Changes In Adult Adopted Dogs (pic Heavy)

[648117]

I was looking through photo's of Lewis from when we first got him today (to find one of his messy feet for another thread) and I found it a mazing how his appearance has changed in the nearly 15 months that we have had him. I guess it is part of his journey.
He was 3 years old when we got him so he should have all of his adult characteristics, so he is 4 now.
Here's a pic from when we got him (I think it was the next day - he was so worried and uncomfortable, you can see it) 9th of December 2012:


Here he is once he had settled in a bit and his smile had appeared, 27th December 2012:


A couple of months later, 27th of March 2013 (he wasn't allowed off lead yet):


28th of May:


16th of August:


5th of October:


30th of November:



1st of February 2014:


22nd of February:


23rd of February (the most recent photo I have of him):


I find it truly amazing how much he has changed in personality and especially appearance. He has been an adult dog the entire time that we have had him but his coat has changed so much, I didn't really realise until I was looking at the old photo's.

Has anyone else adopted a dog and noticed a major change in their appearance despite them already being an adult at the time of adoption?

 

[kassidybc]

Wow, that is amazing, you can see how he has changed. The biggest difference I see though is how much happier he looks!

 

[Ripleygirl]

Amazing pics! I shall look out some of Ripley's journey... I too have noticed through picture what she was like and her journey (made more prominent in how her character has changed and evolved but also in appearence) from looking through pictures from when we got her up to now.

I love all the pics (and your photography) but especially:

Amazing pic, love it!

 

[648117]

Thank you Ripleygirl and KassidyBC

Ripleygirl: I think he was pretending to be Lassie in that picture, it is one of my favourites too

You should post some "then and now" pictures of Ripley, I would love to see them! You could start a new thread or add them to this one.

 

[southerngirl]

Luis really looks so much more happy and relaxed than when you first got him and his coat looks great. He is truely lucky to have such an amazing owner, you've done a great job with him.
P.S I love love the "Lassie" picture. It would look great as a big pic. and framed

 

[brody_smom]

My first reaction when I started looking at the pictures was that he looked so much older in the earlier pictures. Maybe a little sickly. Probably the eyes. It is really quite astonishing. Even the few pictures we've seen of Skye have shown a definite improvement in her appearance. The fact that these are stills and not videos is even more telling, as we are not able to see a change in carriage or energy level. Well done!

 

[brody_smom]

I've been looking through pics of Ripley since we have had her too. We got her from the RSPCA at 18 months old.
This first pic is a couple of days after we adopted her:

She had already dug up half the garden! She was skin & bones and had no light in her eyes.
The next one is about a month in:

She has put on a bit of weight but is scared and sullen still.
She had to have a metal lead at this point because she would chew through anything else:

There was not a trust there to want to be with us on lead.
She started to be a bit more inquisitive a couple more months in:

But still a bit scared too.
She started to be more relaxed in the home environment:

And enjoy her bed:

Good exercise and positive training, and then we noticed the change in her look towards us:

And look more relaxed after walks because she was getting good off lead exercise due to the recall training:

So now she is a happy dog with loving owners:

But she still loves to dig (but at least this is now out on walks and not in our back garden!!)

Pics aren't showing up. Is it just me?

 

[southerngirl]

Pics aren't showing up. Is it just me?

can't see them either

 

[Ripleygirl]

Sorry guys - lets try this again! Please let me know if they work this time!

I've been looking through pics of Ripley since we have had her too. We got her from the RSPCA at 18 months old.
This first pic is a couple of days after we adopted her:

She had already dug up half the garden! She was skin & bones and had no light in her eyes.
The next one is about a month in:

She has put on a bit of weight but is scared and sullen still.
She had to have a metal lead at this point because she would chew through anything else:

There was not a trust there to want to be with us on lead.
She started to be a bit more inquisitive a couple more months in:

But still a bit scared too.
She started to be more relaxed in the home environment:

And enjoy her bed:

Good exercise and positive training, and then we noticed the change in her look towards us:

And look more relaxed after walks because she was getting good off lead exercise due to the recall training:

So now she is a happy dog with loving owners:

But she still loves to dig (but at least this is now out on walks and not in our back garden!!)

 

[648117]

Wow, you have done an amazing job with Ripley. You can really see her expression change when she began to really trust you. She was in such a shocking condition at the start, you can barely see the dog she had the potential to become, but clearly you could see it.
She is one lucky dog to have such a loving patient family.

 

[srdogtrainer]

Wow, that is a huge difference. I feel like he looks younger and just overall better cared for, particularly grooming. What kind of food do you feed him? He sure is a lucky guy!

 

[Ripleygirl]

Wow, you have done an amazing job with Ripley. You can really see her expression change when she began to really trust you. She was in such a shocking condition at the start, you can barely see the dog she had the potential to become, but clearly you could see it.
She is one lucky dog to have such a loving patient family.

Thank you so much! She is a wonderful dog and I feel so much for her in what she went through in the start of her life!

 

[Ripleygirl]

Wow, that is a huge difference. I feel like he looks younger and just overall better cared for, particularly grooming. What kind of food do you feed him? He sure is a lucky guy!

Hi srdogtrainer, we generally feed her Wainrights Grain Free Dry dog food. But as my partner is a charter boat fisherman we catch and freeze down Mackerel fillets in the summer and Whiting fillets in the winter and she has a fillet in one of her two meals a day and she also has a small portion of frozen veg (peas, carrots, cauliflower and brocolli) every other day as if we don't feed her veg she grazes grass like mad out on walks, not to make herself sick but because she seems to need something she gets from veg and grass!

 

[648117]

We haven't had Skye long but she has already changed. I tried to use pictures where she is in the same pose:


A few days after she came to stay with us and after she got back from the groomers (for the first time) a few days ago.

 

[648117]

I should add that her coat has grown a lot since we got her. I guess Bichon coats grow fast.

 

[Ripleygirl]

We haven't had Skye long but she has already changed. I tried to use pictures where she is in the same pose:


A few days after she came to stay with us and after she got back from the groomers (for the first time) a few days ago.

You can really see her appearance changing already, she is very cute! What a difference in her coat! And you see the brightness sparking in her eyes in the latter pictures and they are softening too now she is settled in with you guys! Well done!