Thurs 16th Jan: Dogs in bedrooms, good or bad?

Jimmy was estimated to be 5 years old 

For a change there were no new dogs arriving today, only the most recent arrivals needing to go to Acorn for their vet checks and vaccinations.  Poodle cross Lexi was allocated the official age of two years, while pug Jimmy was estimated to be five years old.   Jimmy also has erlichia, a type of tick fever which can be treated with antibiotics, and many of the dogs we get from this same unknown source are similarly infected. Fortunately it's not as bad as the other type of tick fever, babesia, but it is the strain that bars dogs from being allowed entry to Australia if detected in the pre-travel blood test.

Tiny poodle cross Lexi is just 2 years old

I'm confident that both Jimmy and Lexi will easily find homes so won't need fostering, and I'd like to remind everyone that adopting from HKDR means you have the full follow-up support of our very experienced trainer Cactus, as well as myself if Cactus can't reply immediately.  One of the important points to remember when you bring any new dog into your home is that you need to give the dog space and time to settle.  It's tempting to want to make a dog feel loved and to give cuddles and shower it with love, but that can be overpowering and quite scary when you're in a new home with people you don't know.  Provide a comfy bed and area, and let the dog come to you when it's ready, and this applies especially to children who can't wait to hug and cuddle their new friend.  Be patient and things will fall into place in their own time.

Georgia and Bamboo last Sunday 

While Jimmy, Lexi and our other small adults may not need foster homes, puppies do. Foster homes not only provide a warm and safe environment for puppies, they help tremendously with training and assessing the puppy's personality.  I always knew lookalike siblings Bamboo and Georgia were sweet as well as beautiful, and now this is backed up by Bamboo's foster parent who has this to say (and the same applies to sister Georgia): 

"Bamboo is settling in very well. He is a quiet dog, sweet, good with the children and very well behaved. He does not chew anything in the house for the moment and only on one occasion he had a toilet accident in the house. We walk him every two hours for about 10 minutes.........

The first nights we put his bed in my daughter's bedroom and he slept all night or at least when he was awake he did not cry on any occasion. Just laying there. Last night we put the bed in the living room and we left the door of my daughters bedroom open. I believe he checked her room a few times and lay on the floor but we think he slept most of the time in the living room. Don’t want to get him to used to ‘only’ sleep with someone around. What is your opinion? Should I leave him in the living room and close her door at one point of time, so that he really learns to sleep alone? We placed him in my daughters room as he was not used to the stairs, but now he is already confident with it.. He might be very suitable for people who like to have a quiet and sweet dog. Even people with small kids I suppose because he is very good and sweet. We really love him."

Which brings me to the question of whether or not dogs should be allowed to sleep in human bedrooms, especially with children, and I say why not?  It's well known that children are comforted by having a dog close by, and we've even had cases where a dog has been adopted for exactly that reason.  In addition studies have shown time and again that children brought up with animals suffer less from allergies and have stronger immune systems, and apart from the health and comforting benefits of having a dog in the bedroom, there's no better place for a personal bodyguard than right there next to you.

It's always been a mystery to me why people keep dogs as guards and then leave them outside where they can easily be poisoned.  Having a dog inside the home is a far better idea if the purpose is to guard and protect the family, and to alert you to burglars.  When a dog thinks of itself as one of the family then it's natural for them to want to take care of everyone, and even if not good as a guard at least a dog is safe from harm inside. 

If you're interested in fostering please contact Cindy at foster@hongkongdogrescue.com, and for adoptions please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/