Bonding With A New Pup

[Guest LazyBlaze]

Brilliant update! These amazing hounds are so worth the wait in terms of bonding.

 

[Guest sireltonsmom]

Yay for you and Sam and SO! Glad you had the patience to 'wait'! I have a girl white and black and she was a bounce back and had SA and sleep startle. She started as a foster as well. We're SO SO glad we kept her and healed her. It took a year to let her accept she had worth and value. Now, of course, she's a first class Diva and we love every moment with her. Her new brother Beau is much larger than she is, but there's no question who's alpha in that pack. It works fine. Many years of happiness and fun with your new boy.

[Guest DogNewbie]

Congrats on you new boy! He is very handsome!

 

Love the update! He sounds pretty affectionate and bonded to me. Post again in six months about how you find other dogs obnoxious, and how truly perfect he is for you - something he knew all along but which took you a bit longer!

 

I find this very true. We got Wiley in July and he is very affectionate, but not in your "typical" way. He is more reserved about it which I really appreciate. My SO's dad has a Golden (who is very sweet) but she is soooo excited that she jumps on you and everything. Which I find kind of annoying. Wiley follows me from room to room and waits for me at the window when I leave. He is never jumpy or "in my face". I really enjoy this about him!

 

I love love love the list you made up! I think I will make one too

 

Congrats and welcome to GT!

Edited March 3, 2014 by DogNewbie

[Guest roweboy]

We are new to GH ownership and I'm enjoying reading about different experiences with the adjustment period. I'm glad to read that you and Sam are doing well. I've had plenty of rescue dogs over the years and it really does take a good 6 months for most dogs to make the adjustment. It sounds like you really have found the bond you needed. Dogs sense this and I'm sure it will continue to strengthen. A perfect dog is as real as a perfect child I think my kids are pretty close to perfect.

 

Our new dog is nearly perfect, too, especially considering what I've experienced before with new dogs (see my first post on the honeymoon period question) and while he's adjusting to living here, I'm making my own accommodations to having him. For one thing, I've never had a big dog before. His sheer size is still amazing to me. Secondly, I wasn't sure I was ready to have a dog again. We'd lost our last little dog in Oct '13 and were living dog-free for the first time in my adult life. We have 4 cats and I'd adopted a tiny kitten in August. Being dog-less AND having grown children was an exercise in a new freedom for me. I had elderly sick dogs and 2 sick cats over the past 5 years. All 3 dogs died from being very old, one young cat died from liver failure and one sick cat finally got well after nearly 4 years.

 

That said, when DH (the guy who loves cats more than dogs) fell in love with greys at a Petco in January, I reconsidered my "cats-only for awhile" stance. I work from home and 90% of pet care falls to me. It helps that our grey CJ is so good and very sweet. He bonded unbelievably fast - maybe he sensed that I needed that or maybe it's just who he is. I look forward to his personality evolution and hope 2/4 cats come out from hiding since this makes me feel very guilty for rocking their world. Thankfully, my kitten who is now 8 months old is the first cat he's totally accepted.

 

Good luck to you and I wish you many happy years together.