The one piece of advice I have, is: You need to know dogs. They are a completely different creature from cats. I know dogs, I have three rescue mutts. I don't know cats but I like them (I just don't want them around the house).

I would say you are going to be challenged to the max, take a few doses of a patience pill. My favorite theory about puppies: They are a force to be reckoned with.

Educate yourself about what you are getting yourself in to. This is going to be a learning experience for all involved.

Good luck!

SG

I agree with SG. Cats naturally use litterboxes, dogs have to be trained where to go potty. There's a LOT of training involved with dogs- potty, leash walking, no begging, no jumping, barking only when appropriate, behaving for nail trims and ear cleanings, etc.

Best advise anyone gave me: Don't ever let the puppy do anything you don't want him to do forever. That means no pee pads or paper in the house if you don't want him to potty in the house. No "play biting" if you don't want a biting dog. It is MUCH more difficult to extinguish a learned behavior than to prevent that behavior from becoming routine in the first place.

I've rescued 5 dogs, and the only one whose name I didn't change was the one who came from my friend. They all learn their new names very quickly. K'Ehleyr had been called Mahogany for 6+ years before I changed her name, and despite being heard of hearing learned her new name within a week. So if you want to change the name, go right ahead.

Congrats on the new pup. Read a LOT about positive reinforcement training and above all, be consistent.

Kudos to you for getting a rescue. I hope the food they gave you is quality.
I suggest you read up on Afghans, they can seem a bit standoffish because they are bred to think for themselves, hunting in the deserts with the help of a hawk or falcon for rabbits. They are wonderful dogs, you need to keep them groomed, so go get yourself a good brush, but for the most part afghans are a wonderful breed. Good luck

mazer ~

lily316 is getting a Boston Terrier/Sheltie mix. She had an Afghan many years ago that lived to the ripe old age of 15 years. The new pup is just 8 months old so each of them will have to make time to get to know the routine and rules.

You are right about needing to stay on top of Afghan's grooming. They are gorgeous and always look so elegant and regal. It's interesting to know that they are very intelligent and think for themselves. When I was growing up we had a neighbor (a doctor) that had two of them. They always looked like they were gliding on air when he'd take them for a walk.

Robyn

Don't worry, you'll do great! Congrats on find your pup, he sounds like a lucky dog to get a second chance at life. :)

It's been almost a year since I brought our wild little one home from the pound. He was 7 months old at the time. I hug him every night thankful that I brought his home and didn't pass him by. I had much of the same fears and worries. His past was a complete unknown and frankly I wondered if I could handle him even with a lot of dog experinece behind me.

Meghane hit the nail on the head: set those boundaries now because its easier to prevent a behavior than unlearn it. Set house rules for the pup and make sure all adults in the house agree on the rules and how to enforce them. Case and point: My husband thought jumping to greet people was cute -at first! Boy, that was a lot of work to unlearn.

Second piece of advice: set a daily routine and stick to it. It will make transitioning easier. You'll be setting him up to be successful at potty training and lower his anxiety. He'll know what to expect day to day.

Also, be careful not to give him too much freedom early on. Keep him leashed to you or crated the first few weeks. Invest in baby gates and set up puppy safe areas. Freedom is not for wide-eyed, impulsive pups. It's something earned piece by piece.

Your little guy is still a young. He'll go through changes and test his environment and you. :) I always really recommend enrolling in puppy classes. For no other reason than the chance to socialize and learn to play properly with other dogs. Plus it tires them out beautiful!

Name changes are no problem. You'll be surprised how fast they get it. You may even find as you get to know him that another name comes to mind. :)

Good luck!

ooops, I can read, I can read I can read....You Bostons are great dogs as well - Americas first real breed!!! Take the pup for leash walkies as soon as you can, and be firm about establishing boundaries. My friends got a pretty big Chihuahua and were worried about teir cat. At first the dog chased the cat and everyone was pretty freaked out about it since the cat was elderly, but one night the cat started chasing the dog, and they became fast friends. I wish you luck.

Thank you every one. He came mid afternoon. Since I previously had a greyhound and a Afghan, he seems little but very appealing. All black w/ a little brindle on top and pure white underneath and 4 white paws and a black diamond between his big ears. We walked my fenced yard w/ the foster mom and she pointed out places to reinforce. He came in and the cats were very curious and he was half afraid of them. He weighs 12 pounds and three of my cats weigh more. There was no hissing by them..two disappeared for awhile. Bailey wanted to come over to my chair but stopped and it was because he had a to pass near a cat..He came with Proplan..1/2 cup twice a day, and not puppy food which surprised me, many toys, some of which had the tags still on, a brand new crate where he'll spend time when I can't see him and all night, plus some boxes of wellness treats. He also had heart worm pill and front line for next month and leash and collar. He went for a long walk w/ my husband since I walk a 13/14 minute mile and thought it was too hot for that for him. He explored the yard and is in a bed now sleeping. I will take him out in a few minutes and put him in his crate. He backed up a little awhile ago with a bone in his mouth and took a flying leap and landed in my lap where he licked my face. Cats won't like that. My lap is theirs. Funniest thing was when he was sound asleep I went out side for just a minute and when I came in he was sitting on the wing chair I just left with his head on the pillow. Too cute. I took a picture.

I think you have a life long fur baby...He sounds wonderful...I don't think it will take too long and all your babies will be great friends...
With the Sheltie mix, you might find him trying to herd the cats...A friend of mine has a full Sheltie along with 3 cats and the dog constantly herds the cats into the bathroom...She said, the cats just go along with the game....
Best of luck with Bailey and bless you for taking a rescue....Anxious to see the pictures.....

Hear is my name change story.
We found Casey in our garbage on a Good Friday morning, just sniffing around. I put a sign out by the street that I had found a dog, took him in and hubby gave him a bath. My mom was hospitalized and so I had to go there for the afternoon and evening, then Saturday morning I worked. We had this dog in our house and yard from 7 Friday morning until 2 on Saturday, then we found his owner and he went home. During the time with us, we tried every name we could think of for him, and he did not answer to any. We started with the obvious "Spot" and went from there. A few hours before we found his owner, I started calling him "Casey." When we found his owner, we learned that his name was "Spots."

Skip to the following Tuesday. His owner came to the door to pay us back for taking him to the vet (he had a gash on his neck). He told DH that Spots had pooped in his crate, rolled in it, and the escaped and rolled on the new sofa. He was fed up and had returned him to the Humane Society. Because he had been such a good dog with us, had gotten along great with our two dogs, and because he was a Dalmatian mix who had been given up two times already, we decided to go rescue him. We figured the last thing this dog needed was for someone to fall in love with his spots and them be surprised if he A) knocked down some kids in his 11 month-old Dal exuberance, or B) was not good in a crate and tried to escape. We wanted to either find him a home that matched his needs (His last owner worked all day, partied on weekends, and did not have a fenced yard for the dog.)

It took three days for the Humane Society to admit he was there and let me adopt him. When I went to pick him up, they put me in the little adoption room and brought him in to me. He ran to me, whining and moaning and wrapped his legs around my neck in a hug! Once he was settled, I said to the worker, "watch this." I called out "Spots. come!" Nothing happened. He was busy watching the people in the hallway. Then I said in the same voice, "Casey, come!" He turned around, ran to me and sat at my feet in the most perfect Sit I had ever seen!

In only three hours, Casey learned a new name. A week later he remembered those hours and responded as if I had owned him and trained him for months. He was ready to be a good third dog in a happy family, and he knew that Casey was the new dog's name. Spots was a pathetic creature he did not want to be. He has never answered to "Spots," in the seven years we have had him.

What a great story, Nancy..Casey wanted to totally forget the beginning of his life. In the 90's, I had a grey cat named Casey. He was a dear..The dog, Bailey as of today but that could change, had an exhausting day but wasn't tired. I took him outside with me while I watered and gardened and tethered him beside me . The previous owner did this since she didn't have a fenced in yard. I do but it needs reinforced at places. It's picket and board fence in the back. He went visiting with me to a friend's house where he met her dog. That was 1.75 miles(I had a pedometer on) and then did the same walk with my husband and played catch with a tennis ball and is still not tired. He's in his crate which he likes so all is good with that. Never crated either big dog I had but this little guy plus 5 feisty cats could spell danger. He is still afraid of them and Henry parks himself in a doorway so the dog can't enter. Henry weighs 19 ounds..7 more than Bailey ..Since my only other male cat, Louie, died two months ago at 19, henry took over the alpha male cat position and Nellie is the alpha female. Together they keep the pup in line..

It sounds like you have a little powerplant of energy there! Can you harness that and call Al Gore to promote it? When are you going to share the pictures?

I know many will disagree with me but you should go and buy Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer) DVD or start watching it on TV if you can. I've had many rescue dogs and he has helped me immensely, when local trainers were unable to do anything.

Just because he is quiet and non-aggressive doesn't mean he won't have any problems. Those are only two of the many possible things that may pop-up once you get him home.

I was worried he couldn't keep up on my power walk since he's only around 12 or 13 pounds. I walk pretty fast while husband goes slower. Guess what? He walked 2 and 1/2 miles in the 90 degree weather always out front, never stopped , and seemed to like it. Coming up the sidewalk he knew when we got to the picket fence gate that he lived here, stopped dead in his tracks. Friend came visiting with a toy but he is not good with soft things. Finds a way to rip them and take the stuffing out. This was one of those Fat Cat products(cat burglar) and appeared to be well made..He needs to chew so it will mostly hard things. Cracks me up when I come in here and he's asleep on his bed, when I check on him in a minute or two, he is always on the chair I just left looking guilty. I don't care. I'm going to pick my battles. He can't hassle the cats, he can't jump up on people, and he can't be destructive..I hope for the best because he is a sweet appealing little guy who lost his first home. She supposedly had RA and he IS energetic and needs to work it off. There is a 30 day money back period which I hope I won't need..I'll do a picture when I figure out how.

My rescue dog (5 year old Golden) was very anxious and paced the floor for two nights, plus wet the carpet. The person from the rescue (who brought her) said it takes 10 to 14 days for them to forget where they came from. We were patient and gave her lots of walks, plus took her out around midnight and 5 AM. In a few days she went to the door to go out.

We were very fortunate she is submissive and responds to any and all corrections. If the dog is dominate, and the owner becomes 'submissive', not in charge of their own home, the roles have to be reversed.

timbulb gives EXCELLENT advice, buy a Dog Whisperer DVD and watch Cesar if possible.

My first Golden was very dominant and didn't settle until 2 years old. Wish I had known of Cesar back then. Oh well. lol

Congrats on your new puppy! I hope you have many wonderful years together!

Sher

This dog is a riot. My granddaughter and her BF stopped by and wore him out. He feel asleep in the guy's lap. Then he woke and went on another power walk with me. Tonight we crated him when we went out for dinner. When we returned he greeted us like we were gone for months. When I went upstairs to change, he sat by the door with his head cocked and even tho I was gone for 2 minutes, again the exuberant greeting. We bought him a squeaky toy and it was too funny. He ran around with it squeaking in his mouth ..I'm thinking he's a "Ziggy", the wonder dog. , which I think was actually Zippy..Husband don't want to change it but there are so many Bailey's out there, male and female, and Ziggy fits him so well..He kinda reminds me of the Buster Brown dog, (Tigh?)

I got Tige, the Buster Brown dog and Nipper, the RCA dog, mixed up. It's Nipper he looks the most like..except he's black on top.

And that's 'husband doesn't'..I did pass grammar.

FWIW, I think Bailey sounds cute (both the name and your new pup!).

Nancy wrote:

Spots was a pathetic creature he did not want to be.

Boy, I can relate to that! One of our rescues was a four-year-old black lab mix who had been severely abused by her first owner, and then tied to a lean-to 24/7 by the last one. The dog's name was Donna. I wanted to change it, so we tried several names on her. She didn't respond to them, but then she didn't respond much to Donna either.

Then while she and I were out for a walk, the name Holly popped into my head. "Holly?" I said to her. Yes! she answered with wiggles and wags. And Holly she became, leaving behind the life of Donna.

Lily, it sounds as though you're off to a great start. Congratulations!

I was worried my little mini-daschaund 10 lbs wouldn't be able to keep up with my walks either but he is always right next to me keeping up just fine, his little legs going so-fast bu he is endless energy! He walks 2.25 miles with me easily.

Congrats on your new furbaby Bailey (or Zippy?) I like both names :0) He sounds really cute!!!

I'm still waiting for the shoe to fall. I was very anxious getting him since it was 5 or 6 years since I had a dog and most of my 5 cats never saw one. But this dog is so smart. And he seems grateful and eager to please. Husband put wire all around the picket fence and board fence gaps where he could squeeze out and then we left him loose. He barrels around with a tennis ball in his mouth. He is where you are in the yard. Then took him to the Grandsons's house for a walk. His cats were spooked but the dog took it in stride. I say NO cats and he looks away. Then we did another power walk and I fed him. He came with chicken and rice pro plan which I mixed w/ a little yogurt. His foster mom said he's a poor eater. I got him Purina One chicken and rice tonight and mixed that w/ the pro plan and he did eat it all. Family member are not being cooperative..some call him Bailey , others Ziggy..he looks like a Ziggy..