Hi from New Jersey.

pespejo427 · Nov 11, 2023

About six months ago, my beloved black lab, Pixie, passed. She had a wonder 13 years together. It took me a while to decide when I would get another dog. An opportunity arose when a friend told me that someone needed to re-home a dog. She showed me the picture and I immediately fell in love with my new family member - Piglet, a French bulldog. I have had her for four weeks now and have loved every minute. She is now 15 months old, but she acts like a puppy. It seems the person I got her from purchased her from a pet store that (probably) catered to puppy mills. It is also probable that she lived in a cage for most of her life, and she has never been potty trained. That person's sons told her she couldn't keep the dog as she has MS and already has a golden retriever. So, lucky me traveled over an hour to pick her up, and we headed right to the emergency vet. It seems she had a bout of giardia. We went home, and the fun began. She has finally has her booster and rabies shots, and I will bring her to be spayed in about a month. It seems when I got her she just finished her heat cycle. Piglet is learning to do her business outside - sometimes, but we are working on it. She is learning how to play, but only plays with toys for a few minutes before ignoring. She is currently on a prescription diet of science hill i/d. She doesn't like the dry food, so she is eating doctored Royal Canin, and I also have to doctor up the canned food as well. I am seriously thinking of going to homemade. Because she has been caged for so long, she is acting like a puppy. Just this week she has started to get up on the couch by herself and loves to snuggle with me. I am retired, so I am able to spend much time with her. I volunteer at my church, so when I have to go in, she comes along with me. I even bring her on Sundays, and she waits in the office until service is over. She has her own bed and toys there. Everyone loves her and comes to visit. Getting Piglet is one of the best decisions I have made.

2bullymama · Nov 11, 2023

Welcome to FBN! Piglet is adorable and so happy she found you!

potty training take a lot of patience especially with a potential puppy mill baby and a frenchie... they can be very stubborn!

As for food... the two you mention are not good foods at all, a lot of fillers and no real nutritional value. Homemade and/or raw would be best if you can and are willing. if not some high quality kibbles are Open Farm, Earthborn holistic, Zingnature, Orijen, Acana to name a few.

pespejo427 · Nov 11, 2023

Thanks for responding. Yes, my Piglet is definitely stubborn. The peeing is getting better. She knows to go outside, though sometimes she looks at me like, why do I have to? The other is more difficult. She is just coming off giardia, and finally the diarrhea seems to have stopped. Now she doesn't need to go as much, and it is much easier to clean up any messes. She is getting better at using the wee wee pads.

Not sure about raw, but I don't mind cooking for her. The prescription food is what the vet suggested. The dry food I am donating to the local animal league. I will keep the wet for now. When I had Pixie, I tried different foods. She never likes Orijen. I did give her Earthborn, then she got bored with it. Her favorite foods were Merrick and Blue Buffalo for wet and Halo for dry.

Your cutie and my cutie look like they could be siblings or related in some way.

2bullymama · Nov 12, 2023

Stay consistent with her., try to set a schedule for potty breaks since she is with you all the time, try doing potty time every 4 hours to get her on a schedule that works for you.
for food, if you are willing to cook then go for it, that is still much much better than any kibble out there

pespejo427 · Nov 12, 2023

Thanks. I have been taking her out every three-four hours and that does seem to work. Right now I am doctoring up the dog food that I have and will eventually transition to homemade.

2bullymama · Nov 13, 2023

pespejo427 said:
Thanks. I have been taking her out every three-four hours and that does seem to work. Right now I am doctoring up the dog food that I have and will eventually transition to homemade.

Great! keep us posted