Adopting Lenny: A year in the Life of a Rescued Dog

This is the story of how Lenny the Border Collie came into our lives and his first year with our family. I wanted to share his story to raise awareness of rescue dogs and to provide some insight into the steps we took when adopting our own rescue dog.

It all began back in September 2017 when I had an overwhelming urge to add another dog to our growing family. At the time our two little boys were two and one year old. Our old Labrador Joe was unwell and I was sad at the prospect of not having a canine companion to share our home. I knew that a young puppy would be too much work with two toddlers so I contacted a lovely friend who worked at a local animal shelter. I emailed her a list of very specific characteristics, secretly thinking such a dog was unlikely to end up at the shelter...Boy was I wrong! ...Enter "Ken".

Lenny and me
Image: What About Charlie

My friend called several weeks later to tell me about a lovely 5 month old Border Collie puppy who had just come in as a stray. His name was Ken. As she described this puppy to me I had a little chuckle to myself as I tended to warn prospective dog owners away from working breeds if they lived in suburbia. I also did not consider a working dog to be a good match for our family in our current situation with very young children. That said, I decided to go and meet this little guy, not so much to bring him home but more so for a bit of a puppy fix.

Looking back now, I think I was a little nuts! Maybe I was still under the influence of baby hormones. Who knows?! The first time I laid eyes on him I melted. He was goofy, wiggly, cuddly and just way too adorable! Despite his charm I was convinced he probably wasn't right for us. "He'll be scared of the boys", "Joseph won't appreciate his exuberance", "My husband Dave won't think it's a good idea". As all these thoughts were going through my mind, and my friend was telling me how wonderful this little guy was, I just spent time with him getting to know him. That first visit lasted about an hour. It went so well that I decided the next step was to meet my two toddler boys...

First time meeting Lenny ("Ken") at 5 months old

Several days later I visited Ken again, this time with my two little boys in toe and my wonderful father-in-law to assist with the introduction. I was sure Ken would be too energetic or rough or potentially scared of them. He proved me wrong. We spent an hour or so with him that day. He was gentle, wiggly and relatively calm. No sign of fear at all. Again, Ken was a little star. "Damn!" I thought to myself. "Next step: Meeting Dave and our old Lab Joseph". Dave didn't need too much convincing to meet Ken but I was a little concerned by how Joe would receive him, being that he was still a puppy.

My two boys meeting Lenny for the first time

A week later we had our third meeting with Ken. Dave liked him a lot and, surprisingly, so did Joe! I was really surprised by Joe's response to Ken. The meet and greet went so well that we agreed to foster Ken with a view to adopt, all going well. Secretly I was still convinced it wouldn't work out but I was happy to have him at home learning skills that would help him be an even better companion.

The weeks rolled by and Ken just fitted in so well. He was easy. About six weeks after bringing him home we officially adopted him and renamed him Lenny. It was the 2nd of November 2017. His Gotcha Day.

When Lenny met Joe

It's important to acknowledge that the past year with Lenny hasn't all been rainbows and unicorns. Other than the usual puppy issues, like chewing everything, we have had some minor challenges. Toilet training went really well initially and then reverted in Winter. Mostly due to me not having as much time to devote to training (because two toddlers!) but also because Lenny hates going to the toilet on wet grass. He has improved a lot but still has the occasional accident overnight, especially when it's been raining.

Lenny was also initially quite fearful of motorbikes, trains and bicycles when we'd encounter them during walks. I've been working consistently on this and he is much calmer when a train or motorbike goes by. We are still working on teaching him that people on bicycles are nothing to be afraid of. He's much better but still has a little way to go, especially when they're close and moving fast.

A year in the life of Lenny

I see the Border Collie come out in him when he mouths the boys as they move and play. He is very gentle and the boys know to be still and say NO! Lenny is learning to carry a toy or ball in his mouth when the kids are running or riding their bikes. The boys are also enjoying throwing the ball for him - which he loves!

Lenny really likes to stalk and chase Magpies during walks. He would bolt after them almost wrenching my arm out of it's socket. Teaching him to "leave it" and reinforcing focus on me with high value treats while walking past the Magpies has worked really well to reduce this behaviour. He doesn't do it often now as long as I ask him to "leave it". Giving him regular opportunities to chase birds off lead at the local oval also helps reduce the behaviour when on lead.

We have been very cautious with Lenny, Joseph and the boys. They are always separated unless actively supervised. This has kept everyone safe and helps to ensure their interactions are always positive. Although I'm a bit sad I haven't had the time I would have liked to spend with him and training him he learned the basics very quickly. He knows sit, drop, stay, shake hands (see video below), on your mat, wait, touch (a target, such as an open palm) and free. I've also trained him for a veterinary exam. I have so many ideas on behaviour to teach him but just lack the time right now.

Toddlers make training sessions a bit tricky! :/

Lenny has been such a wonderful addition to our family. He is playful, affectionate, eager to please, a joy to walk, so clever and just lots of fun. Overall he has been pretty easy and adapted so well to our home and lifestyle. We look forward to sharing lots more adventures with him.

Adopting a dog can be such a wonderful and rewarding experience. Taking the time to ensure the dog you choose is the right fit for you and your situation (and vice versa) will save a lot of stress and potential heartache down the track.

And remember, if you do experience behavioural difficulties with your dog, help is available. Suitably qualified and experienced behaviourists and trainers can help you understand, manage and work to resolve problem behaviour.

Happy Gotcha Day Lenny! xo

Preparing Your Pets for the Arrival of Your Baby

The arrival of a baby is a highly anticipated, exciting, overwhelming, and joyous event. With all the thought and preparation that goes into setting up the home and nursery, the regular pregnancy check ups and dealing with all the symptoms of pregnancy itself (hello morning sickness, hormones, tiredness, aches and pains etc), many expectant parents forget their pets may need help adjusting to the imminent changes.

Recovering from the birth, whether natural or cesarean, can take up to 6 weeks or more. Coupled with the sleep deprivation and exhaustion that comes hand in hand with caring for a newborn (feeding, changing, burping, settling, bathing etc), finding the time and patience to deal with behaviour problems in your pets can be difficult. Indeed, this is often when I get a call from distraught parents whose pet's behaviour has severely deteriorated.

                                 

The good news is that a little preparation and know how can help reduce the likelihood you’ll encounter problems with your pet once your baby comes home. 

(Photo: source)

Bringing home baby can affect pets differently

Having a baby brings with it significant changes to your life and your routine will change to accommodate and care for your new little bundle. Pets will be affected by these changes in different ways, depending on their personality and temperament, past experiences and the degree to which their routine changes once the baby arrives. For example, if your dog is timid and a little fearful in general and in unfamiliar situations, it's probably more likely to find a baby a bit scary at first. Whereas if your dog is generally calm and relaxed and not phased by novelty then you may find they adjust very well to sharing their home with your new little person.

Archie checking out Nate and his toy

This was evident in my own dogs when our first baby came home from hospital. Our nine year old boxer, Archie, was very curious and interested yet quite anxious about Nathan, whereas our eight year old Labrador, Joseph, was very nonchalant. This surprised me. Although neither dog had any prior experience with babies, I had expected Archie would be fascinated and attentive to our little one but this was not the case. Archie didn’t cope very well not having the same level of attention and interaction he normally received from me. I continued to work on teaching him to associate little Nathan with lots of positive experiences and was making good progress. Sadly, after several weeks we discovered Archie had advanced lymphoma. He died peacefully at home when Nate was just four months old.

Joseph remains unfazed by Nate, now 16 months old, and is most interested in him when he’s eating (Nate drops a lot of food) – typical Lab!. When our second baby, Zachary, arrived last month it was as if Joe barely noticed. He remains his usual laid back self and we have maintained his normal routine as much as possible.

Joe knows to stay on his bed until Nate has finished eating

The experiences your pet has with your baby, good and bad, will also influence how they cope. Being mindful to ensure their interactions are positive will help their relationship get off to the right start. We continue to build a positive association between Joseph and the boys by including Joe in family life, going on regular walks together and rewarding Joe's good behaviour with his favourite thing - FOOD!

My tips for success

My own experiences introducing our two dogs to our babies reinforced to me that preparation really is the key to success.

Here is a general list of some of the things you can do to help your pet adjust to life with a newborn. Ideally, many of these changes should be made well before the baby arrives to allow your pet time to become accustomed to them: 

• Introduce nursery furniture and other baby-related items (e.g. bouncer, play gym, pram etc) as early as possible and pair them with high value treats for calm and compliant behaviour. This helps to create a positive association with the new items. 
• Use baby gates to section off any areas of the home you don't want your pet to access once baby is home.
• Ensure your pet is compliant and well behaved and, if not, address any behaviour issues with the help of a reputable trainer or behaviourist. 
• Take your pet to the vet for a check up. If your vet identifies a health problem, it can be treated and, hopefully, alleviated prior to baby coming home.
• Teach your dog to be comfortable walking next to the pram. Walking your dog with the baby is a great way to create a positive association with bubs for your dog. Teaching your dog to stay on a mat or bed is another very useful behaviour which allows your dog to be near you without getting under your feet.
• If your pet usually sleeps on your bed and you plan to feed your baby in bed, you may not want your pet to sleep there once your baby arrives. If this is the case, teach your pet to sleep elsewhere, such as on their own bed on the floor.
• Play sounds of babies cooing and crying and pair with high value treats for calm and compliant behaviour. This will help to create a positive association with these sounds and reduce the chance of your pet fearing your new baby.
• Try to implement any changes to your pet’s routine prior to the baby arriving. For example, if you plan to feed and walk them at different times once baby comes home, begin doing so well beforehand if possible.
• Once your baby is born, have your partner or a family member bring home a blanket with your baby's scent on it. Let your pet smell the blanket and pair with praise, pats and high value treat. Everything baby should be wonderful for your pet!
• Provide your pet with a quiet, safe place they can retreat to. A crying baby can stress pets out too! For dogs, access to another room with a comfy bed or the outdoors on sunny days is ideal. For cats confined to the house, cat towers or shelving with a bed or enclosed pod provide a place they can escape to if they feel unsure. Access to outdoor space via a cat park or enclosure can also help reduce stress.

The introduction

Pets can easily become overwhelmed with the excitement of their owner coming home from the hospital so introducing your pet to your baby should be done as calmly and quietly as possible. Waiting until your pet is calm and your baby is fed and sleeping is ideal. Sitting down and holding your baby while your partner brings your dog into the room on a lead is a good option for calm and obedient dogs. For more excitable dogs, a baby gate separating them from you and your baby adds an extra element of safety.

Use verbal praise, pats and favourite treats to reward calm and compliant behaviour in the presence of the baby. This should continue on a daily basis and in different situations (e.g. when baby is crying, in a carrier, in the pram, in the bassinet, being changed, being fed etc) and will help your pet learn to associate the baby, and being calm and compliant when in their presence, with lots of positive experiences. Begin with short training sessions (a minute or two) and gradually increase the duration if your pet is coping well. Begin to allow your pet to spend more time near your baby (under supervision) and include them in daily activities once you can see they're calm and comfortable in the presence of the baby.

From newborn to infant to toddler and beyond

Archie enjoying gentle pats

As your baby grows and develops they will become more mobile and curious about your pet. Babies and young children like to grab and touch with their hands and get their face up close to things that interest them. This makes most pets very uncomfortable. Children are poor at reading and responding to the early warning signs (avoidance, wide eyes, lip licking, yawning etc). Indeed, statistics show that incidents of dog bites most often occur in the home environment and involve children and dogs that are known to them. Pets and children should ALWAYS be supervised when together, no matter how much you trust your pet. If they can’t be supervised, they must be safely separated.

Seeking assistance from a reputable trainer or behaviourist to assess your pet and help you prepare them for the arrival of your baby is highly recommended. These professionals can tailor a management, training and behaviour modification plan to you and your pet’s individual situation and provide ongoing support if needed.

Further information and resources

Books:

Tell your dog you're pregnant and Tell your cat you're pregnant by Dr Lewis Kirkham

How to introduce your dog to your baby by Kathy Kopellis McLeod

Websites:
We are Family - for expectant parents (The Victoria Government)