New family members

[judy]

I saw the new babies on fb, but I want to tell you here how wonderful you and Scott are for adopting them. They are beautiful little dogs! You are doing such a wonderful thing.

How is Layla adjusting? She is such a sweetie, I'm sure she will love them, as long as she learns that you and Scott still love her the same.

Any new pix?

[Lindsey]

Judy I don't think we've even taken pictures since we've got them home!! I will need to take the camera out more often!

Layla is adjusting okay. She still avoids them and Scott tries to push them together but I tell him it will just take time. Kash is pretty crazy and he is nuts over toys. Because of that, Layla is not interested in toys anymore. I know she doesn't want to get in the middle of it and have him come after her for whatever toy she has. So she is showing no interest in toys anymore. She will not go near the ones he has been playing with, so I'm keeping some of her favourites up away from the other dogs, and maybe sometime Scott can go out with those two, and I can get Layla to play one on one with me with her own toys!

All of the dogs have been playing musical beds at night. First of all, Kash does not want to sleep on the floor, but we're making him anyway. He and Layla both snuggle with us on the bed for a while, and then go down when we're going to sleep. Kash will try to cry his way back up for 10 minutes or so, but if we ignore, he will just curl up where he is. Layla has her own bigger bed in our room. It's bigger because she can't curl up anymore. Her body is always stretched out! I got a little donut bed for Kash, and a little house for Lucy because she is most comfortable in a den. Lucy went straight for her little house which was great! The first night, Kash was jumping all over Layla in her bed, so she went to the donut bed. I thought I'd just change positions so I switched those two around the next night, and put Layla to sleep in her bed first. I woke up in the morning, and Kash was in her bed again, and Layla was in the little one. So I guess it didn't matter where they were! The next morning I woke up, and Kash was in Layla's bed, and at first glance I thought Layla was in the donut... but nope, that was Lucy! Layla's nose was sticking out of Lucy's house! Lol!!! I guess if Layla's getting kicked out of her bed, she has to kick someone else out too!

Anyways, I'm happy to see they're all okay with sharing their sleeping spaces! And they all sleep right through the night.

Yesterday we were worried about how they'd do while we were at work. We expressed Layla on two pee pads in trays, and while both dogs sniffed them, they didn't use them. When we got home, there was just a poop at the garage door, but no pee anywhere! I let them out as soon as I got home. They seemed to do okay. I moved the pads to where they pooped yesterday, to see if that makes a difference.

Lucy is still pretty shy and timid, but she does come out sometimes. She will wag her tail and hop around on her front legs a little bit. When Kash starts playing, she runs to her kennel. I wonder if she was beaten before, because quick moves really scare her. Even if I'm playing with Kash and grab a toy quickly, she runs to her kennel. Last night I got her to sleep in my arms while I was watching tv. She will take some time to get used to us too. She does have quite a shrill cry when she is scared or alone!

[DianaB]

They all sound so sweet!!!

[Janet]

You did such a wonderful thing adopting the two older ones, but I hope it doesn't jeopardize Layla's health. She has made strides I would hate for them to stress out too much.

[Lindsey]

I was worried about that too Janet. Layla and Kash still seem to be fighting over being alpha. Sometimes they're okay with each other, but when Kash gets obnoxious with the toys in front of her, she will start barking. He growled at her a couple of times when she'd get close to his face, and last night he nipped her on the neck. That's not okay with how fragile her neck is but Scott was right there and pulled him off immediately, and Layla stopped barking at him and hasn't barked at him since. Maybe she will back down and just let him be boss. He has never tried to hurt her, just wanted to put her in her place this time I think. He's never been pushy with either of them. Not long after that happened, we took Layla to the vet for a pee sample, and when we got home, Kash had peed on some plastic grocery bags that were sitting in the hall with extension cords in them. We know it was him because there was actually some pee IN the bags too. This is the first time he has marked in our house and I hope it's the last. He stopped marking in the foster mom's house as soon as he was neutered.

Layla and Kash were both okay to lay in bed with us last night. They were only maybe 6 inches apart, and they both fell asleep. Layla actually scurreid under the covers and was squished right up against him later, but she might have thought it was one of us outside the covers! They sleep in beds right beside each other and they are content to do that.

We are trying to give Layla some extra special attention still. I think it will help.

Poor Lucy probably thinks she's living in a zoo. She is so timid! She is such a sweet little girl though. She has been loving treats and has even given us a few little kisses on our fingers and faces! She has been through a lot in the past couple of months too, with being abandoned, having surgeries, losing all her teeth, going to a foster home, and then another new home. I know it's going to take her a little longer to really adjust.

I have taken a few more pictures so I will post them when I get them off my camera!

[judy]

Originally Posted by Lindsey

I was worried about that too Janet. Layla and Kash still seem to be fighting over being alpha. Sometimes they're okay with each other, but when Kash gets obnoxious with the toys in front of her, she will start barking. He growled at her a couple of times when she'd get close to his face, and last night he nipped her on the neck. That's not okay with how fragile her neck is but Scott was right there and pulled him off immediately, and Layla stopped barking at him and hasn't barked at him since. Maybe she will back down and just let him be boss. He has never tried to hurt her, just wanted to put her in her place this time I think. He's never been pushy with either of them. Not long after that happened, we took Layla to the vet for a pee sample, and when we got home, Kash had peed on some plastic grocery bags that were sitting in the hall with extension cords in them. We know it was him because there was actually some pee IN the bags too. This is the first time he has marked in our house and I hope it's the last. He stopped marking in the foster mom's house as soon as he was neutered.

Layla and Kash were both okay to lay in bed with us last night. They were only maybe 6 inches apart, and they both fell asleep. Layla actually scurreid under the covers and was squished right up against him later, but she might have thought it was one of us outside the covers! They sleep in beds right beside each other and they are content to do that.

We are trying to give Layla some extra special attention still. I think it will help.

Poor Lucy probably thinks she's living in a zoo. She is so timid! She is such a sweet little girl though. She has been loving treats and has even given us a few little kisses on our fingers and faces! She has been through a lot in the past couple of months too, with being abandoned, having surgeries, losing all her teeth, going to a foster home, and then another new home. I know it's going to take her a little longer to really adjust.

I have taken a few more pictures so I will post them when I get them off my camera!

Max and Annie fight for alpha all the time! She is in charge of me, he is in charge of the food, but God help him if he takes her treats! (and he does). Layla and Kash will work it out. I'm sure you will make sure she isn't too stressed now that you know she has health issues. Is she still going to your Grandma's?

[Lindsey]

Yes, Layla still goes to my grandma's so she gets to relax and sleep alone all day!