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Hello everyone. I found this website through a link on another message board (non-dog related). I've always owned cats, and have never had a dog. Suddenly I find myself owning a dog! lol......My kids have been asking for a dog for a long time but I always said no, because there are lots of things I don't like about dogs. But -- I've been watching "It's Me Or The Dog" on tv, and I've learned that all those things I don't like -- such as jumping, and rushing the door, and barking non-stop -- are actually the fault of the owner, not the dog! (go ahead, roll your eyes at me.. lol)
So, as a surprise for the kids (age 13 and 17) for their birthdays, which are two days apart, we drove to the local shelter. Didn't tell them where we were going until we pulled up in front. The expression on their faces was priceless, although dd told me later she couldn't even hope for a dog, she thought we were maybe going for a ferret or something like that. heehee...
Anyway, I wanted a small dog. I walked down the aisle of the dog area, past all the dogs. Looked back and both my kids were on the floor in front of one cage, with the dog (the bigger-than-I-would-have-wanted dog) pressed sideways up against the cage, trying to touch them with every part of her body. sigh.. lol... Well, what could I say?
So Simba came home with us a week later. She's a border collie/black lab mix, about 9 months old they think (she was found as a stray, limping down the street with cut paws...
). She is a wonderful dog, sweet, a bit nervous, but getting to know us.
We were advised to put her in a crate at night and when we left her alone, but that didn't work at all. She was frantic to get out and I was afraid she'd hurt herself. So we ignored that advice and now she sleeps in our room on her bed, never chews anything during the night, doesn't wake us up at all. (although sometimes she tries to sneak in the bed on my side.) -- She does NOT like being left alone so we're working on that. We've got her up to about an hour. Starting the first week of September she'll have to be alone several times per week, the longest for 4.5 hours every other week. Two other days will be for about 3 hours. I think she can do it. (I hope!)
She gets walked for about 45 minutes to 1 hour in the morning, a quick "constitutional" at noon, then another 45 minutes to 1 hour at night. She has toys and hasn't tried to chew other things. She's VERY smart and has already learned not to do certain things (like rushing us at the door). She loves everyone, and I have yet to meet a dog who doesn't like her, even the dogs whose owners say "he doesn't much like other dogs".
The one thing that drives me CRAZY is that she follows me around like she's attached to me with velcro. I can't even walk two feet from the dining room to the kitchen without her following me, as if I'll escape out the window if she's not looking. Is this normal?
Well, I hope to get lots of good advice here. I'll get my son (teenage boy, they know how to do everything technical) to help me post a photo of Simba.
So, as a surprise for the kids (age 13 and 17) for their birthdays, which are two days apart, we drove to the local shelter. Didn't tell them where we were going until we pulled up in front. The expression on their faces was priceless, although dd told me later she couldn't even hope for a dog, she thought we were maybe going for a ferret or something like that. heehee...
Anyway, I wanted a small dog. I walked down the aisle of the dog area, past all the dogs. Looked back and both my kids were on the floor in front of one cage, with the dog (the bigger-than-I-would-have-wanted dog) pressed sideways up against the cage, trying to touch them with every part of her body. sigh.. lol... Well, what could I say?
So Simba came home with us a week later. She's a border collie/black lab mix, about 9 months old they think (she was found as a stray, limping down the street with cut paws...
). She is a wonderful dog, sweet, a bit nervous, but getting to know us. We were advised to put her in a crate at night and when we left her alone, but that didn't work at all. She was frantic to get out and I was afraid she'd hurt herself. So we ignored that advice and now she sleeps in our room on her bed, never chews anything during the night, doesn't wake us up at all. (although sometimes she tries to sneak in the bed on my side.) -- She does NOT like being left alone so we're working on that. We've got her up to about an hour. Starting the first week of September she'll have to be alone several times per week, the longest for 4.5 hours every other week. Two other days will be for about 3 hours. I think she can do it. (I hope!)
She gets walked for about 45 minutes to 1 hour in the morning, a quick "constitutional" at noon, then another 45 minutes to 1 hour at night. She has toys and hasn't tried to chew other things. She's VERY smart and has already learned not to do certain things (like rushing us at the door). She loves everyone, and I have yet to meet a dog who doesn't like her, even the dogs whose owners say "he doesn't much like other dogs".
The one thing that drives me CRAZY is that she follows me around like she's attached to me with velcro. I can't even walk two feet from the dining room to the kitchen without her following me, as if I'll escape out the window if she's not looking. Is this normal?
Well, I hope to get lots of good advice here. I'll get my son (teenage boy, they know how to do everything technical) to help me post a photo of Simba.
