Beckie15 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Hi Everyone! I'm new here and am about to inherit a 16 month old "puppy". My grandma's health is failing and unfortunately she can't look after her sweet little Chihuahua, Poppy, any more. Poppy came from a breeder in Kyneton and from about 16 weeks of age has lived with my grandma. I grew up with dogs in country Vic, so am no stranger to obedience etc. Apart from me, there is my husband and two daughters - 11yo & 8yo. My mum has a Chihuahua cross, so the girls are used to being gentle with a small dog. We don't have any pets at the moment. Pops has the most beautiful temperament - smart, lively, gentle, enthusiastic, eager to please etc etc and picks things up unbelievably quickly! She is definitely one of the smartest dogs I have ever met! However, my grandma lives in Apollo Bay (we're in Melbourne) and so Pops doesn't know us particularly well, and she is only 16 months old. Which brings me to my main question - what can I do to make her feel comfy and at home when she first comes home with us? I grew up with working dogs, not little tiny dogs, so a Chihuahua is a bit of a change I'm thinking... I've read they are pretty loyal, so should I expect her to pine for my grandma? I want to make the transition as gentle as possible for Poppy, and my family, so I want to make sure we are well prepared before we bring her home. UPDATE: While I was typing up this post my grandma rang - I will be picking Poppy up next weekend. Thanks in advance for any advice! Cheers, Bec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 (edited) When I bring a new dog home, I try to find out as much as possible about their existing routine, rules and habits then work out what will kind of work or not work for me. Then I establish my routine as fast as possible. Mine have all thrived on having things as predictable and regular as possible, so setting up 'their' spots where they can always go to chill out or sleep, feeding 'here' at these times, walks,play times and potty time 'now' are important especially at the start. It gives them a few things they can build their lives around. Try to keep the same food but don't be surprised if she doesn't eat at first. Our most recent addition didn't eat for two days but he drank plenty of water. I was giving him three days before starting to panic! :D As for pining, I don't know. I have one who won't eat for anyone else, but Benny, who apparently lived with someone else for 8 years or so before going to the pound hasn't shown signs of pining per se. You'll just have to wait as see. Edited June 8, 2014 by Brandiandwe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 You may be worrying over nothing. Poppy may be fine & act as though she has lived her whole life with you after a day or so. Bring her bed with you & any toys & then keep her in a warm part of the house near you all, feed her something nice & hopefully she will love you all. These little dogs feel the cold & tough or independent is not usually how one would describe them. Dogs are so fickle & easy to get round usually. I have obtained several older dogs in a lifetime & unless they have come from a bad situation, which Poppy has not, they settle in soon without anything special. Warm, comfy, food, love just about does it. She will be fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donatella Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Sounds like you have a loving home already for Poppy. I would bring her bedding and toys so she has something familiar but other then that she's still young and should integrate fine. Really just reiterate to your children about the necessity to be gentle with her as they are so fragile. My little one was accidentally dropped by my 13 year old cousin and broke both front legs so accidents can bed devastating in a toy breed. Also think about getting pet insurance for accident just to be safe x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 As Brandiandwe said, get a routine in place and stick to it as much as possible, this will help her settle in immensely as she can predict when things happen. Other than that, you may need to re-house train her as some dogs don't always understand that not toileting in their previous house also means not toileting in this particular house. So treat her as if she was a puppy and take her out regularly and praise her for going outside. It sounds like she is a sweety, and I bet she'll settle in well :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Lucky little girl that she's got such a caring home ahead of her! Agree with tips given so far : .bring her toys & bedding .find out about her usual food, treats & routines .do the toilet training routine over again, so she can learn how it applies and when in her new home. Just adding: .Get your grandma's 'scent' onto items that Poppy will bring with her. Get your gran to rub the palms of her hands all over Poppy's toys. Put an old unwashed item of your gran's clothing in her bed. A dog's 'person's' scent is like a photograph for humans. It will help Poppy's transition as your gran's scent will be familiar. . For the toilet training. As soon as Poppy comes into your secure backyard for the first time, give her a big drink of water, then let her wander around. Hopefully, she'll go to the toilet. Note that spot. Then every several hours take her out to exactly the same spot. Really praise her, or give her a little treat, if she does go. Dogs like to go to the toot on their same spot. Then she should be right to find it herself. My small dogs can go in and out during the day, so can sort their own toileting. But I always take them out first thing in the morning & last thing at night, for supervised toileting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckie15 Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Thanks everyone for the fast replies! Poppy will be coming with a lot of stuff for such a little dog - all her toys, beds, rugs etc. I'll make sure I do the toilet re-training just to be sure. Thanks again & I'll keep you updated! Cheers, Bec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Good luck with your new addition, Chihuahuas are awsome little dogs. We adopted our first chi girl Claudia when she was 8months old, she came from SA (we are in Vic) she didn't make the grade as a show dog. It took her a couple of days to relax, she was terrified of the plane and car trip. We set up a puppy pen in the loungeroom at first until she had a bit more confidence. The toileting was a real issue and 12 months on it still is. We have just bought puppy pads for inside where she tends to pee. I would invest in a couple of warm jumpers and jackets, they feel the cold badly, our girl is in a jumper if its below 20 unless the heater is on or shes lying out in the sun, she likes to sleep under the doona at night even when we're hot and she refuses to go for a walk if its too cold. The main things that surprised me was how food orientated, athletic and pushy they are. I can't imagine life without my girl she is definitely the princess of the house, she even has her own pedestal in front of the heater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 My brother and SIL adopted an adult Chihuahua .. retired breeder bitch. She was a bit nervous for a while ... maybe a few weeks ... but is very settled and happy now .. a delightful cheeky girl. She'd actually make an awesome little obedience dog .. she's smart as a whip. Your new little one may take a little time, but she should settle on beautifully with time, :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Thanks everyone for the fast replies! Poppy will be coming with a lot of stuff for such a little dog - all her toys, beds, rugs etc. I'll make sure I do the toilet re-training just to be sure. Thanks again & I'll keep you updated! Cheers, Bec Oh good. In the right hands (and yours seem to be exactly that ) Chihuahuas are great little dogs. Unfortunately, too many people see "little" and not "dog". Doesn't matter what size, a dog is still a dog and, all things being equal, wants to do all the usual doggy things. I once had an elderly, half blind L/H Chihuahua rescued from a pound, and she was fabulous. She loved her walks, ate like a horse and pity help any of the other dogs if they tried to muscle in LOL. Rascal, I am VERY upset. Why isn't Claudia in your banner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I need to change my banner since I've lost my last poodle, better update to chi and mutt pics lol, I'm no longer the crazy poodle lady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I need to change my banner since I've lost my last poodle, better update to chi and mutt pics lol, I'm no longer the crazy poodle lady. Oh, all those beautiful ones gone to god. I still miss my little black poodle, Rover. He was 3 weeks off his 20th birthday and I had him for three years. He was passionately and obsessively attached to the little Chihuahua I mentioned in a previous post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now