New dog advice needed please

Kashkai

My last dog, a collie cross died 11 years ago this month. I'd had him for 15 years and it damn near broke my heart when he died (he was the best dog in the world - NO ARGUMENT!). So I swore I'd never get another dog as no other dog could ever replace him.

Roll on 11 years and my kids (and even my wife) wanted to get a dog. I've been digging my heels in but finally relented so we did a tour of dog rescue centres. None of the dogs the kids liked appealed to me (guess I was subconciously still refusing to get one) until we called to the Collon Dog Sanctuary in Louth last week. They asked what type of dog I was interested in and I said one about a year old, who likes kids and has a good temperament. They brought out a dog that when I saw him, literally took my breath away as he was the literal re-incarnation of my old dog:eek:. Same size, same colouring, same quiet, shy but wanting to be loved temperament. I had to have him but I kept my opinions to myself to see what the kids thought. They loved him but I held off until my wife saw him. She thought he was lovely too so we adopted him and brought him home yesterday.

Now this is where I need the advice:
I've been out of the "dog owning" way of life for a long time and while I know how to feed and exercise my new dog, there are certain aspects of his behaviour that I find puzzling. This wonderful effectionate dog was abandoned by his previous "owner" (otherwise known as a gobsh1te) by the side of the road and brought by a good samaritan to the Dog Sanctuary where I found him. The dog is very hesitant to be indoors, sits down and pulls away from the lead and has to be carried in to the house. He won't even enter my large 20ft x 10ft garden shed. This isn't a big problem but does it hide a deeper problem with previous abuse? He has a lovely nature and is eager to please so I don't think he's going to be vicious but with 5 kids, I'm a little concerned that there may be a deep seated problem. Any opinions?

I had him out for an hour's walk this morning before work and he's quite good on the lead. I bought one of those extendable leads on a reel so he can wander a bit in the countryside where I live well away from roads and he's very good on a long leash but he tends to pull a little at times on a short leash when we are walking along busy roads to the point that he's gasping for air. I don't like choke chains but will one make him walk at heel better?

I'd also like advice on his medical care (and recommendation for a good vet in the north Kildare area - I used to bring my old dog to the Blue Cross but I don't know if they still exist), e.g. worming, vacinations (the dog sanctuary gave him the parvo virus shot), neutering etc as I've forgotten a lot about this aspect of dog ownership:o. Still I'm eager to get to know my new dog and hope we have him as long as my last one.

PS - I keep calling him "dog" as the kids won't make up their mind what to call him. The girls like "Marley" while my sons like "Ben". I think a compromise, i.e. "Barley" (as he has a light brown colouring) might be good. Just need to convince the kids now.

Whispered

Congratulations! A lovely story of how you found your dog.

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

The dog is very hesitant to be indoors, sits down and pulls away from the lead and has to be carried in to the house. He won't even enter my large 20ft x 10ft garden shed. This isn't a big problem but does it hide a deeper problem with previous abuse? He has a lovely nature and is eager to please so I don't think he's going to be vicious but with 5 kids, I'm a little concerned that there may be a deep seated problem. Any opinions?

Where is the dog to sleep, indoors or outdoors?
If he's spending time in the back garden, I'd just leave the door open for him to come in as he wants. He's still finding his feet with your family, so you might find that if you leave the door open and just ignore him, he'll come in a bit quicker. He's been through a huge transition and could be feeling a bit overwhelmed. Loads of attention will only add to that, so let him come to you, let him come into the house when he wants to. Take things at his pace.

When you do need to get him in, like for bed, then if you can do it with only yourself or your wife in the room you might be better off. Keep things as calm as possible. Try to avoid carrying him in. Imagine if you were scared of something and were given no choice in facing it. Personally I'd sit inside the door and lure the dog in with something really tasty. Obviously if this doesn't work then continue carrying him in, but try luring him in first.

With regards to this being deep seated, I'd imagine he's just a bit unsure.

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

I had him out for an hour's walk this morning before work and he's quite good on the lead. I bought one of those extendable leads on a reel so he can wander a bit in the countryside where I live well away from roads and he's very good on a long leash but he tends to pull a little at times on a short leash when we are walking along busy roads to the point that he's gasping for air. I don't like choke chains but will one make him walk at heel better?

Choke chains could help him walk to heel, however, a choke chain can also cause damage to the neck, it can make the dog reactive around other dogs, or kids, or balls, whatever he lunges for as he'll get a check automatically and could associate the check with the item he's pulling for.

I'd recommend something like this http://www.petdogtraining.com/best-in-store/dog-training-aids/sensible-dog-harness.php As it connects at the front, when the dog pulls he turns. You can work on lead training in the house too. There was a recent thread on it if you do a quick search.

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

I'd also like advice on his medical care (and recommendation for a good vet in the north Kildare area - I used to bring my old dog to the Blue Cross but I don't know if they still exist), e.g. worming, vacinations (the dog sanctuary gave him the parvo virus shot), neutering etc as I've forgotten a lot about this aspect of dog ownership:o. Still I'm eager to get to know my new dog and hope we have him as long as my last one.

I use Animals first in Kilcullen. They are fantastic, but might be a bit away from you. When you find your vet, if you're not happy with them, then move on. It's important that you trust and like your vet. It's also good to feel ok about asking questions, making suggestions etc. Your vet should always listen to you, you'll know your dog better than anyone so if you feel something is wrong, your vet should be happy to check it out.

I'm surprised that the rescue didn't give him his full course of shots and have him neutered before re-homing. Most rescues do this before even considering re-homing (unless it's a pound). Just make sure that the sanctuary didn't give him his full course of vaccinations before giving him more. Did you have to pay a fee? If so what did they say the fee was for?

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

PS - I keep calling him "dog" as the kids won't make up their mind what to call him. The girls like "Marley" while my sons like "Ben". I think a compromise, i.e. "Barley" (as he has a light brown colouring) might be good. Just need to convince the kids now.

Barley is lovely! Bently is nice too I think (taking his rags to riches story into account )

mymo

Whispered's post has some great advice, those harnesses are great, my friend uses one for her setter.
Just wondering if you have wooden or tiled floors?
My dog has some weird thing about going into places with slippery floors, I have a cork type floor that is well worn so not slippery, so he's fine, but he will not walk on certain floors, (he's just odd). If the dog was un accustomed to being indoors, it could be flooring. You could try a mat inside the door, get him to walk in and sit on it and give him a treat. Once he's doing that move it a few inches see how that works, you need to have him willing to enter thats a good start, once he feels safe he'll go further. It just takes time.

You should have got a vaccination card with him, it has little stickers from the bottles, the vet will know whats what.
Neutering can be advised by the vet, vet will give him the once over and tell you. I'd also ask about microchipping, its not too expensive and the chip is injected, you then register the chip number to fido or similar database. Then if ever he gets lost he can be scanned and they will be able to get in contact and return him.

Congratulations on finding your dog, I hope he brings you and your family many years of joy.

Groom!

Congratulations on taking the plunge! I always think there is never a right time to get a dog, have a baby or buy a house! You just have to go for it!

Anyway it looks like he found YOU!!

I would basically just give him time to adjust. Don't push any issues with him. Great advice above about the harness for walking him.

Also, I have encountered dogs that will not walk across tiles, so that could also be a possibility.

I bet you will be reporting back here soon that he is sleeping in front of the fire or on the couch!

Just give him time. And well done for getting a rescue and giving this boy his forever home.:)

TooManyDogs

Groom! wrote: »

I would basically just give him time to adjust. Don't push any issues with him.

Exactly what I was going to say, he needs plenty of time. Give him a couple of weeks with very gentle interaction, don't push too much on him. If you can try and not let the kids bring a gang of their friends in to meet the new dog, it's a lot of pressure to put him under.

As regards the back door, leave it open and ignore him, he'll come in in his own good time, especially if his food is inside. Carrying him in can only be a very temporary measure as he never learns to cross the threshold under his own steam. Putting a lead on him and gently leading him in could be a good way to start.

As regards pulling on the lead, a basic obedience class would be a good way to start there.

LucyBliss

+1 on the giving him time to adjust. It's a big change for him to go from being abandoned to being in a happy home again and he probably needs to get used to having people care about him and his needs. Even if he's outside and the kitchen door is open, he's getting acclimatised to the different sounds and the routines of the family.

It might not do any harm to have someone sit in the garden for a while, if that's possible, with him. You don't have to say or do anything, just let him get used to your presence. I did that with my rescue dog when we first got her. She sat over by the door warily and I sat on the floor reading. It took a good portion of the day but she ended up lying asleep against my foot and it only got better from there.

Best of luck, good for you for giving the poor boy a well deserved home and I wish you many happy and healthy years together.

Kashkai

Many thanks for the advice folks. Adopting and caring for our new dog is more intimidating for me than minding my five kids as I'm supposed to "know all about dogs" as I've been boring my wife and kids for years with tales of my old Collie. Looks like my bluff has been called now:o

Our new dog, ("Marley" was eventually settled on by my kids - the power of Hollywood, eh?) has really taken to my eldest girl who's 11, which is a little annoying as I thought he'd bond more with me (oh jealousy is a terrible thing:D). He follows her round endlessly and will go to her if we both call him. Makes me think that perhaps his last owner had a girl of similar age.

He definitely needs training though as he has no comprehension of sit, stay, come, down etc. We live in a rural area with livestock so I want him to be obedient (without breaking his spirit though) and I'll work with him when the kids aren't around. If I have no luck, I'll look for a dog obedience school.

I have been keeping him on a leash while in the garden (which is hedged in but still not yet "escape proof") as the day he was being brought home from the Dog Sanctuary, he slipped out of his collar and ran up and down the busy road outside the Dog Sanctuary (I wasn't there as I was minding the kids while my wife was viewing and making the final decision on him). She finally caught him with the aid of a passing motorist (I was more than surprised that the Dog Sanctuary didn't assist my wife in bringing him to the car though). I put another notch in his collar to make it tighter fitting but not too tight so he can't slip out of it now. Last night, I finally let him off the leash and he ran free around our large garden loving it. However he wouldn't come when he was called and had to be captured after a lot of running round the garden. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want or like keeping him confined but I don't want him running loose onto the road or into neighbouring fields to chase livestock. I've built a large dog run to contain him pending him becoming more obedient. Its early days yet but he has to learn to come when called.

With regard to the injections, he only received the parvo virus shot according to the Dog Sanctuary. He is microchipped and I have to send my details off to some company in Suncroft Co. Kildare to register myself as his owner. One final question, his poo is very loose and sometimes runny. Its a very pale brown colour. Is this a problem due to a change in diet (I'm feeding him Baker's Complete dry dog food and he gets fresh water every couple of hours) or due to "settling in"?

Thanks

portgirl123

firstly well done with rescuing marley. id say his toileting problems is deffo with the bakers which in all honestly is crap. if you could tell us what your budget its people can comeup with some altrernatives. what ever food you are going to get grad indroduce it with the food you have now.
i would be bringing marley as well to a vets and get him checked just in case he has picked up a bug at the rescue. also i would be getting his vac and ggetting him wormed.
hopeyou have many yrs of fun with marley.

just seen you say he gets water every couple of hrs, a dog should have acess to water 24/7

andreac

Dave, Firstly, your dog MUST have constant access to fresh water, not only every few hours, and regarding the food, Bakers isnt a good food at all, actually, probably one of the worst ones you can feed, sorry:o

You would be best to go to your local pet shop, stay away from any food sold in the supermarket like Pedigree, Bakers etc, its really awful stuff. There are plenty of good quality foods in the pet shop like James Wellbeloved, Arden Grange, Eukanuba, Royal Canin etc etc. They use good quality ingredients so you need to feed less of it and its much better for the dog.

Introduce the new food gradually over a few days by slowly increasing the amount mixed in with the Bakers and phase the Bakers out then.

Bakers is full of artificial colours and flavours which arent good for your dog, hence the runny poo's and so on.

westies4ever

I'd say OP means he changes the water every few hours. The watery stool is probably due in part to a change in food from the sanctuary and nerves on settling in. I agree with Andreac though, Bakers is not a good food (mcdonalds for dogs). I would go for Royal Canine, Burns or Luath etc. Loads of threads on here on this subject.

You're doing all the right things and its so obvious you care for the dog. it'll just take time. My second dog is a rescue and for the first two weeks I really thought I wasnt going to be able to keep him, he was so unruly and had no idea of manners or commands etc. 10months on and he is truly a different dog!

One last thing, make sure marley has a lot of stimulation, chew toys, exercise etc, as collies are renowned to be one of the if not the most intelligent breeds. best of luck.

Kashkai

Just to clarify, Marley always has a full bowl of fresh water that I change every couple of hours regardless of whether he's drank it or not. I hate to see flies, dog hair or even his own "slobber" foating in the water:o.

I'm now thoroughly confused about the dog feed. I know a lot of what the supermarkets sell as "dog food" is rubbish so I rang the DSPCA who advised me to get the Bakers as thats what they feed their dogs. I bought it in a large pet store in the Globe Retail Park in Naas. I'll change it to something else as he doesn't appear too fond of it anyway. I'm feeding him twice a day, morning and evening. Is that enough or should it be three times? He's an approx 8 months old collie cross and he's about up to above my knee in height.

I'm looking for a Vet at the moment to get him checked out medically and to look at neutering him. However, he's scratching a bit so I might get some flea powder. Any recommendations what to get and where (I live in Kildare but work in Dublin). Finally, how often should I bathe him (he gets brushed every day). I just feel that coming from the Dog Sanctuary, he needs a good "NCT" to get him feeling top notch.

Thanks for answering all my questions btw:)

andreac

God i dont know why they would recommend that food, it really is awful and its the last food i would recommend or feed to any dog. Maybe they recommended it because its cheap...

At 8 months 2 meals should be enough but if hes very hungry or you need to get weight on him, then you could feed 3 meals.

Unless hes actually dirty or smelly, you dont need to wash him too often, once every couple of months should be more than enough if hes getting regular brushing.

If hes scratching it could be fleas, but it could also be the food causing this too as cheap foods can cause allergies with dogs.

Theres a vets in Naas i can recommend, Barrack Gate Clinic. Im not sure exactly where you are in Kildare but thats one i know of.

westies4ever

ah dave god love ye! its so confusing at the start and I know I made loads of mistakes when i wasnt educated - i fed my first dog pedrigree for a while - hadnt a clue about nutrition!

for the fleas I would use the frontline (little liquid sachet) and you just out it in the skin between his shoulder blades. Wouldnt do any harm to give him a bath using anti flea shampoo as well and to get him used to the bath. as andreac says, he should only need a bath every few months (or if he gets filthy in meantime). I'd check his nails (including dew claws) as well to make sure they dont need a clip.

Loads of dog groomers around now as well. A wash, tidy up and nail clip shouldnt be too expensive if you wanted to get that done - I'm in Laois so I cant recommend one near to you, maybe some of the kildare boardsies could?

cocker5

Well done on your new dog...

On the food side i suspect that the DSPCA told you to feed your dog Barkers as they probably get free barkers form the makers etc...

Firstly don’t feed him Barkers , as the other posters have said its very poor quality... you could try Burns....its good quality food....
I feed it to my cocker and he’s in excellent health... I order EVERYTHING for my dog from the following:

By Laser Card:
http://www.pet-bliss.ie/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http://www.pet-bliss.ie/cgi-bin/ss000001.pl?page=search&SS=Burns&PR=-1&TB=A&WD=burns&PN=Burns_Adult_Dog_Food_Fish_Brown_Rice.html#a7338#a7338

By Credit Card:

http://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/burns/burns_adult/156518

They are both great websites and deliver to your door or to your workplace etc....

Once per week I add a tin of Sardines in oil, it’s great for their coat and joints.... or mix in a raw egg.... and on some other days i mix in some “all bran” as recommended by my vet last time i visited... :pac:

Try these guys for grooming...

http://www.doggiestyle.ie/#Home

I find them great.. the come out to your house at a time that suits you... i.e. after work and groomer you dog in their all purpose van... they also service the Kildare area..

You have to get the “Front Line” Flea stuff from your vet... as well as worming tablets...

One word of advice.... def DONT buy flea / worming stuff from the likes of Maxi zoo.... or any of the retails park pet stores... they are terrible... the brands they cheap aren’t good quality etc... so call into a vet and purchase these... same with the food sold i these places its usually crap quality also... it’s ok for toys / beds etc... but that’s about it! :P

If your dog is pulling try this harness... its excellent:

http://www.dogmatic.org.uk/

I ordered mine online and have never looked back.... my cocker was a terrible puller....

Best of luck

Kashkai

Thanks again for the info folks. That dog harness looks just what I need but that website has no facility for ordering one. I take it that the head collar/harness is pretty secure as Marley does his best to get out of his existing collar by sitting down and pulling with all his might backwards. He's quite strong for a young dog as my 5 year old daughter found out when she was walking him round the garden and she ended up on her rear being pulled along by Marley.

That dogfood is quite expensive but I suppose it puts the other stuff I bought well into perspective as it was a tenth of the price. Are there any bricks and mortar shops I can buy it in or is it cheaper online? Which one would be good for a collie cross bearing in mind he's still relatively young, gets plenty of exercise and has a lovely coat of hair?

I live about 5 miles from Naas so I'll try to find a good Vet within a 5 - 10 mile radius of where we live who cares about their canine patients as opposed to one who just wants the cash (like some doctors I've come across).

borderlinemeath

I know it's on another thread here somewhere, there's a site called

dogfooddirect.ie, they have a wide variety of foods and do free delivery, usually next day. I've used them and delivery is very fast and reliable, it'll give you pointers towards what type of food you need for your dog, ie junior, puppy, hypoallergenic etc.

Don't be put off by the prices of some of the food, with more expensive high quality foods, you actually need to feed less, so it tends to work out a lot more reasonable than you think. And also smaller, firmer poos that don't stink so much!

cocker5

http://www.dogmatic.org.uk/contents/en-uk/d2.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the webiste and thats where you can order the head collar... you need to measure yor dogs face / head etc... he def wont be able to get this head collar off him.... as its around his snout, under his nose and around the back of his head.... its cannot be taken off unless you open it with a strap... they cost around €25... Ive had mine 6 years and perfect.


With regard to the dog food being expensive...

I buy Burns for €55 for 15kg.... I give my cocker one scoop per day.... its lasts me 2.5 months, so ends up costing 73 cent per day and €5.13 per week.... im sure you would spend more one Pegigree and Barkers etc... high quality food while it may seem expensive from the begining you use FAR less food so costs you the same as cheap food in the long run... plus its far better for your dog. Lower quailty food also leads to skin allergies, negative behaviour etc... so honestly its worth it! ist 15KG bad... it will last a collie at least 2 months....

http://www.petworlddirect.ie/product/Dogs/DogFood/NS5180300

heres barkers food... €38 for 12.5kg... so in fact buying Burns ends up the same price give or take....

Honestly its worth it.... for your dog and its health etc...

andreac

Hey Cocker, just thought id let you know its Bakers, not Barkers lol

cocker5

andreac wrote: »

Hey Cocker, just thought id let you know its Bakers, not Barkers lol

Oh good god... Ive been calling it barkers for years.... just slightly cringing :eek: ooops

Kashkai

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't bemoaning the price of the other dog food, it just makes me cringe that I was giving poor Marley food that was so bloody cheap in every respect. I hope he can forgive me:o. Btw, how much food should I be giving him? I bought him a stainless steel bowl (easiest to clean I think) about 6 inches across and 2 inches deep. Is a bowlfull enough/too much? Oh and yes, his poo does stink to high heaven, and being a father of five kids, I am a bit of an expert on the wiffyness of poo:D.

With regard to the head harness, what part do I measure round? Is it the neck, the ears/throat or the snout?

Thanks again folks. So much to relearn about having a dog but I'll get there.

cocker5

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't bemoaning the price of the other dog food, it just makes me cringe that I was giving poor Marley food that was so bloody cheap in every respect. I hope he can forgive me:o. Btw, how much food should I be giving him? I bought him a stainless steel bowl (easiest to clean I think) about 6 inches across and 2 inches deep. Is a bowlfull enough/too much? Oh and yes, his poo does stink to high heaven, and being a father of five kids, I am a bit of an expert on the wiffyness of poo:D.

With regard to the head harness, what part do I measure round? Is it the neck, the ears/throat or the snout?

Thanks again folks. So much to relearn about having a dog but I'll get there.

On the harness.... This page should give you an idea... I think size 3 should fit him fine

http://www.dogmatic.org.uk/contents/en-uk/d10.html

With regard to his feeding... on the back of the bag of his foog there will be full instructions... ie my cocker is 15kg in weight and he gets a full cup each day.... on the back of the bag there will be measuring details... ie the weight of your dog and the amount to feed... if you buy the burns food ask for a measuing cup this will tel you how much to feed him...
its all labelled etc... my cocker is a big copcker he's quiet tall... ie up to my knees... but your dog is still growing... so he may need slighlty more.... take him off puppy food once he's over 6 months.... it can make dogs hyper etc...

andreac

Prosperous Dave wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't bemoaning the price of the other dog food, it just makes me cringe that I was giving poor Marley food that was so bloody cheap in every respect. I hope he can forgive me:o. Btw, how much food should I be giving him? I bought him a stainless steel bowl (easiest to clean I think) about 6 inches across and 2 inches deep. Is a bowlfull enough/too much? Oh and yes, his poo does stink to high heaven, and being a father of five kids, I am a bit of an expert on the wiffyness of poo:D.

With regard to the head harness, what part do I measure round? Is it the neck, the ears/throat or the snout?

Thanks again folks. So much to relearn about having a dog but I'll get there.

Dont worry too much, he wont mind.

Regarding the amount, the food will have feeding guidelines on the bag so you need to follow this. It will tell you in grams how much to feed daily. This amount can then be split up into 2 feeds.
Most pet shops where you buy the food will have measuring cups for that specific food you are buying so you know how much to fill. The size of the bowl means nothing so dont go by that.

The dogmatic has a sizing guidleline for most breeds, so you should be able to look at the sizing guideline and pick a size that way if the breed is listed.

Kashkai

Looks like I'll need the size 3 head harness judging by the Dogmatic website, but just my luck, they're out of size 3:(. Pity as I think it would do wonders controlling him on a short leash by the side of the road. I'll order some quality food this evening for him. Is it ok to give him the same day in, day out or should he get a variety of food, e.g. rice/chicken one day, something different the next?

andreac

I woudl keep his meals the same, as chopping and changing isnt good for their system and can upset their tummy.
If you want to give something as a treat every now and again you can add some tuna or sardines in oil, not brine, into their food as its good for them and their coat.

A raw egg too can be added every so often.

Try not to add stuff too often as they get used to eating the food with the nice bits mixed in and can become fussy and go off their main food and only eat it with something tasty mixed in.

Would they not have the harness in soon? Is there a diff model you can get in the harness as they come in different types, leather, synthetic leather and so on so they might have the size 3 in one of them.

Kashkai

I'm not too fussy about colour or whatever material the harness is made from as I want one now:). I'll have a better look this evening when I'm ordering the food for him.

My wife is already bemoaning the attention I'm giving him. Thank goodness she doesn't know that I'm considering getting him a good grooming from that Doggiestyle company as well:D (after he's been to the Vet and settled in of course).

trio

Dave, if you don't fancy the muzzle harnesses, there are also regular "body" harnesses that clip onto the lead at the front, thereby stopping them pulling.

We got one online from Dog Training Ireland:
http://www.dogtrainingireland.ie/shop/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=439

Oh and I agree on the Bakers - we fed our rescue on Bakers at first (I think everyone does, lol!) but he was pure hyper and it turned out it was that. Now we're switching to Burns cos everyone seems to think it's brilliant - they sent me a free sample:

http://burnsireland.com/free-pet-food-starter-pack.html

If that form doesn't work, just use their email address instead - I got a sample within a week.

But the best thing I got when I first got our dog was this book: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Its-Me-or-Dog-Victoria-Stilwell/9780007219070
(It's also on amazon but this has free shipping)
It's all gentle and treat-based training. Our dog knew nothing as well, and was very nervous and wary - so her methods really suited him as they're non-confrontational.

Tranceypoo

Just on the food, I wouldn't sweat it I think most of us have been there re feeding the supermarket/cheaper food until you do your research/get onto boards and realise it's cheap stuff. I don't know if there's a branch of Petworld near you but they do James Wellbeloved, Burns etc, most of the top quality brands, I use a food called Barking Heads for my two.

Re the amount, I would check with your vet when you get one, I was overfeeding my first dog and the vet weighed him, gave me a food measuring cup and told me 2 cups per day and that was it, so the vet should be able to weigh your dog and say he needs to gain/lose/stay the same and tell you exactly how much to feed.

Re the washing, I think a good wash once they're home from the shelter is fine to get that 'kennel smell' off, after that he will probably only need washing once every few months, bar rolling in something particularly stinky. I get my two washed by the groomer and nail clippped once every 2 or 3 months and they are both indoor dogs, one is a collie cross like yours, my house doesn't smell of dogs (I don't think!!) but I have tiles and wooden floors, no carpets. I wash their bedding and the sofa covers once a week (as they're up on the sofas every day/night!)

Can't believe the DSPCA didn't neuter him, that's really strange I thought they neutered all their dogs, did they tell you to neuter him as part of the conditions of you rehoming him?

Anyways good luck, post some pictures when you can, all the advice might be a bit overwhelming at first but you will soon get into the swing of it and you'll be on here dispensing advice to other new dog owners with the rest of us!!!

Kashkai

I found Marley in the Collon Dog Sanctuary in County Louth (I live in Kildare and searched far and wide for the "right" dog). It was worth the search as he's lovely:)

However I have to say that the lack of basic information that we received from them following adoption wasn't great. Ok, he's had the parvo virus vaccine and is micro chipped but no info on diet, other vaccinations, worming, neutering etc. We paid €65 to them for his costs to date. I'm going to look for a good vet to give him a once over and to decide on where we go from here with regard to his healthcare (now I'm wondering if pet insurance is a good idea???). The harness and good quality food will be ordered this evening. Then "all" I have to do is train him:D.

I'll hold off washing him until it gets a little warmer, although he doesn't smell bad considering he was straying and then locked up in a kennel. We have wooden floors in our place so no problem with hairs sticking to carpets. Will post up a pic or two of his good self tonight.

DBB

Yes, collon sanctuary does not neuter dogs, nor flea treat, worm or home check.
They also sell purebred puppies from their "puppy world" company which is located on the same premises.
OP, would you try calling in to Maxi Zoo (i think it's near enough to you?) to fit your dog with a front-attachment harness to see how it suits him? The problem with the headcollars is that they take a fair bit of adjustment for the dog to accept them, and many never do. In fact, most dogs hate wearing a headcollar. I know many, many owners whose dog's headcollars spend their entire lives in the back of a cupboard, when the initial intros didn't go well.
The front-attachment harness is a body harness. It requires no advance acclimatisation/acceptance training, and is a very effective tool to ease/stop pulling. There are several brands, Halti (harness, not headcollar), Easy Walk, Sense-Ible. The former 2 are reasonably cheap from www.friendsoffido.co.uk.
I think Maxi zoo may sell one of the brands. However, an average collie x will take a medium size in these harnesses.
Good luck with it all, it's great that this little fella has found himself a great home with owners who want the best for him!

Long Road 8378

Hi OP

With regards to the food (I am probably going to get slated for this!) but our rescue doggie is on the Aldi or Lidl dog food. It's a dry food with chicken chunks.

We had him on Royal Canin, Eukanuba etc. You name it, we tried it. We spent a fortune and he wouldn't touch it. Then we went for the Pedigree Chum and the Baker's which he loved but turned him into a hyper nutjob so that was quickly gotten rid of. Out of pure desperation we happened to be in Aldi and got their dog food. Result! He loves it, he's very healthy (although we do feed him our leftovers like chicken, beef and spuds etc on a regular basis). He has a fab shine on his coat which is always commented on. Our vet doesn't see a problem with it as he is in great condition and encouraged us to keep it up if that's what's tickling his fancy!

Kashkai

Each to their own I suppose but our Marley doesn't like the Bakers, to eat or to er "pass on" so I've stopped using it. As a stopgap, my wife picked up a few tins of Winalot dog food to keep Marley fed until the samples of Burns I ordered turn up. I gave him a tin last night and he wolfed it down, a whole tin in a few seconds:eek:. He would just nibble at the Bakers and it might take him a few hours to eat his bowlful but he evidently loved the Winalot. Ok, so it might be more doggie junk food but to him, its a step up from Bakers. I wonder how he'll take to the Burns now? Its a pity dogs can't talk to let you know what they like, it would certainly take away the guesswork!