I''m adopting an older dog...any words of advice?

[dianne]

My Aunt passed away on Tuesday after years of sickness. Our family takes comfort in knowing she is now at peace. She lost her husband years ago, they never had children, but she has always had a small dog. She was 81 and has outlived many dogs, each that were loved and spoiled beyond belief. I say that with a smile as I feel pets are part of the family and should be loved like that. Heidi is the Shih Tzu that is left behind. My Aunt has not had Heidi very long, taking her in after her original owner died, but I understand she is an older dog. My Mom is guessing over 10 years old. I hope we can find the vet paperwork that may tell me her age. Much to my own surprise, I have volunteered to welcome Heidi into my home and hope I can fill the big, loving shoes of my Aunt. It just feels like the right thing to do and I plan to get her this weekend.

I haven''t had a dog in the house since I was a kid living with Mom and Dad. Even then, we always brought new dogs into the house as puppies. FI has an older dog now but he got her as a puppy, too. FI and I do not live together so my home is not equipped for a dog at all. Of course, I need everything, but I think I need advice the most of all.

I have never started out with an older dog. I welcome any suggestions PSers may have to ensure Heidi makes a smooth transistion to my home. I am also faced with the fact my Aunt didn''t work and was always home when her health allowed and there was family and neighbors who took care of Heidi when she was away. Me?...I gotta work so there will be some adjustments and challenges, I know, for both of us.

I welcome all words of wisdom.

 

[Molly1024]

First of all, I'm sorry about your aunt- you're right, she is at peace now. I also commend you for taking in her dog, instead of giving her to a strange family.

I've never adopted an older dog, but I would suggest a few things:
Establish boundaries in her new home right away (rooms that are off limits, where she can and can't sleep)
If she lets you, handle and pet her gently as often as possible when you're home- some dogs can be heartbroken when an owner passes away.
I'm assuming she's housetrained, but she still may have accidents because your home is new to her and she will also have a new routine.
You can teach an old dog new tricks, so to speak- she may take some time to adjust to her new home, but dogs are adaptable.
If she's not crate trained now, I'm not sure if she can be at this age. You can, however, use a baby gate to block off a room or a kitchen for her to roam while you're at work/school. You can also purchase a large pen for her- we have a 16 sq. ft. pen for our dog, and he goes in there to sleep at night and during the day when we leave. You can purchase them at a pet store for around $90, but I got mine off ebay for $36 or so.

I wish I had more (or better) advice, but I hope this has helped- let us know how the transition goes! Good luck and best wishes.

ETA: If you don't know which vet your aunt used to take her to, ask friends and co workers which vet they use- as an older dog, she may have more health problems. Small dogs can (but not always) have issues with their teeth falling out, and are more liable to break a leg when jumping off a couch. Also, since she is a Shih Tzu, she's a long haired dog that will need to be groomed. You should brush her a few times a week to prevent mats from forming, and also you need to find a groomer (if you don't know which one she used to go to)- the groomer will clip her hair, clip her toenails, and express her glands in needed. Tzus are a lovely breed, very friendly- again, I'm hoping for a smooth transition for both of you.

 

[Jewels305]

Dianne,

I have heard that a good way to introduce a dog to a new home is to pick an area that is going to be her own, and set up a dog bed/blanket. Put some of the dog''s old toys etc. on the bed/blanket so that she can smell that the area "belongs" to her. If she doesn''t have any toys that you are going to bring home, maybe just something that might have your aunt''s scent on it, because it would be comforting for her.

We adopted our dog when he was 2yrs old. We set up a little area for him, and he liked having his own space. Good luck!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Dianne - I''m so sorry to hear about your aunt. My condolences on yours and your family''s loss.

Bless you though, for taking in this dog - I volunteer in a shelter and we see so many tragic cases where family members can''t or won''t keep the pets left behind, and the outcome can be tragic. You are saving this sweetie''s life.

This Link is an EXCELLENT general reference for many common issues related to dog ownership and training. I would highly encourage you to establish boundaries early on, as Molly suggested, and also to start obedience training right away. I know this seems a bit counter-intuitive, as the instinct of a kind-hearted soul (such as yourself) would be to give the dog time and space to grieve, but it will actually help the dog in several ways. First, it helps the dog feel more secure in their new environment by immediately letting them know they don''t have to worry about being alpha dog - that''s your job, and in dog-speak, it will let them know that you will protect them and take care of them, so they will be much less anxious and stressed out. Second, it helps the dog to begin bonding with you right away. I''m sure the dog was bonded strongly to your aunt and the sooner you can establish a bond with you, the easier the grieving process should be on the dog. Third, obedience training gives the dog a "job" for at least some small part of the day, which helps to give them the physical and mental stimulation they need and take their mind off of other things, such as grief, boredom (and the destructiveness that can result) and anxiety at being in a new and unfamiliar environment.

On the website I linked, I''d specifically recommend the following handouts to start:

Starting Out: Tips for Success with Your New Dog
Obedience Training
Housetraining: adult dogs (as previously noted, she may have some slips being in a new environment)
Confinement and Crate Training (if you''re out a lot, like at work during the day, I HIGHLY recommend crate training - better for the dog, and for your peace of mind)
Grooming Counts

And of course any others that you are interested in or feel would be helpful - the recommended reading one might suggest some good books to help you feel more prepared.

I sincerely wish you and your new family member the best of luck, and please please post here with pictures as well as any other questions or concerns you may have - it will probably be stressful at first, but know that you have done a wonderful and amazing thing by saving this dog from an uncertain fate.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

dianne- you''ve gotten some good advice here. i don''t have any first-hand experience, so can''t offer any additional info.

just wanted to say that I soooo admire you for taking this pup in. as a dog-lover, i think it''s AWESOME.

wishing you and your family nothing but the best. i''m sorry for your loss.

 

[dianne]

Thank you so much for the condolences for me and my family. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. It''s strange to wake up in the morning and wonder how Aunt A. is doing today and them remember....

The advice has been wonderful. Molly and Jewels, your advice is great and pointed out things that make perfect sense....I was just overwhelmed I couldn''t think of what to do first. I did bring two of Heidi''s toys and a pillow from my Aunt''s chair. I still need to get a crate. Amber Gretchen, I plan to read everything you have suggested in that link...thank you so much for all this valuable information! I made her a makeshift bed out of a laundry basket turned on it''s side in my master bath with some towels and the toys and pillow. I wanted to keep her off carpeted areas at night. She whined until 1:30 am. I kept checking on her and talking sweet....I tend to tallk to animals like they are babies, anyway. I took her outside a couple of times since I don''t know her well enough to know what she may want or need. She finally went to sleep.

I took her to the vet this morning to get a senior wellness exam. She got a few shots and I''ll hear about the bloodwork on Monday. She''s lost a few teeth but apparently that wasn''t surprising at her age. Her records show she is 11 yrs old, weighs 9 lbs and my Aunt had her for almost 3 years...longer than I remembered. Looks like she''s doing pretty good except for a skin irritation that may be flea or grass allergies--I have not seen the first flea and I have looked and looked because of her constant scratching--I could see her skin seemed irritated. And, she has tapeworms, which to me sounded just awful but the vet said no problem, he''d give me something to take care of that right away. Said that comes from swallowing an infected flea...um...yuk...So, one dose of tapeworm medication, two weeks of a scheduled prednisone tablet for the itching, new rabies tag and we were on our way. So far, not one accident in the house (YIPPEE!) and she seems content to lay on the cool kitchen floor and look out of the windows which go all the way to the floor.

Heidi got to meet my FI''s Pomeranian, Tidbit...
(ok...it''s my fault he has a "girly" dog..I bought her for him because she was so small and cute--we love her to pieces)
Heidi and Tidbit did well...just a few sniffs of each others snout and then cooly trying to act normal while trying not to look at each other. I think we have a couple of divas here...LOL. I do plan to post pics of Miss Heidi very soon.

Chargergrrl--It was very sweet of you to post simply to show support of my decision and I Thank You.

I want each of you to know that I really appreciate your posts of support and suggestions. This is going to be such a big change for me in so many ways and yet is very special to me since I am doing this because I know how much it would mean to my Aunt A., who was an amazing woman. Unfortunately, she passed away before I got to tell her I would be taking Heidi but family members at the funeral, and even folks I didn''t know including the pastor, thanked me for taking Heidi because they knew how much she meant to Aunt A.