Dogs adjust to the owner's lifestyle. I have often read not to leave a puppy alone for more than an hour and yet, I know many who gets pups and go home to check them on their lunch hour and then leave again and their dogs are well behaved and adjusted. Get her an x pen and train her to be happy and feel safe there. Put food and water out, a piddle pad or my preference a litter box, a soft bed and some toys. At two yrs of age my Emiliano still feels comfortable in his pen when I put him there when people he is uncomfortable around (cleaning lady, small children, etc) come over. I also keep his sleep tent in there and that's where he sleeps at night. Yes, your life will change and if you travel you willl have to pay for a pet sitter who comes over at least twice a day. Also, check ups and unforseen medical bills can be costly, Emiliano had issies as a baby, a 3 day stay in intensive care was expensive. Several people (including the vet) told me the breeder sold me a sick dog \and some suggested I take him back to the breeder. But I looked at it differently, I figured the Lord send him to me because he was going to need medical attention and I could afford to pay for him to have it. He is worth every penny I spent on him. Yes, a lot to think about.
Gloria -----Original Message----- From: freddyscribbles <[email protected]> To: Chihuahuas <[email protected]> Sent: Wed, May 4, 2011 4:07 pm Subject: [Chihuahuas] First time dog owner panic? I think I should address two things first 1. Adopting this dog was not an impulsive decision. Was it a purely logical one? Probably not. But it was not an impulsive, spontaneous decision. 2. I do not regret adopting this chihuahua That being said, have any of you dealt with first-dog panic? I have owned pets before. They've gradually gotten bigger over time - fish, hamsters, gerbils, rats. Of that lot, I think that the fish had the longest life expectancy - the mutant fish lived for at least eight years. And I've never shirked responsibility - when the gerbils fell ill or tore each other up in a fight, I took them to the vet. Yes...gerbils. To a vet. Granted, this was not in California where gerbils are regrettably (and annoyingly) illegal. I never had any anxiety associated with these animals. Although, there were some issues with the rats. I've grown up with dogs although not directly - my neighbor used to breed Siberian huskies, and the joke was that I was the bipedal child. At any rate, I spent quite a number of summers taking care of the various litters and dogs she had. I'm currently house sitting for a family that has two horses, a dog, and a cat - these are all predominantly outdoor animals. The dog and cat come in at night. Sylvie isn't allowed near the chihuahua until she gets a clean bill of health. To my knowledge, this is a very well behaved dog with a very sweet disposition. But that sort of post-excitement panic is starting to settle in just a little. The 'Oh man, what have I done' sort of thing. A friend said he had the same reaction when he first purchased his chameleon. And that it also passed within a week of ownership. But for now, as things settle in, there is a definite sense of anxiety. Will this end up being an animal that might, at some point, have to deal with my potentially long work days? How long can I expect to be able to leave her on her own? What things are now out of the question due to a dog? How will this later my current lifestyle? Will I be able to provide her with everything she needs? Did I really just commit myself to a relationship that could easily last 10-18 years? I am glad that I rescued her. This sweet little girl definitely deserves a second chance. But in spite of having gone out of my way to make sure she has what she needs - bed, sweater, food, treats, carrier for car travel - part of me is freaking out about the whole thing. I definitely want to make sure she gets healthy. And I suspect that this relationship will work out. Worse case scenario, I re-home her - although I'm hoping this is mostly the (temporary) panic talking. Bottom line - I wanted to save her and get her healthy. Could my life have been easier by finding a healthy dog? Definitely. That's just not the way things worked out. Right now...I'm just sort of feeling a little in over my head suddenly. Have any of you ever experienced this before. Thanks as always for your support! -A
