Advice for First time dog owner

[Steve91]

Hi guys,

I mentioned in the dog picture thread that I was after some advise as we're taking our first rescue dog home this coming Saturday.

For those who haven't seen him, this is Joey, our new 6 year old Collie Cross!




There was some fantastic advise already imparted. but I don't want to derail a thread so I thought I'd make a new one.

The only really specific question i have is regarding bedding when he moves in with us. Some place just recommend a normal dog basket / bed, but some other websites suggested a cage so he has a safe place to go to while he settles in and then to eventually move on to a basket. What do you guys think, and whats worked for you?

Cheers!

Steve

[Steve91]

Cheers for all the advice!

I wouldn't say he is destructive, but he definitely is a live wire, and always seems full of energy, hence why we thought a cage might be a good idea. I have no idea if he is cage trained, we're going down to see him again today so that's something to ask.

[Steve91]

Righto,

He's finally home! he's settled in really quickly, and really is a bundle of energy! We bought a cage, and he seems to like it in there, but we'll see how he sleeps tonight. He responds well to simple commands too, which is making things a lot easier.

He was awful on the drive home though. Not sure what it is, but as soon as I started the engine, he immediately started barking and trying to get out. The back of the fabia is a right state now, covered in hair and slobber as he jumped about. He ended up travelling home in his cage but he really wasn't happy.

Other than that, it's going as smoothly as we could have hoped. I'm just not looking forward to tackling the interior of the car tomorrow!