Good golly, ;) it's almost time for her arrival!! Just want to wish you, Andi and Doug, a wonderful weekend as you welcome your newest family member to your home!! :app:

Ditto Bonnie! Pics as soon as you can, please...

Welcome to a wonderful family, Molly! You're going to be surrounded by lots of love!

We just got a call and Molly will not be joining us this weekend due to a skin rash. Her owner says this has never happened before and wants her vet to see her. We are disappointed, but are grateful that her owner cares so much for the dog's health.

Hope everything gets resolved quickly and Molly will be joining you soon!

Masaki

Sending get-well wishes to Molly and that soon she will be at your home! :)

Molly is now home with us. She is 4 1/2 years old and has never been out of her house in a car except for a short ride to the vets a few times. The poor girl has never run on a trail or walked on a leash and has spent a lot of her life in a cage. So, when we put her in the car today (in her kennel) she shook like the duece. Her owners were close to tears. I believe she was much loved.

She breathed harshly and panted most of the 2 hour trip home. Her former owners packed her towel with their scent on it and, while very nervous, she lay down on the trip and cuddled up with the towel.

Once we brought her in the house, she snoofed every inch of the downstairs, but was afraid to go upstairs. Hence, we carried her up and she commenced her snoofing there.

She tried jumping on the couch in the family room, but we said off and she obeyed. She did this about 4 times. She found her water bowl and also knows to do her business on command, which she did for us quickly. You can tell that the poor dear is very confused, but she showers us with kisses and is very lovable.

She hasn't sat still in the house and is examining everything, but keeps coming back to my side. She enjoys looking out the windows and sniffing every air freshener in the house. She is finally sitting in Maggie's bed next to me, but it isn't with the calm satisfaction that Maggie enjoyed. She has finally seemed to settle in and is lying down in Maggie's bed....Ah, it will be an adjustment for us all, but I think it will be a happy arrangement in the long run.

A happy story! Molly - welcome!!! We know you will be much loved and it won';t be long before you realize you are home. Pretty soon you will be running around the yard barking a squirrels and other intruders. Please give her a Milk bone for us!

Hey, Molly ....WELCOME HOME! :woh:

Ok, my 2 cents.. Hey, I drove the 2 hrs each way to pick her up I should be able to add my say.

She is a beauty. And very bright! She is clearing in an exploring mode, after all our home is 100% new to her.

She has already learned the word "bed". "stay" is getting a good response.
This is a playful, loving girl.

She is not Maggie, but no one will ever be Maggie...& I still tear up over her.
But she is Molly....and as, my friend, Bonnie just said..she's home.

This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship...

Doug

Sooooooooooo cool.....for all three of you! :D

I am totally confused, which isn't new. Why has she been kept in a cage for her entire life, if her owners were tearful when she left? I had understood that you were getting her from a "rescue organization" like my daughter recently got her Pug.

Pam:

Molly was raised by a breeder who showed dogs in real dog shows!!!

Molly was was they call 'crate trained'

The crate or cage was her home. This is what she knew.

She seems to be adjusting well to a more open lifestyle with us......BUT when I set up the crate, she was happy to see it.

Doug

I hope Molly adjusts very quickly. I think that once she gets a taste of the good life in your home, she's going to be one happy girl. Congratulations on your new addition.

to add: the owners/breeders are wonderful people who really do love their dogs... that would be why they teared up. They really will miss Molly..we have already spoken with them tonight.

further, the rescue organization is the one who put us in touch with these breeders...they work with the rescue orig on a regualar basis.
In fact, they were transporting a Springer to another home today. The current owner had a stroke. They are driving the dog from Trenton to Washington, DC.

These are dog lovers in every sense of the word!

Doug

Okay, thanks. I didn't think of a breeder being in the pictures. Sonja's Pug was bought to be bred, but his owner either had two small children and got pregnant or got pregnant with a second, and decided that she couldn't handle it all. Sonja didn't have contact with the owner, Pugsley was with a foster family already. And they said he loved his crate, but if so, he certainly fell out of love in a hurry. He belongs in somebody's lap.

I'm not sure what you mean by "real" dog shows. I got a German Shepherd who was bred for show, but Mark got sick and we had to give him away. He placed fairly highly in the shows he was in. And they were real shows, too.

How wonderful - welcome Molly!!!

I'm sure when she settles in she will realize just how lucky she is to have such wonderful, caring, loving, new owners and before long she will be the little queen in your household!

Of course Maggie will always be in your hearts, but it says a lot about the love the two of you have to give to a dog, that you adopted so soon, and are so ready to open your hearts and home to a new baby.

Best wishes to all of you and we are so excited for you that Molly is finally home. She sounds like a wonderful new companion.

Wonderful news!! We have a 1 3/4 year old female maltese that is a show champion, number 25 in the country. When we got her from the breeder in April of this year she had only lived in a cage. There were thirty dogs of all ages in this kennel, all show quality and all in cages, and all just wanting to be loved. It is amazing how quickly she has become the greatest house dog. She still sleeps in her cage out of choice, but in every other way she has become just like our 6 year old maltese. Good luck with Molly, I know how much she will love you both.

For those of us who are unaware of what Doris mentions, the thought of living in a crate and being loved just don't seem to go hand in hand.

Evidently Molly's parents were both Champions and the breeder is very much into showing dogs..one at a time it seems. She no longer shows the mother, but shows the brother.There were four in the litter. One was sold and I don't know anything about it. Then, she had a brother and a sister who were kept by the breeder with her. The brother is a Champion, but the girls were never shown and were kept for breeding and they just came into maturity last year. For some reason, at that point, they started to fight with one another and could not be let loose together. The breeder decided not to breed them and felt that keeping them caged, so they didn't hurt one another, was unfair to the dogs. They seem to really love the dogs, and the dogs are all very loving and outgoing, so they appear to have had lots of love. I noticed the "father" called them all sweetheart when he took them out and Molly's nickname is cuddlebug. She has no phobias...shyness, aggressiveness, lets you touch her paws, etc., so this is good. Maggie was very submissive and somewhat fearful. I think she had been hurt at some point in her life.

I know it takes several months for them to truly settle in, so we'll keep her sleeping in the crate at night and staying in there when we are gone so she gets in the habit. I would like to wean her away from the crate at night once I know her habits.

I was told her bedtime is 9:30-10 every night, so I put her in her crate tonight and she started barking. I had read somewhere that they feel more comfortable in a covered crate and her owner told me tonight Molly is used to an airline carrier instead of a wire cage. So, I covered up the crate with a sheet and she quieted down. Hmmm..maybe we should have bought the carrier? She's been in her kennel now for 1/2 hour,and all is quiet, so I guess the sheet worked. I wonder what time she will get up tomorrow am?

She loves to cuddle and constantly kisses. She seems very, very sweet.

She didn't make a number two today for us and has never done one on a leash. I'll have to work on this tomorrow. Any suggestions?

Welcome Molly,
I am sure you will adjust very nicely to an open and loving home.
Lynn

Good golly, Miss Molly! One big happy family! The transition will go smoothly and she'll adjust in no time!

Andi and Doug - congrats on your new best buddy - I'm sure Molly will be queen of the castle in no time.

Dena

Welcome to your new home, Molly! We know you'll be showered with hugs and kisses. Sounds like she's already reciprocating!

welcome molly - welcome to the real world. :)

Masaki

Andi...it sounds like Molly has already found her way into your heart. These first days of bonding are so special as you learn more about each other. Enjoy!

A good first night. Molly woke up once when Doug went to the kitchen for a drink. I guess I didn't lock her cage properly as she joined Doug downstairs. He put her back in the kennel and she barked for about 5 minutes until I said "Molly. Sleepytime." She quieted down and didn't get up until Doug took her out this am. She did all the right things outside, had breakfast and came back to bed with me to cuddle.

If things continue this well, we have high hopes that we selected the right baby to follow in Maggie's footsteps. We feel very lucky.

I'm so glad that you all had a good night. Everything sounds great! They make covers for cages if you think she will continue to sleep in her cage as ours do. It did take about 4 months for our little one to settle in. Dogs that are raised with a breeder with other dogs do get love, but not the amount we give on a daily basis. Our little one has just blossomed in these few months, as I'm sure Molly will.

Morning cuddle time is the best!!!!! :hug:

Use of crates creates interesting results. Our Tibetian was crate trained and when we brought Ziggy home at 10 weeks he walked right into the crate we had set up in our bedroom. It was very effective for potty training and when he got older he often just wandered into his crate to sleep or hang out. Many dogs treat it like their 'den'. Our Havanese, however, never really loved the crate although he went into it easily whenever he was being shown. Potty training for Flash was easy cause since puppyhood he was liter trained (which is another subject entirely!).

Love that Molly will do her business on command. Sure will come in handy when the weather is bad!!! :eek:

I wouldn't be as interested in following this thread if it was about a baby. Maggie really won a place in my heart and now I am happy that Molly has a real home.I bet that in a few weeks you will feel that she has been there for a really long time. She is going to be so happy in such a loving home.

I have had both crate trained and regular house dogs. The current two travel in their crates only in the car. But they hate it. I just don't want loose dogs in the car. They do have their room (our breakfast room) when we're not home and we just say "go in" and they do. I had a gate made so they can see through - no closed door. however, they frequently leave evidence (fur, lick marks and stuffed toys) that they were on top of the glass table. My center pieces. The can see out the windows from there. I rarely see them there to scold them. The secret lives of dogs.

My last Cairn Terrier, Rosebud, needed the crate. She'd go in there all by herself - spend the night. I never used the door. But I could not use a baby gate to contain her in the house any where. She'd jump it. Even the one I had that was 40" high. She just got free reign. She was very hard to housebreak. i wouldn;t house break a dog without some way to confine them - gate/pen or crate. Once they're housebroken, they can have run of the house unless we're not home. This way, no accidents are possible.

Molly will get her routine - she just wants to please you!

Just catching up here, Andi. So glad Molly is enjoying her new home with you and Doug. Sounds like she is off to a good start.

Molly has been a very good girl today. She started barking in her cage at 4:15. I said, Sleepytime and she quieted down until 7:30. She started barking again and I said Sleepytime and she was quiet until 8am when I got her to take out. She has been good in her housetraining and hasn't known how to communicate with me well, so I am overwalking her and saying "out" alot.

She goes immediately and on command "Make". She eats well and I learned a new phrase of hers..."Do you want water?"

She loves to lick me all over which is a bit annoying because she doesn't stop. I had to teach her off the couch a lot today. And, walking on a leash is an experience. Instead of pulling, she just gets under my feet.

But, she is incredibly sweet and really well behaved considering the changes she has had since Saturday. She is following in big pawprints..Maggie was perfect except in the car. But she is a very funny pup and makes me think Doug is home and not away on business with her snoring! Thanks for all of your good wishes. Molly and I appreciate them.

Could you please send Molly down here to have a little chat with Flash about the Going On Command thing!?!?! ;)

Daisy goes on command but Gizmo doesn't need one. Bonnie - we always have to use the command with her and keep he r focused on why we have her out there. And if there is a squirrel or rabbit or even an airplane - you can forget it.

Are we going to see pictures soon?

Look at Doug's avatar...it's Molly. Also, we posted her pic under the Maggie thread.

Robert:

I think I already posted this shot.but here it is again. I will be coming home tomorrow & will try to take a few shots of this pretty girl.

Doug

What a face! Just want to reach out and hug her!

She is Beautiful. So glad you found each other.

Ok, because you asked.. here is a photo taken this afternoon (NY time).
We had a good vet visit. Molly is healthy.

She is also a kiss-o-matic.....sweet!




Doug