Advice needed - warning long post!!!

[fernando]

So I went to the pound and picked up the supposedly "quiet" dog, was fine all the way home with me in the car and when driving up our drive, my boyfriend was walking down, went into aggressive barking mode, so i calmed him down, introduced him to boyfriend and brought him in, he seems to have no lead training as he is all over the place.

As soon as we got in the house, he again, got his back up again for the cat, he seems to be seriously attached to me now (can I assume this is as he's been in the kennels for a while?) and after several walks around the garden is now in my kitchen waiting for me to come back in.

I understand its his first night away from the pound and in a strange environment and all but I have some worries:

I'm afraid he'll have another fit when my boyfriend comes home from work tomorrow, and also how do you go about training a 4 year old!>???

Also, is this normal behaviour for a rescue type??

 

[dozzie]

It's very early days. Give him time to settle. The trouble with rehoming is you have no idea what the dog has been through. He may be worrying that you are going to leave him like his last owners did. Introduce him to the people he needs to know gently. He just need to learn to trust you.


PS. Dozziesmummy's doggies are the best!!!!

 

[fernando]

i know your dogs are the best, but I had to take this one home as he was going to be pts.

I know its early days but when my parents got their rescue dog, he went and laid low and moped for a few days, this one won't leave my side, and also he is very strong so it makes it harder to try and introduce things slowly!!

 

[dozzie]

Try to get hold of a lupi. It worked wonders with my boy. Gives really good control. We had a resue dog that just spent the whole of the time running madly round the house, soiling everywhere etc. she was terrified of men, brooms, cyclists etc and was in really poor condition. With patience she settled and became a really lovely family dog.

Just give it extra time.

What breed/crossbreed is it? Some breeds take a lot longer. My mum and dad have rehomed german shepherds for years and with this breed it can take a long time to get them right. They get very attached to the people they know. One of their dogs took about 3 years to come to me even though I saw her every day!

(ps. re your sig. you really wouldnt want my dogs if you saw how much poo they produce!!!!)

 

[fernando]

he was surrendered to the pound, so I know pretty much nothing about him, but he is a collie X lab and is 4 years old (roughly).

Re: your babies - I can guarantee my horse produced more poo than your babies and i can still deal with that - go on send them over to me!!

 

[CAYLA]

This can be very normal behaviour for a rescue........if he has been in the kennels for a while it could have caused him to be a little hyper considering all the manic barking......the only socialising he would have had is someone feeding him and vast amounts of people walking by viewing all the dogs.....this can become very frustrating for dogs......not to mention where he came from before landing in the kennels.

It does not take long for a dog to become attached to the first contact in this case (you) I can take weeks for a rescue dog to become settled into a new family environment.

I know it is hard but try not to allow him to become overly attached and introduce a new routine as quickly as possible......I would get him a crate if he is acting a little funny with the cat.......afterall u may have to leave him for spells and it is better to be safe than sorry......he can also get used to the presence of the cat and vice versa through the safety of bars.

I would crate him ASAP as being in a enclosed kennel it will probably be easier to crate him without to much noise and distruption.....it will also stop any unwanted behaviour when left i.e chewing, messing.

He may not have had good experiences with males in the past so try to get him to assosiate your OH on a positive note with treats, allow your OH to feed him and walk him, he may be totally different when introduced off his lead and in a home environment......allow him to approach your OH and not the other way round, as he may feel a little threatened.

Its best not to expect to much to soon and think of joining a TRAINING CLASS, to socialise him and teach him some manors on the lead, maybe think of getting a halti, I dont use them but alot of people swear by them.

He may have been passed from pillar to post.....I am sure if u put the time in and give him a little time to settle he will be ok.

 

[filly190]

My friend had a rescue dog with similar behaviour. From the moment she got him, he guarded and protected her. The dog was fine with Tracey and her two boys, but once anyone else entered the house, all hell let loose.

She kept him for two months and insisted on some home visits so they could review the situation and see what was happening. Eventually after the dog had bitten two people they agreed to take him back and were quite rude and nasty with Tracey, as if blaming her.

She felt that the centre had not done the due care of assessing the suitability of the dog. They assured her that he had spent a week with one of the centres staff, going home with her at night times. In reflection this clearly was not enough. I apprecite the work the centres do, but with so many dogs and lack of foster trial homes and trails in real life situations, they can get it wrong.

I would say, be a little careful, give the dog a chance, and see how things go. Be mindful of my friends sad story, her intentions were the best, she was at home all day and had a home inspection before she was allowed to foster a dog.

 

[cheeryplatypus]

sounds normal for a rescue
i'd try to ignore him for a few days and not make too much fuss(not easy) if you are relaxed and calm he'll relax quicker into the 'pack', keep meal times regular and dont leave foor down for him if he decides to leave it, lift it up and represent later
good luck, i'm sure he just needs firm handling and some love