New Dog

[648117]

For the last few months my family has been looking for a small adult dog (1.5-6 years old) to add to our family. It's been mainly my mum who has wanted a second dog again (Holly is enough for me at the moment).
So yesterday we brought home a 2 year old male pomeranian (he's a very big pomeranian - bigger than Holly). His family was rehoming him because they didn't have time for him anymore. They said he belonged to the 10 year old daughter and when my mum asked if she would miss him they said "no, she has a kitten now"
They said they had a Rottie and a German Sheppherd that live outside that the pom doesn't interact with so we don't think he ever really left the house, he looked very nervous outside.

He's very nervous and shy and has mostly been panting and trotting around our house and doesn't seem comfortable outside. He doesn't like Holly to get too close to him, although he is a bit better about that today.

They called him "Mr Pom" but we are going to call him "Louis" (or "Lewis" - not sure how we will spell it yet)

I'll start some threads about some of the things that have already come up about him.

Pictures:

 

[southerngirl]

Aww he's so cute. I love Pomeranian I think they're the cutest small dog breed, well after the Yorkie.
I'm glad you guys have him. It doesn't sound like he had a good home.

 

[Mutt]

Well first of all I like to say that I think it is great that you are giving this dog a new home
He sure looks like a sweetheart!

 

[MaryK]

So glad you've given Louis/Lewis a new home, doesn't sound like his last home was all that good . He's a real cutie pie that's for sure . I love Poms, don't see too many around here, more's the pity. Friend had one and they're smart little dogs

 

[Dogster]

Congratulations on the new addition!!!! He's a CUTIE, that's for sure!!!!!! It's great that you decided to give a dog a second chance!!

 

[jackienmutts]

Aww, thanks for giving him a second chance. Sounds like his first home was merely a house to live in til the next form of entertainment came along - and now it has. I guess thankfully it was only 2 yrs, sadly the Rottie and GS still live there, but even more sadly, they're most likely just "yard guards". *sigh*

Can't wait to hear all about him once he's had time to relax a bit and try to figure out his new world. I'm sure given time and direction, he'll come around. My bet, Holly will play an integral part in his 'rehab', too.

 

[Mr-Remington]

Congrats on the new addition to the family! My last dog was a pom. They are an amazing breed of dog, very lovable, but tend to be a one man dog. I'm excited to see how things go for you guys.

 

[648117]

I had only really met one other Pom before and it was a really tiny one and I met it at agility! It was before Holly started, we took her to watch a ribbon trial and there was a lady with a little Pom sitting next to us. It was the funniest little thing when it went over the jumps
Lewis (mum decided we are going to spell it this way) seems to be settling down a little bit. He is still anxious but isn't panting as much and is able to have a nap with everyone around. Although he still jumps up if anyone moves or he hears something.
If he's on someones lap or near their feet he was growling at Holly if she got near him but he is doing this less now. I think he is starting to realise that Holly is not going to hurt him (and Holly likes to stand just at the edge of the distance that he accepts, she just stands there and then when he stops grumping she walks off - she's desensitizing him herself I guess!). I think Holly finds him rather odd because he growls at things so Holly stares at him when he does that, I have never heard Holly growl (other than play growls) and he doesn't like being groomed. When I have him on the table to do a little grooming Holly tries to get up there to have her turn. And if something distracts him then he will abandon his treat (we have to stop Holly racing in and grabbing it - she would never abandon food like that ).
Sometimes he gets excited and play bows at people so Holly thinks that means he wants to play so tries to get him to play with her but he ends up grumping at her. I don't think he knows how to interact with other dogs.

 

[MaryK]

He's so cute!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like Holly is using her doggy common sense and knowledge of doggy etiquette to help desensitize Lewis. That's grand and he will 'get it' one day.

He's been with you such a short time and I think you're both doing amazingly well. Poor little chap, doesn't sound like he had much of anything in his old home.

Great he can nap now, that's a positive sign he's settling down. He's been through a lot in changing homes, and all on top of not having been properly socialized, lot to ask but he's doing so well.

Yes Holly is probably a bit perplexed by his growling, but she's obviously not reacting badly to it, so he'll learn from her not to growl all the time.

Def doesn't sound like he knows how to interact with other dogs, especially as he's play bowing at people, but grumping when Holly (who does know how to interact with other dogs) tries to play with him. One very positive thing is that Holly is sooooooooooo good and no reacting to Lewis 'odd' behavior.

Give him time, which I know you will, and he'll be play bowing at Holly and playing with her. Is it possible when he does this to encourage him to play with you AND involve Holly in the play? Of course, you don't want to cause problems between them, but you may be able to get Lewis to transfer his play bow to humans onto Holly.

 

[648117]

I thought I should update this thread on Lewis' progress. We've had him for nearly 3 week and he's doing really well!

Lewis is a very happy bouncy dog. He smiles a lot. You just have to look at him and blink and he thinks its an invitation for him to get on your knee and give kisses. He likes to do a bounce upward and then land in a playbow when he's excited or you have a treat for him which is pretty funny. He's learn't to sit so far (and definitly knows his name and we're working on "down") and when he's told to sit he usually flicks his head back with a big grin when he does it
He's also very good and walking on his back feet when excited so I might end up putting that on cue.

He's playing with Holly now, although we have to interupt the play often because Holly goes over the top. When she does this he usually tries to get on my knee so I can stop Holly. It's like he makes her excited but then doesn't know how to play with her when she's so excited!
The only time he growls now is if he's asleep on the floor and Holly or one of the cats gives him a fright.

He sleeps in a crate now and will go and sleep in there if no one will let him on their lap (he can be very persistent about that too). He is truelly a lap dog and is happiest when sitting on someone.
He enjoys short walks with mum but gets scared if they meet other dogs or people so we are taking it slow. Amazingly he does not need to be loose leash trained. He never leaves whoevers walking hims side, he doesn't sniff or stop to pee or anything even if we try to encourage him, I think this could be because he is a bit anxious of the outside world.

He likes playing with toys on his own, he flicks them around and chases them and has played a bit of tug with me and Holly. He's also figured out how to eat chewy treats (which is good because he has some tartar on his teeth - this is improving). He can now manage a dried deer rib or tendon although it takes him longer than Holly to eat them. For christmas Holly got a new deer antler (we gave her old one away to a smaller dog a while ago) and Lewis is actually enjoying that too (we had to buy a second one today because they kept tricking each other into running to the door so each other could steal the antler)

He is doing well with the grooming, I got all of the matts out and removed most of the undercoat (with grooming him twice a day for a couple of minutes) and now that he has no knots he gets completely groomed everyday and I think he's enjoying it a bit now because he is very patient and will roll on his side so I can brush his tummy. His nails are about the length they should be now (they were way too long before) and today I trimmed the fur between his pads and on top of his feet.

Maybe you can see the difference in him in these pictures compared to the first ones?

 

[648117]

I forgot to add that we found out more about his history.
The people we got him off were not very helpful and we thought they had got him off his breeder at 6 months (which is not uncommon, especially if he had growm too big to be used for showing).

When we took him to the vets the week we got him the vet said he is definitly 2 years old (which is what we had been told) but he did not have a microchip (it is the law here for dogs to be microchipped), the vet said it might have moved (that can happen) and that we should ring his old owners to find out who his vet was to get his medical records and see if he was chipped. So we rang the old owners and they said he was chipped when they got him but they "couldn't remember" the name of the vet they had been using so we could not get any of his records (we think this means they never took him to the vet) and she "couldn't remember" the name of the person that they had gotten him off

So then a few days later we took him to the petshop to get a harness for in the car and we were talking to the petshop owner about him (this is the petshop that Holly came from and she had her first classes there and we buy her food there etc so we know the owner well) and we mentioned that his old owners called him "Mr Pom" and that we changed his name to Lewis. She said that she knew a Pomeranian called "Mr Pom" who should be about 2 years old and had lived in another town (although she thought that dog had been all white) and how common could that name be?

So she rang the person who had this other "Mr Pom" while we were still in the shop. And yes, it was the same "Mr Pom"!

So it turns out that Lewis was born here and then went to be sold in the petshop (same one as Holly) where a puppy farmer bought him (apparently this puppy farmer is a good one and very hygienic though ) and took him home to another town about 4 hours drive away. He stayed there till he was 6 months when the puppy farmer decided she had too many dogs and needed to rehome some, apparently she really liked Lewis though and thought he was a sweety.
So he was rehomed to the people who we got him off that live in a third town , they had him for about 18 months and then decided they didn't have time for him either

So it's no wonder he's a bit anxious considering he's lived in so many places!
I actually would expect him to be way way worse than he is!
(and we still need to get him microchipped - will happen in the new year)

I'll summerise:
breeder -> petshop -> farmer -> old owners -> US
All in 2 years!

 

[Gracegeorgina]

What a coincidence, love the pic of him and holly!

 

[Anneke]

He ia really cute and looks very happy!
And it sounds like he has a great character. I'm sure over time, he will overcome his fear of being outside.
I love the pic where he sits with Holly. They look like true friends.
Sad that he has been in so many places in only two years, but now he is in the right place!

 

[MaryK]

Lewis is a real cutie pie!!!!!!! And yes, I sure can see the difference in him, he's 'smiling' looks so happy and contented and his coat now has that lovely clean, fluffy look

You've worked wonders with him and I am sure with all the care, attention and most importantly love, he'll overcome his anxiety when out. Then he'll start sniffing and doing all the normal 'doggy things' when he's out and about.

Poor baby though, no wonder he's been anxious, so many changes in such a short time but he's in the right home now

 

[Dogster]

Wow, what a story!! This little guy has been through a lot!!
He looks SO happy now!!! I'm glad him and Holly are getting along!!
I can see the difference in hi coat, looks much better now!!! So pretty!!!

 

[Dlilly]

Congratulations! He looks very happy in your recent pictures.

 

[648117]

I thought I'd post the bloopers from trying to get a photo of both of them. It is a lot harder to photograph two dogs at once, especially when one is untrained

First I had to try and get them both on the seat (Lewis doesn't know to follow pointing fingers so this was tricky) but they both decided to not look at the camera:

Then I got them to both look at the camera (kind of) but Holly decided to poke out her tongue and Lewis pulled a silly face :

If they had co-operated it would have been such a cute photo of Holly standing over Lewis!

 

[MaryK]

LOL love the blooper pics!!!!!!!!! Especially the last one with them both pulling silly faces, and who says dogs do not have a sense of humor!!!!!!!!

I know what you're going through though, even with two dogs who are both trained, getting them to co-operate isn't easy!

 

[Dogster]

LOL, those are so cute!!!

 

[madeleine]

Congrats!!! Leweis does seem to be more and more happy with every post you put here. He sure looks like a lovely dog!!!