet! You wanted a great, polite, affectionate companion. If you are calm, loving and patient, you will be rewarded beyond measure. And then you will have your Home Sweet Home!

Article by: © Christine Finch www.playtime4petz.com