taikunfoo wrote:@Imzadi83
First off thank you so much for taking the time to type everything out, I really, really appreciate it.
Thank you for pointing that out about the martingale collars. By too much freedom, what do you mean? Are you talking more about keeping them limited to one room and letting them settle in, slowly giving them more and more run of the house, and like you said, keeping them in a crate when you're not able to directly observe them? I hadn't thought about leaving shoes and things out, thank you for bringing that up.
There's a really amazing rescue in my area that I'm hoping to get a dog from, but it's on the smaller side with a relatively fast turn over (they're pretty good at getting dogs adopted out). I'll give them a heads up that I'm looking for a dog this upcoming summer, thank you for the idea.
I'm planning on living with my best friend, who has two small dogs and a cat, so whether or not I foster an animal will be up to him and his pets, but it will also give me some experience living with his pets as wellI can always wait to get a dog after I move in with him, although I know I'll have more free time to give to a new dog before then.
Thank you for the links, I'm looking them over. I don't have too much of a set idea what the rules will be quite yet, but one thing I'm worried about is the rules in my house vs another house. I don't mind the dog on my furniture, but I know that my mother would not be happy if I brought a dog over and it hopped up on her couch.
I was thinking of trying to make up a list or something if I notice things I want to work on when I bring the dog home, and clicker training is something I definitely want to do.
My best friend who I'm planning on living with already wipes his dogs' paws when they come in, and it's something I'm planning on doing as well. I hadn't thought about sunblock, but it makes sense. Some of the horses in the barn I work at need it on their noses in the summer, so it's just like with them or people.
I'm planning on giving the dog the flea/tick preventative medicine, but would a comb or brush help after they come in to pick off any that come in on their fur?
I know of two amazing vets in my area, although I don't know about any emergency ones in the area, I'll look that up, and good call about knowing how to get there in the event of an emergency. You're right, if something happens I'll be focused on the dog and distracted.
I have some supplies set aside as well as a human first aid kit in the event of an emergency already, but I'll add some extra water and dog food to that. One of my previous internships was in emergency management so I can get the preparation down
Pet insurance was something I was looking into, and I didn't know that you could get a quote before adopting the dog, I'll definitely do that. I was planning on having 1-2k set aside for an emergency, and I already have a good chunk of money saved up for the dog right now that I'm adding to.
Thank you again for your wonderful response and the resources that you listed out, I've bookmarked them and I'll be looking at them over the coming months.
In regards to freedom, yes, I mean exactly that. It's fine to have them loose in the house if you're supervising, but don't be in your bedroom while they're wondering around. This is especially true since it sounds like you'll be living with other animals, fights can happen very quickly and you don't want a bad association between them.
If you're sure you're going to be moving in with your friend and his pets soon it might be best to wait on getting a dog until you do. Moving can be very stressful and bringing a dog that's been living with you alone into a home with other animals may prove more difficult then bringing one into the home with other animals in the first place. Regardless you should let the rescue know your plans and bring your friends' dogs over to meet your potential new pet. Just because a dog is dog friendly doesn't mean they get along with every other dog. I don't think there is a clear right or wrong choice, but it's something to think about. If you do get the dog while you're still alone maybe you can schedule some play dates at both places so all the animals get used to sharing their space.
Also here's a link about introducing dogs to cats http://www.littlebigcat.com/behavior/cat-to-dog-introductions/ Personally I would not feel comfortable leaving my dog alone with the other animals for at least six months, but maybe never. When in doubt it is always safest to have your dog safely put away when you're not there to supervise them with the other animals.
As far as the couch goes I recommend training your dog that it is only allowed on the couch when invited by you. Otherwise provide a comfy dog bed nearby and reward it for laying there. While you're teaching the dog to get on the couch when invited you can also teach it to get off when asked. And remember that dogs don't generalize well, so while he may have this down pat at home, he will need a refresher and supervision when at Grandma's. And don't forget the comfy bed nearby, if you think your Mom might resist the dog bed try to get something that matches her décor/taste.
A fine toothed comb will be great for getting things out of their fur, including ticks, but you'll need to know how to remove ticks once they've attached to the dog as well. The sooner you get them off the less chance there is for a transfer of disease. Ticks release chemicals into the dog that numbs the area so as upsetting as it might be to you to remove them it likely won't hurt the dog. Practice handling exercises in general can make it go easier. I use a tick stick http://shop.mercola.com/product/268/1/tick-stick-tick-removal-tool-1-unit, there's also the tick key https://smile.amazon.com/Tick-Key-Remover-Assorted/dp/B000R1D3KQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1516144384&sr=8-2&keywords=tick+key, but I think tweezers work just fine as well. Feel free to ask your vet how to remove ticks.
