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Originally Posted by docmartin  May have a partial answer today? I went for an MRI scan early this morning and the removal of a small plaster I had over the entry point of the keyhole op from three weeks ago (I'd forgotten this alien object, which had to stay in place anyway).
Crystal had apparently been in a right old state as I'd been gone four hours and all that time she'd sat by the elevator (only my wife and I can access this story by car-key). Whine-barking quite pitifully when the elevator kept stopping 1 floor down.
When I arrived there was an explosion of a welcome, with accompanying minor pee pees! I immediately had a shower to get rid of the 'hospital smell'.
She then came to me straight away, got down inside the freshly laundered bed and hasn't moved since! We're then off for a little half mile stroll this evening, when all the kids have gone home!
Amazing that as you said Jeanie, such a small collective of what to me are minor events, can attain such exponential significance in 'Yorkieland'.
I went yesterday to see the little 'Daschie' I'd referred to in earlier posts here. She is nearly 7 weeks old weighs just under 1.7kg and is a long haired mid brown miniature version. Absolutely beautiful to behold and I fell in love with her straight off - but then I tend to with all dogs and they definitely seem to know it! This little girl was hand raised when her mom couldn't produce enough milk for her 5 babies and my friend has fostered her. The breeder is a life-long friend of this lovely lady, herself a past winner at Crufts.
I've agreed to pop in now and then to see her progress over the next few weeks and have first refusal on this little 'bubba'. My only reservation is to how Crystal might react to another dog at home?  |
Honestly, this all sounds pretty normal for terriers and how they can react to what is going on around them vs. their perceptions of the same and how they are so personally affected by it all - the reality vs. their ideas about it all.
It's so hard to read some dogs for how they will accept another dog but if she is friendly with other dogs when out and about or you have visitor dogs, she will likely accept another dog into the home. If she is stand offish and doesn't enjoy other dogs, there could be a problem. My Jilly just hated other dogs to touch or get the better of her and when she was several years old, I got a puppy which she seemed to enjoy having around - UNTIL Teddy got bigger than she was and began to dominate her 3 lb.-size. Jilly HATED that. When that happened, Jilly took her life to the top of the back of the couch where she lay and observed life passing her by, chewed her ankles, missed meals until she grew thin, refused to play at all and was losing coat alarmingly. Vet exam/tests were all WNL so it was psychological and she responded to none of the things I tried to encourage her that Teddy was not going to hurt her or terrorize her - she thought she knew better. She merely refused all - and I mean I tried all - the dog psychology I knew or others knew about - all techniques for adjusting/accepting another dog like Teddy and continued to lose weight. She merely observed life in a very sad way from the top of the couch back and there she remained as long as Teddy was out of her crate and even when she was in her crate, Jilly's life was sad and depressed, she just crept around acting so sad. She just moped about, knowing soon that little puppy would be out and about and off she'd run to her couch back, to observe life passing her by. She avoided me - she virtually stopped living and of course, I knew what I had to do. At 2.10 oz., she couldn't afford to lose any more weight and was going to possibly just pout/grieve herself to death! I talked to many people about her reaction to this puppy and we tried it all to get her to accept Teddy but very soon, I had to rehome little Teddy for fear of losing my Jilly girl. And the moment Teddy left out of the front door with her new family, Jilly knew what had happened, that her "nightmare" was over, she was instantly down on the floor, happy, playing and immediately affectionate and cosy with me, just as if nothing happened. She resumed her regular life, regained her coat, stopped chewing her ankles obsessively, began eating and was just fine, happy as a clam to have her life back. I knew she didn't care for other dogs and probably never should have tried to bring in another dog, let alone a puppy who was going to grow larger and probably be more dominant than Jilly, who was a tiny diva.
Tibbe on the other hand just ADORES others dogs. He just goes weak in the knees when they come around and plays so happily and merrily with them, ears back, eyes soft, mouth open and dog-laughing, body wiggling, is so super friendly, fears none of them no matter how huge or fierce-looking. He would accept a Teddy type dog in a heartbeat and likely would just flourish having a brother or sister. I think he might never give the poor little thing a moment's rest!
I think you have to consider your current dog before you take on another dog or you could have some problems. Of course, not all dogs are as stubborn and determined as Jilly and most do accept new dogs eventually and Jilly might to if only she hadn't stopped eating and gotten so thin. At her tiny normal weight of just slightly over 3 lbs.(she was the runt of a normal-sized litter with many physical problems), I just couldn't wait any longer once she lost almost a half pound and had to act. You wouldn't be facing anything that critical with Crystal's weight or health and she may very well love having another dog around to play with or adjust far better even if she doesn't like him at first. She's still a young dog and you know her better than anyone and how she'll likely react to living with another dog in the home.