Rescue dog.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

yourkshirelass..I have never had a dog before, always only cats. So this is a massive shock to the system. Your so right about it being hard work, especially when you haven't really prepared yourself. I need to start creating a routine that suits me to be honest. Also, need to stop the dog going upstairs. Never thought about getting a stair gate or similar lol.

fire fox...I am going to look into getting a suitable muzzle & when I take him to the vets for a check up, I'm going to ask if they have any recommendations of local dog training classes. I am determined that he will be able to walk past a cat without wanting to chase it.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Is dried dog food better than wet or a combination of both?

I would prefer to feed him on dried food alone, however don't know which brand to get.

Feeding him chicken & rice at the moment as he has a touch of diarrhea. Giving him a cooked chicken breast & cooked rice with a boiled egg.

I was feeding him what the rescue center claimed they'd been feeding him, however, this has given him diarrhea. It isn't bad, but don't want it to get worse. I know some dogs can't stomach wet dog food at all & I'm wondering if he's one of them.

rising_from_the_ashes

Ahhhh congrats Devil ..... to you and Yorkshirelass - persevere with the "issues". It does honestly get better and it's so rewarding. I'd nearly forgotten how far Maisie has come on (had her 3 1/2 months) since she arrived but this has reminded me!

• Chasing - big issue .... anything - birds, rabbits, cats - not great when I have 2 myself :eek:(she had "lived" with cats before but I don't think they ever went in the house so totally different). Cat wise, it took a good 2 months for things to calm down (I wondered if I was living in a mad house at times:)) but we've made huge progress & she's now quite happy with them in the house (but will still chase them if in the garden) - although she will still chase all others cats (working on that!). She isn't allowed upstairs (too warm & don't want to have the problems when she gets too old to get up/down that I did with Ben), so the cats have their getaway space & it seems to be working well:T
• Dogs - she came from the middle of nowhere (literally) - although she'd lived with other dogs, I don't think they ever saw any other dogs IYKWIM. :eek:
• Pulling on lead - she could pull me over trying to get to things (other dogs, people, cats, rabbits etc etc) - making great progress on this and the more dogs & new experiences she has, the better (and calmer!) she gets.:T
• Recall - errrr what's that she said when she came:rotfl:- I am still very selective where she gets off the lead but working with a ball (distraction technique) we are getting there. She's always on the look for something to chase so the ball is a great way of keeping her occupied when we're out:)
• Noises - she hates noises (car doors banging, bins rolling up/down the street etc) .... working on this!:o

The first 2 months were really difficult and I did wonder if she'd ever settle but we're def making great progress & she's loads better than when she arrived - I try to always remember how different everything is for her (don't think she'd even seen a pavement before:eek:).

We're getting in a routine & she's settling down really well now & wouldn't be without her for a second

rising_from_the_ashes

Re food - chicken & rice is great for settling upset tums.

It could be a wee touch of stress due to the changes - it should settle in a few days hopefully.

Food - lots of differing opinions around - personally I don't feed mine tinned wet food (I make and freeze my own recipe), although I would feed the quality trays like Natures Best etc if needed.

Sally_A

Eggy rice is also good for upset tums, and quick to prepare.

Boil or microwave rice, as it is cooling break an egg or two into the mix and fork in.

Check temperature before serving.

I'm guessing the gyppy tum is down to new environment, nerves etc.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

I am thinking about feeding mainly dried food & am looking at the Burns range.

rev229

wainrights from pets at home is good for dogs with tummy problems. We used it for our rescue dog who had very loose poo! Salmon and potato was her favorite! Unfortunately she is now chasing bunnies in doggy heaven, but she had a wonderful very happy and spoiled life with us after a very unsettling early life.

stuliet_2

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

I am determined that he will be able to walk past a cat without wanting to chase it.

You may have to learn to live with the fact that this may not happen!
You have a lurcher - a sighthound (whippet) bred with a working dog (beddie) and these dogs were bred to chase and kill, so many lurchers have a very high prey drive and chase instinct. Some can be trained to live with cats (although they may still chase other cats, that they don't live with.) Training and practising recall is an excellent idea, but you may not be able to train the dog out of its natural instincts depending on how strong they are.

I have owned and fostered sighthounds and lurchers and there seem to be 3 basic types in terms of cats/furries. There is 'cat friendly' (completely uninterested), cat trainable (interested in cats, may want to play or chase, but no aggression) and 'not cat friendly' (dog stiffens and wants to chase to kill). If the dog is the latter, it is very unlikely that you will be able to 'train' him out of this and it is an inbred instinct.

Both my current lurchers are cat trainable, which means that I have trained them to live quite happily with our 2 cats, but they will not tolerate other cats. So, it would probably be a good idea to get a muzzle to protect the neighbours cats. Some lurchers prey drive also means that they may have excellent recall in training sessions and in the park, but if they see something to chase they will completely ignore you!!! (This is certainly true of my cat trainable two, who both have excellent recall, but only when they are not chasing something!)

Sorry for 'going on' a bit, but I think it's worth being aware of this stuff, as I have found it very different being a lurcher owner, than the other breeds I have owned before.

X

Fire_Fox

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

fire fox...I am going to look into getting a suitable muzzle & when I take him to the vets for a check up, I'm going to ask if they have any recommendations of local dog training classes. I am determined that he will be able to walk past a cat without wanting to chase it.

Sounds sensible! Maybe watch some episodes of 'It's Me or the Dog' which you can probably find on 4OnDemand or YouTube? Victoria Stilwell has owners doing things like watching for subtle changes in demeanour and doing an abrupt about turn.

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

Is dried dog food better than wet or a combination of both?

I would prefer to feed him on dried food alone, however don't know which brand to get.

Feeding him chicken & rice at the moment as he has a touch of diarrhea. Giving him a cooked chicken breast & cooked rice with a boiled egg.

I was feeding him what the rescue center claimed they'd been feeding him, however, this has given him diarrhea. It isn't bad, but don't want it to get worse. I know some dogs can't stomach wet dog food at all & I'm wondering if he's one of them.

I am thinking about feeding mainly dried food & am looking at the Burns range

All dogs can eat wet food, they did not evolve to eat dry biscuits! The problem in many cases is that people switch too quickly which doesn't allow the body to adjust from high protein to high carbohydrate or vice versa, or that there is an intolerance to an ingredient in the food. Many brands tend to list meat derivatives/ generic cereals/ plant derivatives - ie. not a named meat or grain - so it's impossible to identify the culprit.

Many dry foods are very high in carbs/ cereals/ grains, and in some cases these are high glycaemic index so cause the blood sugar to peak and trough which means the animal gets hungry easily, can contribute to dental decay, weight gain or diabetes. Protein and fat are associated with satiety and help stabilise the blood sugar. If you want to go the dry route, IMO choose one with a high meat content or supplement with raw meaty bones like frozen chicken portions (balance of fat, protein and minerals) which will also help keep his teeth clean.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Which "pet shop" food is good for dogs? Would be looking at dry & wet food probably to mix.