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Tomorrow my boyfriend and I are picking up a bearded collie mix from the rescue and are super excited! She is almost 2, and originally we had been looking at puppies, but when we met her we fell in love. She is a big fluffy goofball and we can't wait to get her into some agility training and scent work. She's also a scaredy cat. Her previous owners adopted her from the rescue a year ago, but kept her inside all the time and didn't take her out very often, so she isn't very well socialized and has a hard time with new things. When they brought her over for a home visit she found a cat ball with some feathers on it and very cautiously sniffed it, shaking the whole time, until she decided it was alright and claimed it as hers. We are hoping that teaching her some tricks and getting her into agility will help raise her confidence. Anyways, this thread has had some super helpful information on how to help keep her active and engaged, and gotten us really excited to take home a herding dog. Here are some pictures of Remy from the rescue. Before surrendering her, the previous owner got her groomed for the summer, and that's when these were taken. Her fur has grown out a bit since then and she is starting to look more like a mop. I will have to post some more pictures once we bring her home. 
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Jul 18, 2015 17:41
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| # ¿ May 19, 2024 12:30 |
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:Do you think maybe her mop-like appearance is part of why she's acting timid in new places? If her hair is in her eyes she can't see very well, so that combined with new places/people/things could be very overwhelming. I can see how that might contribute, but I don't think that is the case. Her foster right now fostered her the first time around too, and was also her boarder over the last year while she was at her last home. Remy's previous owner didn't do much with her, but did at least keep her well groomed, and while she is turning back into a mop right now, her foster mom keeps her beard and face trimmed. Her eyes are super black so they are hard to see with all that fuzz on her face, but they aren't obstructed in any way. Basically, her foster mom has seen the behavioral changes in her over the last couple years, and being a dog trainer as well, is pretty confident it has to do with her being confined all the time and not well socialized. From what we know, her last owner worked at the white house, worked super long hours, and kept Remy crated most of the time by herself. So she didn't get a lot of toys, didn't meet a lot of people or dogs, and never got to explore or wander and engage with her surroundings. This supposedly not only led to her confidence issues, but also to barking and separation anxiety. Luckily I work part time, so she won't have to be alone very often and we have plenty of time to train her and build her confidence back up so she can be a brave doggy in new situations. Also, hopefully having the cat around will help with her separation anxiety some as well, if they manage to bond with each other. Then they will both a have a friend to keep them company.
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Jul 18, 2015 19:16
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Finally brought Remy home. Good thing we got most of her stuff before today because the pet store was super crowded and loud when we picked her up and she has just been GOGOGO! since we got her. After playing for a couple hours, she is finally starting to chill out, and while occasionally getting excited about things, seems to be settling in for a nap. The poor cat tried to meet us by the door when we got home, but is now hiding safe in the bed. 
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Jul 19, 2015 20:04
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