So I spent a couple hours planning things out this morning, and I have compiled the following list of things I need to have, provided everything turns out ok at the vet:
food and water bowl
night-time crate
travel crate for car
harness
leashes (getting a buddy system)
dog brush
Steeler’s collar
id tags
kong toys
sleeping pad for crate
I really don’t intend to turn this into a stimulus package, so I am going to use one of my parents crates that they used for G&G. Is that ok? Or should I just break down and spend the money on a new one that has no scent?
Regarding feeding, what is the best way to feed a dog? Twice a day? Once a day? Should I feed her in her crate? Or should it be in the pantry with fatbody’s Tunch’s food and water machine?
Also, I checked Barnes and Nobles for books dealing with dogs with anxiety issues, and I really could not find very much. I did find these two books that looked worthwhile, but did not deal specifically with animals that have anxiety issues: the first was The Dog Listener
Finally, I’m thinking about trying the Comfort Zone
Laura W
Oh thank God. Nothing worse than dogs in the bed.
The cats resent it.
(Remember to get some Advantage. I get mine on eBay cheap for all of the kids, but your vet will want to sell you the pricey stuff. Frontline is useless. Trust me.)
John Cole
@Laura W: That isn’t why I am doing it. I think the crate will give her her own space and provide some stability.
mr. whipple
I must have missed something. Are you getting a crazy dog?
JoyceH
Monks of New Skete, highly recommended. I can’t address the anxiety issue, because nothing seems to make my Maggie anxious. But the crate is good, gives her a den to retreat to.
JK
How to be your dogs best friend is a good book. It is a little “new-agey” as one might expect written by a bunch of monks but it has some really valuable information. That being said it may depress you as they are under the impression that training begins right away as a 4 week old puppy and that a dog is set once they are 6 months old or so. Not a lot in there for dealing with older “problem” dogs but some info for sure.
I would feed twice a day and feed outside of the crate but not necessarily right next to fatties food dish or that may get eaten too.
IMO cleaning out a used crate with a little warm water and bleach is perfectly fine. I know nothing about the Comfort Zone. And yes night-time crating especially in the beginning is a great thing and then the dog will learn to not hate the crate too.
JK
Ughh “know” nothing
GReynoldsCT00
I’d get her a new crate with no scent since she is nervous…and give her dinner outside of it, my guess is she’d prefer dining al fresco, so to speak, so she can also stretch her legs a bit…
BSR
The crate will also save you a lot of damage and headaches if you need to leave her alone during the day. Provided it’s big enough there is no reason not to recycle an old crate. It should be big enough for the dog to stand up in and turn around without hitting the sides..
The Monks of New Skete are great, can’t go wrong there imo.
All meals and special toys should be given in the crate. Crate = happy happy fun time + treats is the effect you want. This can’t be stressed enough, all meals and special treats should be given in the crate, this is especially important in the first few weeks to establish the crate as her happy place.
I recommend Nylabone’s if she’s a chewer, your furniture will thank you for it. Be careful with Kong’s, my pup destroys them and eats them if left unattended and then I have to worry about them getting stuck in her intestines or something equally horrible.
GReynoldsCT00
oh, and get some puppy pads for accidents…
Laura W
@John Cole: That too. I crated Leah for the first few months and then she had her own bed in the living room. Has never slept in my bedroom.
Frankly, I’m not fond of dogs in bed for many reasons, not the least of which is because I plan to have at least one more intimate partnership with a human in this lifetime and I’m not about to try to convince a dog to give up their side of the bed. Or to spend any energy in reasoning with them to stay outside the closed door without whimpering and barking while Mommy and Daddy have “private time” (cue “Best In Show”.)
demkat620
That list seems to have everything covered.
Maybe a good dog shampoo, and toss that Stillers crap. But other than that, I think you’re good to go.
When is she coming home?
asiangrrlMN
John, I know nothing about dogs, but I just wanted to comment on how touched I am that you are being so thoughtful about this. It really warms my curmudgeonly heart.
mr. whipple, look down a few posts for “This could be the one” or something like that. John has been chosen by a rescue dog with some issues.
Robertdsc-iphone
Extra batteries for Tunch’s anti-gravity sled so he doesn’t have to suffer any indignities.
She needs her own Terrible Towel.
demkat620
Oh and where’s the love? No dog treats?
JL
All dogs need tennis balls. My moxie likes having a soft bed on the floor while watching tv.
Little Dreamer
A collar is a necessity, a Steeler’s collar is a desire.
As for the dog anxiety issues, I’d dump the books and spend that time you would have been reading sitting next to the poor thing while petting her and talking to her. Just talk to her like you would to anyone you cared about, it will comfort her and make her feel better. Getting her OUT of that shelter will be the most important thing, what are you waiting for?
I must say, my cat got lucky, I saved him from a hurricane, so he was removed from his hellish problem instantaneously, and we are best of friends now. He knows he was in a jam and I got him out of it.
plaindave
The Furminator is plenty brush-wise. Nothing else comes close.
Little Dreamer
@JL:
Tennis balls? BOB left one on the Obama Unemployment Mess thread.
MattF
You might try Jon Katz. He seems to have a clue about what’s going on (and not going on) inside dogs’ heads. And he’s a terrific writer.
JoyceH
Just FYI, the Monks recommend that dogs sleep in the bedroom but not on the bed. They say that something like 80% of the behavior problems that are brought to them are dogs who sleep outside the bedroom. Dogs are pack animals, so if you shut them out of where you’re sleeping, they feel punished and in disgrace with the pack leader. But then, if you let them sleep ON the bed, they start thinking they ARE the pack leader.
Laura W
and microchip, which you’ve probably already thought of. Your vet will offer it, surely, if the shelter hasn’t already chipped Lily. (Right? Lily.)
James F
One very good system for feeding your dog is to feed him/her twice a day, after their walk. This helps provide the dog with structure and reinforces the dog’s instinct of food as a reward for work.
Two other things which can be important: when feeding your new dog, have a snack first in front of them – the pack leader eats first. And second, when your dog is done eating, remove any leftover food. Dogs who are not the pack leader aren’t allowed to eat whenever they want, and dogs who are allowed to eat at will can develop dominance issues.
This is my first ever comment, so you don’t have to trust me, but I’m a foster for a NYC dog rescue, and these methods have worked well for me with rescue dogs.
Also, I wouldn’t recommend talking excessively to a rescued dog. The dog can’t understand you, but is conditioned to expect that when you are speaking to him, it is to communicate something. In my experience, talking excessively to a rescued dog will confuse and scare the dog. The best advice I can give you for having a rescued dog in your home is to pick a specific area of your home where the dog can be isolated and leave it alone for the first several days. Let it become comfortable in the environment and wait for it to seek you out before showering it with too much attention.
Steeplejack
Cole!
The Monks of New Skete are the bomb. That “Dog Whisperer” guy, not so much. His approach is a little too alpha and aggressive. Your dog–Daisy, I hope (I’m just getting home and checking in for the evening shift)–needs love, love, love. The Monks’ book is great.
Don’t know that you need all that other stuff right away. The Steelers tag, sure, of course. But maybe not the special travel crate–you can take her back and forth to the vet in the regular crate, unless it’s huge–or the Kong, since she’s traumatized and afraid. Don’t know if her first impulse will be to chase a big, flying piece of rubber on a rope. Maybe work up to that.
Quackers
If Tunch eats twice a day, then better do the same with the dog. She’ll demand to know exactly why you love Tunch and hate her if you don’t. A vinyl airline crate is nearly indestructible and they clean well. Your vet can get you some medicated shampoo for her rash and probably some antibiotics will clear it up. Give her lots of love and attention and she’ll be a different dog once she knows she’s in a forever home. Trust me, dogs know those things.
Brien Jackson
I’ve got a beagle with seperation anxiety issues. He loses his mind when I leave, and howls at the top of his lungs for a good 5-10 minutes when I get home. You can see him getting worked up when he knows I’m getting ready to leave. I haven’t found anything to fix it, and I’ve had him for 17 months now. On the other hand, he’s about the most loving dog you could ever wish for.
Jill Cahr
Congrats on the new pooch! If you have any questions on the accessory stuff, please feel free to contact us at happydogland.blogspot.com and we’ll be happy to let you know our thoughts (we just finished a book on dog care coming out this September, so we’re chock full o’facts). A few things off the top of my head, however: (1) make sure you get a brush appropriate for your dog’s coat (probably a slicker brush) and don’t cheap out on it (cheap brushes are both dangerous and annoying to use); (2) don’t assume that the kong is the way to go — at first, you may need to try a bunch of toys to see what she likes (she may prefer stuffed animals, or a frisbee, or a tennis ball — as a cat guy you know that tastes will vary (especially for a dog that’s been traumatized); (3) a trainer is a good idea — and don’t go for the “alpha dog mean trainer” stuff — a positive reinforcement type is your best bet; (4) try to be patient. It will be difficult. She’s been through a lot, and it will take a while. But you’re doing a good thing, and you will have a friend for life. Oh, and again let us know if you have any questions!
jacy
I know lots of people who swear by the Monks of New Skete. Never tried the books personally, but people I trust highly recommend them.
My dogs love stuffed animals. They’ll tear up anything else, but each of them has one stuffed animal they won’t destroy. My cattle dog Delphi has a pink kitty that she just adores. How you find a toy your dog will like/won’t destroy seems to be a matter of trial and error, just make sure it’s nothing that can hurt them if they DO chew it to bits.
My husband’s dog like wine bottle corks — won’t chew them up, just hordes them under his blanket. But he’s kind of a ditz.
Max
I would add:
1. Advantage/Frontline (depends on your area)
2. Heartguard
3. Organic food – I like Taste of the Wild or EaglePack
4. A baby gate. Great way to corral a dog in the bathroom or another not carpeted room, yet leave it so they are not locked away.
No greenies! No wet food! Dogswell has great all natural treats.
5. Sign up for obedience. I recommend beginner, good citizen and a really good recall class. The recall work has saved my dog from getting hit by a car and with enough practice, I was able to call him off a cat chase.
Not sure about the travel crate. I just throw my pooch in the back seat.
I free feed my dog because he only likes to eat around 11pm. I know, its bad, but that’s his deal. I wouldn’t feed in the crate, I use the kitchen.
gbear
The reviews of Comfort Zone in your link weren’t exactly stellar. Sounds iffy.
Some super low-tech advice. When I was growing up, we used to calm new pups with an old wind-up clock wrapped in a towel or blankie. The ticking could be calming. Don’t accidentally set the alarm.
Steve G
I’ll de-lurk for dog talk :)
I’ve got a fearful pound puppy and a fearful aggressive former stray, and I’ll just say if you go through with this, John, you’re about to make a friend for life. This dog is going to love you for saving her. Watching her get healthy and happy is going to be really rewarding.
Won’t go into the behavior issues my lads have, but I’ll say they’re manageable and that “On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals” by Turid Rugaas has helped quite a bit. We had a behaviorist come to evaluate our stray (he’s a biter) and she recommended it. Hopefully it’s not too earthy-crunchy for you but it’s a very observant introduction to dog body language — ways you can move around skittish dogs to put them at ease and cues you can learn to tell when they’re nervous.
John Cole
@Max: I picked up the forms for obedience school today. It starts on 29 June, which will give me a few weeks with her before we start. I think it should be enough time.
South of I-10
Laura W is right about the Advantage v. Frontline. I use Advantix on Hannah, it kicks flea butt.
Max
@John Cole: Cool! Don’t waste money on fancy training treats. Cheap hot dog bits work just as well, as does sauteed chicken livers, liverwurst and stinky cheese.
FoxinSocks
I second the need for stuffed animals. Not every dog likes them, but for many of my rescues, it’s like a binky and seems to comfort them.
John Cole
Also, I am making no food choices until the vet sees her and then I will go with what they recommend best fits her needs.
JoyceH
Hey, where does Tunch eat? My cats used to eat on the floor, but when I got a dog, I moved the cat bowls to the counter. Maggie still sometimes will snag a bowl off the counter, but not very often and at least they get first crack at it. If you leave cat food on the floor, the dog WILL eat it (cat food tastes many orders of magnitude better than dog food), and cat food is very fattening for dogs.
Agree with upthread recommendations for obedience training – and after that, for fun and exercise, look into agility training. Maggie puts up with obedience class, but her heart belongs to agility.
Laura W
@James F:
Do you think this applies to a dog like Lily who is about 4 (?) and is seemingly painfully shy and timid? Does a dog like that risk becoming dominant over a food issue in a new environment? I understand the over-talking point, but my dog is a small and picky eater. Her food will sit on the floor for hours most nights, and even overnight, if she’s not interested. I think so much of these “rules” are good, but I often wonder if there is not more leeway for various temperaments that dogs bring to the table, so to speak. I’m thinking Lily is gonna need a lot more confidence building than tamping down of any latent or currently dormant dominance issues.
TX Expat
I can’t speak to all of your plans for your new dog (what a cutie, btw), but I will briefly relate how my brother and his wife dealt with their dog’s anxiety.
Winston is a beagle and they adopted him the day before he was to be put down. He had been returned three times before he came to live with my brother so he had some major league anxiety issues. For example, every time they left the house he would tear up the blinds trying to see where they were going. This type of behavior went on for several weeks until they could convince him that they weren’t leaving him forever.
What they did to help him with this was to just be around him a lot (my brother has his own business and goes to school so he’s at home most of the day) and give him lots of attention. Also, if they have to go out of town I usually try to get up there to dog sit so he doesn’t have to go to doggy day care.
This has helped Winston immensely and he’s much more calm. They only feed him twice a day and don’t have him crate trained. They allow him to sleep in their bedroom but not in the bed. Although I will say that if I doggy sit, he does sleep with me and I usually wind up with about 2 feet of sleeping space, if he doesn’t push me off the bed altogether.
Congrats on the new dog, can’t wait to start seeing action pics/videos!
vickie leonard
Get calm about her anxiety –it will go away with time. She needs to feel that you, the pack leader, is calm and secure.
Raw fat carrots are great outdoor treats. When you’re not home, she needs to be in the crqate. Don’t put towels in the crate, she’ll just chew them up.
Sounds like she loves being outdoors with you so do that as often as you can. Water on dog food helps the digetion.
Go for it!
The Pale Scot
Put the crate in your bedroom to start for re-assurance, after that ya’ll work it out, all dogs are different; sometimes mine is on the bed snoozing by 8pm, sometimes i never see him until the morn’. sometimes I scoop him up off the coach in the middle of the night just so we can go thru the wake-up drill. “come on.. time to wake up!”.
and go get some freeze dried liver treats, they’re pricey, but’s puppy/kitty Krack.
JL
@Brien Jackson: Maybe the dog trainers will chime in, but Moxie had a few problems when I would leave and then return home. When she would throw a little tantrum in front of me, I would pick her up, stare intently and say no. She got the message. When I return home, she gets a treat. She’ll greet me at the door and then walk to the pantry and wait for her treat.
James F
@Laura W:
There is always leeway. My current foster, a six year old Peke, wouldn’t eat out of the bowl for the first week – I fed him by hand until I got him to eat from the bowl while I held it, and then from the bowl while I sat next to him. It took about three weeks for him to eat from his bowl without me being right there.
At the same time, it only took him another week or two before he tried to become dominant and rule my apartment. Naturally, all dogs are different, and Pekes in particular (and males in particular) are more dominant than most.
So I would say that you should tailor whatever you do to your individual dog, and to their needs, but at the same time understand that they will be happiest if given structure and a firm understanding of their place in the pack. Some dogs who are picky eaters when they feel they have to decide for themselves when to eat become reliable bowl cleaners when they understand that this is feeding time and they are expected to eat. But not all dogs will respond that way.
Max
Note about housebreaking and chewing….
It’s a pain in the a$s, but some day, it will end.
There is no more satisfying feeling then when you finally get to the point where you can leave your dog in the house out of the crate and come home to no chewed shoes and no accidents. I literally did a happy dance when I reached this stage with my Max. Now, I take him with me when traveling and if I go out, he hangs on the bed in the hotel and watches/listens to tv.
When I’m out for a length of time, either at home or traveling, I always leave the tv on for him.
maye
1. Since she’s got that rash, wait and ask the vet before you buy anti-flea stuff. Also, ask about heartworm meds.
2. I love the Monks of New Skete. I visited their monastery in upstate New York years ago. They know dogs better than most.
3. The Comfort Zone thing sounds silly.
4. Keep her food away from the cat’s food. You have no idea what kind of feeding “issues” she will have until you get her home.
Good Luck!
JimPortlandOR
I can’t recommended highly enough the National Geographic series The Dog Whisperer I was the alpha dog for two 90 lb Lab. Retrievers long before the series was available, and I sure wish I had what Cesar Millan offers as visible examples of making a dog into a civilized partner. The shows are now available on Hulu.com as well (free). The fifth season is now available, but earlier seasons are available on DVD (I’d check Netflicks for rental).
Casar Millan makes a compelling case (backed by lots of studies of dog pack behavior) that either you or the dog will be the alpha dog in your pack. You don’t want the dog to win that position, and the present fear your pooch displays can turn into dominance very easily. This is especially important with the presence of Tunch. Neither can dominate, and its your job to ensure this.
Other stuff: some dogs like to fetch, and others don’t. You will learn soon which is true. If the dog likes fetching and returning, then I’d add to your list of things to get: a hard (solid) rubber ball about the size of a tennis ball. Pet shops often have them in several sizes. They are perfect because they are indestructible, bounce well, and cleanup well.
Good luck to you with your new friend. Initially you will have to work on establishing the basis for a long relationship, but the early investment pays off.
maye
Oh, and I agree with all of the above re keeping the sleeping crate in the bedroom. She needs to be part of your “pack.”
The Other Steve
As far as the crate goes… Check your local farm supply store. We purchased a Larger wire cage for about $40 and the pad for $15. Same thing at a pet store was $120.
Also, you will probably want a small blanket to toss over the crate. Makes it feel more cozie and keeps the drafts out. Not to cover the whole thing, just the back, top and sides leaving the door open. Until the dog is house broken, you will want to keep her in the crate when you are sleep and away. This will keep her more comfortable and out of trouble.
Putting the cat food up out of reach is a good idea. cat food tastes better then dog food as it has more fat in it. With our dachshund it was easy, I just mounted a one foot wide shelf to the wall about two feet off the ground. Don’t know about other dogs that can jump.
Skepticat
I am so impressed by your organizational skills.
If my experience is any guidance, I’d skip the Comfort Zone. The only comfort provided seems to be to the company’s bottom line.
Will there be a Lily-cam?
The Other Steve
One more thing… you may want to keep her in a seperate room from the cat and keep the door shut until they get used to one another.
Shibby
Some dogs like to raid your cat’s litter box for treats. Disgusting, but something to plan for by relocating it to a place out of the dog’s reach or blocking off the room.
Blue Neponset
Liverwurst. Best dog treat ever. Nice & stinky and they love it.
Get metal bowls. The plastic ones can be a germ breeding ground.
We feed our dog twice a day. Don’t know if it is “right” but that is what we do damn it! Awesome tip from our vet…..add green beans to the dog food to lighten the calorie count while still keeping the belly full.
We did everything wrong when we got our dog but he still turned out to be the best dog ever.
Anne Laurie
Oh, jeesh — totally forgot the Kitty Biscuits problem!
Tunch’s water machine can stay where it is, although you may want to give Lilly her own water bowl (at least at first) in case she’s afraid to use Tunch’s. However, Tunch’s food bowl will need to be moved where Lilly can’t reach it… cat food is irresistable even to well-behaved dogs who’ve never been hungry, and rescue dogs can be *insanely* driven to snarf down anything that approaches edibility (sandwich wrappers, coffee grounds, used kleenex, whole corn cobs… ). And apart from Tunch’s indignation, cat food really isn’t a good regular diet for dogs. Tunch will need to adapt to eating his food off a surface Lilly can’t reach (like a kitchen counter), or else get used to twice-daily feedings where you can supervise & make sure Lilly can’t shove Tunch away from the bowl. Also, if your kitchen trash can isn’t too tall for Lilly to get into, too heavy for her to knock over, or stashed inside a cabinet, replacing it before you bring her home would be helpful.
At the other end of the food cycle… dogs are scavengers, cats are inefficient digesters (there’s plenty of energy value in feline scats) so… let’s just say, Lilly will need to be kept away from Tunch’s litter box. This is another very, very good reason for crating Lilly when you’re not home & using the Buddy System “umbilical cord” when you are.
Apart from that, a clean used crate will be just fine for Lilly. Depending on what the vet tells you, feeding her twice a day in her crate will reassure her that she’s in a happy place where she can rely on regular meals.
Carol Benjamin’s Second-Hand Dog is a fast read full of good advice, and her general training book Mother Knows Best is also well worth reading. Patricia McConnell has good advice on helping anxious, fearful dogs recover.
kommrade reproductive vigor
Make that crate Tunch-proof.
And good luck.
Laura W
@James F:
I understand all too well with a 10-yr-old Aussie Cattle Dog who has shared her life with 8 cats at this point. She knows that I lead, the cats come next, and she pulls up the rear. I’ve just never had any food issues with her – not any aggression toward me ever if I touch her food or interrupt her, and one of the first things I taught her was that when the cats wanted to eat out of her bowl, she had to wait for them to back away before she could eat. I may get slammed for that, but I was paranoid that she’d get aggressive with the cats and harm them so I made sure that she knew that just wasn’t gonna work out so well in her new house.
I think it’s impossible to generalize training methods for dogs so I’m gonna shut up and go wait for the hockey. I think in many ways they are just as unique and individually neurotic for all of their idiosyncratic foibles as we two-leggeds are.
JimPortlandOR
Here’s another Cesar Millan link to his (not Nat. Geo) own site http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/index.php
gbear
Man, this is starting to sound like a cage death match. Who Will Survive the ultimate battle of inherited behaviours at Casa Cole!?
Laura W
@gbear: LOL.
maye
You’re getting too much advice. Just buy the Monks’ book and follow their suggestions to the letter.
Ben
A crate didn’t work for us real well. Then again, Conan is a 120 pound Great Dane.
He did fine with a bed in the living room. We keep his food in the kitchen, but what has worked well is to feed the cats first. That way he kind of learns their the “alpha” animal, or whatever. He respects them. He leaves them alone, and they leave him alone — Buddy, the friendliest of two, actually plays with him some.
See what your trainer says, but a pinch collar — not a choke collar — has worked really well for us. I know a lot of people hate them, but I just jangle the thing now, and it works.
Linkmeister
I don’t see “Microchip” on your list.
KRK
Given how anxious this dog is already, have you thought about changes you’ll need to your own activities to protect her from being stressed out by “John is mad” vibes (to say nothing of the potential for yelling and/or throwing things)? What I’m asking is…are you prepared to give up cable “news” programs?
patrick
I have a similar situation with a rescue dog with anxiety issues. I’m pretty sure that she was abused by whatever f*cksnap had her first.
We did put her in obedience training, and that helped a lot – but much of that was teaching US how to be good dog parents
My experience with Fanny is that there are few behavior issues that aren’t solved with lots of love, attention and taking her for regular walks.
The sleeping situation was the hardest thing for us to settle in with. We tried crating her in several different places in the house, and she would howl and whine and scratch for hours – it made us all miserable. We finally solved it by giving her an old bathrobe of my and letting her sleep on the back (covered, screened in) porch. She’s happiest out there.
All of us being deliberate and mindful and consistent has done wonders for Fanny. It took some time, but she’s a fully vested member of the family now.
And for the record, the menagerie consists of one dog (Fanny – still kind of twitchy), one cat (Lucy – fat, lazy), three hermit crabs (Huey, Dewey, Louie – surprisingly little trouble), two chipmunks that live right outside my office door (Chip and Dale – incredibly cute) and one rabbit who lives in the yard (Bill – practically tame).
asiangrrlMN
Open Pen/Wings thread?
JaneAustin
You don’t need an “unscented” crate. It’ll smell like her soon enough. :)
Once you find out if she likes balls, I will donate a Huck Ball to this effort.
They are indestructible, they float and they bounce unpredictably.
Second-hand Dog is a good book for raising a rescued dog.
Jason Tondro
Long time reader, first time caller. Congrats on your dog! My wife works for the local Humane Society and she agreed that it sounds like this little guy really needs a home.
We feed our two dogs twice a day. Your ability to keep the dog’s food near the cat’s food of course depends on the pets keeping to themselves and not stealing from each other’s dishes. However, by all means, give the dog a chance to eat outside of his crate if you can. If Tunch eats all his food right away, your new dog won’t be tempted by the catfood. We have one dog who is the most restrained eater I have ever known; he leaves his food alone for as much as a day before eating. Hopefully you won’t have that problem, and you can count on normal behavior for a dog: highly food motivated! Remember that it is usually right before or after eating that the dog is going to need to go outside, so feeding him in the crate is a little non-intuitive.
In our experience, you can use an old crate for a new dog. He really won’t care after the first few minutes. That said, we tend to like to let our dogs sleep wherever they want to and the crate often does not last once the dog is house trained. Of course, other families keep using the crate throughout the dog’s life. Whatever fits your home.
My wife found the Dummies Guide to Golden Retrievers to be perfect when we got our first dog, and they may do one that is either more general or for anxiety-prone dogs. You seem to be taking the right approach: patiently giving the dog time to adjust. Follow your instincts and you and your dog should do well.
I’m afraid I can’t speak on the “Comfort Zone.” I will, however, note that your webcomics ads rock and more than compensate for Pam Anderson or the Mystery Meat ads.
Cheers,
JT
Kathi
I’ve used Comfort Zone for my dogs, who are both afraid of t-storms. The older dog is so afraid of them that I used to have to give her doggie downers at the first sign of a storm, then her age and the downers started worrying the vet.
I found it works pretty well but I have better luck spraying it on bandanas and putting them on the dogs than with the stuff that plugs into an outlet. That way they don’t have to be confined to one room. You have to refresh the scent on the bandanas every 4-5 hours.
Sirkowski
Give the dog some Celexa, it works for my anxiety… :p
Seth
First, not Cesar Milan. I don’t want to start a whole thing, but his methods are explicitly not backed by scientific studies.
My girlfriend’s a dog trainer. She recommended “Help for Your Fearful Dog: A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Your Dog Conquer His Fears” by Nicole Wilde.
DAP collars are better than the plugin and work better the younger the dog. The collar has to be snug, because it’s activated by body heat. No concerns about addiction.
Same crate is fine.
Feed twice a day.
The Saff
Good for you, John, for considering a rescue! You’re a dear soul for that.
As for cat-dog interaction, we have to keep our cats’ food on the kitchen table to keep it away from the dog. The dog doesn’t bother the cats’ Fresh Flow drinking fountain but he loves their food. So we have to keep it away from him.
And good luck! I look forward to video and more pictures.
Cats and dogs are so awesome.
You Don't Say
I didn’t read through all the comments so forgive me if someone else mentioned any of the following.
1. Find out what she’s been fed at the shelter and feed her that until you take her to the vet or decide on a new food on your own. I rescued a dog a couple years ago and she immediately got terrible diarrhea because she was unaccustomed to the food I was feeding her. If and when you do make a change in the food do it gradually, mixing in old food with new food until you’re feeding all new food.
2. I let that dog sleep on my bed for awhile and had read that it’s hooey that letting a dog sleep in your bed makes he or she become too dominant. But as soon as I banished her from my bed to a doggie bed in the bedroom her personality became much more manageable.
3. As for when to feed: I grew up with a dog we fed once a day and he was fine with it. I fed my rescue dog twice a day because she absolutely loved eating. So whatever works for the new dog will be fine.
Best of luck! And congratulations!
PS I put the cat’s food on table in the kitchen so the dog couldn’t eat it. (Not the eating table, but a small table I kept other things on.)
JenJen
OK, seriously, those books are crap. Don’t get them. You won’t need them. You have a blog-full of cultist followers who are dog-savvy and will help you every step of the way, and we’ll be able to zero in on all the oddities not covered in those crap books. Lucky dog, you are!
Kong Toys!! On the right track for a nervous little girl. Slather peanut butter on the inside of the cone-shaped toy. Or cram a few pieces of her normal kibble into the saucer-shaped toy with three holes for treats. Kong Toys are the ultimate dog therapy tool. She needs to work, and she will work on those things for hours.
Feed twice a day. And don’t make the mistake I did, thinking Hill’s Science was good food… start her on the actual good stuff, and stick with it. I like both Innova )fatty but loads of protein if you’re really going to get out there and run) and Merrick personally, and am now on strictly Merrick (we’ve slowed down through the years), about 1/4 cup dry + 1/2 can wet once per day per <50 lb dog. When I finally got talked into buying good dog food from my vet, it was astounding how quick both my dogs rebounded. Shiny coats, pleasant demeanor, smaller turds! Buy the good stuff and always feed TWICE a DAY. Avoid the once-a-day mass feeding and you’ll likely escape bloat.
Anne Laurie
I think this is better advice for fostering dogs than for Lilly’s situation, where she’ll be living with John forever. Since they already like each other — “Missy” specifically appealed to John to rescue her — what she needs most is the reassurance that the Cole apartment is not just another “hotel”, but a place where she can relax & trust John to protect her & tell her what she needs to know. She does need plenty of down time, which is where the crate comes in, but when John is around, she needs to be reassured that he’s on her side. The Umbilical-Cord theory really helped our two most recent rescue dogs settle down & adapt, even though they had diametrically opposed “issues” — Zevon was a chronic runaway who needed to learn that he didn’t have to expend all his energy hunting for an escape route, and Sydney was a fearful, “incurable” house-soiler who needed to re-learn normal dog fastidiousness & be reassured that I “had his back” in a world full of perceived threats. I just wish I’d known to use an umbilical cord when our late beloved Candy-Mouse came to live with us — she was a retired show dog (too submissive to finish her championship) who’d spent most of her first 4 years being passed between professional handlers & it took her *forever* to be sure that ours was her permanent home. She never did get over being worried whenever we brought out the suitcases, or if we took her to dog-show-like functions (we had to give up on obedience classes), although she lived very happily with us for 12 more years.
Of course it makes a difference that all our dogs were Papillons, who are small dogs and not usually “dominance monsters”. Lilly seems like she’s more on the Too Submissive end of the scale, from what John’s said so far.
gex
Last August I got my first dog. What has worked out well for me:
1) Idiot’s Guide to Positive Dog Training (I know, I know. But my vet recommended it. And I like positive training over punishment training).
2) Crate at night in the bedroom. Let the dog in your den but not in your bed.
3) Feed 2x a day. Breakfast is at 6AM, morning walk at 6:30. Dinner at 5:30 PM, evening walk at 6 PM.
4) When he first came home I took him out every two hours until I was sure he knew where he was supposed to do his business. After that, I stopped the schedule and let him signal me.
And I still think you should get the seat belt harness for the car. But I will shut up about that one now.
dana
The crate should be the dog’s room, a safe place that the dog can go and rest and get away from people when it needs to. The crate in which we kept our dog stayed in the living room for the entirety of the dog’s life, and we almost never shut the door after the first few months. She just liked it.
We would feed the dog a determined amount of kibble per day, but the food would be left out at all times. This worked for us, but some dogs will wolf down their food instead of grazing at it. The dog ignored the cat food but the cat sometimes stole from the dog’s dish. It didn’t seem to hurt him, but with Tunch you might want to watch.
Michael D.
Hey John:
You are WAY over-thinking this. All you need is:
– food
– 6 ft leash and collar
– bowls (get the ones that are raised off the floor for comfort)
– Chew toys
– Pet health insurance (seriously, $50 per quarter – great deal!)
– Love, and
– a FURminator
You will never regret the FURminator. And finally, PLEASE do not put your dog in a crate. She’s in a crate already where people take care of her with the bare minimum. She should NOT be in a crate in her home.
The Saff
I wasn’t keen on having the dog sleep in our bed at first but gradually, I lightened up about it. And it now helps that we have a king sized bed.
CaseyL
Except for a beagle when I was a kid, I’ve only had cats, so I won’t offer any advice, per se. Just a book recommendation: The Hidden Life of Dogs, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas.
It’s an amazing book because Thomas considers dogs to be sovereign beings equal in value to humans, so her observations of dog and pack behavior are anthropological in tone (actually, she is an anthropologist) . Among other things, she talks about hierarchy issues, and how insecure dogs react to changes in hierarchy. It’s a fascinating, heartbreaking, incredibly compassionate look at dogs.
(There is also a sequel, The Social Life of Dogs, in which she allows her dogs to become a true pack, without human interference or even much human contact, to see what truly ‘natural'[ dog behavior is.)
Best of luck with the new girl!
dewberry
She may be much less anxious than you think. I adopted a shelter dog (well actually several) when I used to work there. One dog shook and shook and shook and cowered her way completely into my heart. I thought she was a nervous wreck.
But it turned out she really wasn’t; once acclimated (and it didn’t even take very long) she was sweet and sociable. Turned out she was even a barker, which I wouldn’t have thought from the way she wouldn’t say a peep at the shelter.
The cats quickly established their dominance (swipes to the nose) and she took her place in the household just fine. We all still miss her.
JenJen
@Michael D.: I’ve had Aussie Shepherds and mutts galore, and they all slept in a crate at the end of my bed. Still do. They’re fine and well-adjusted.
It depends on you, John. If you want her to sleep in the bed with you, as many do, you can forego the crate. If you don’t want that, get a crate. It’s really quite simple. And in my experience dogs are quite content in their crates at home. Dogs are den-animals by nature and the crate gives them their own little piece of your larger home. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, and vets love it, as do owners like me. I’ve always lined the crate with a nice blanket, and their favorite toys. They, to this day, hang out in their crates even when I’m just piddling around the house.
gex
@James F: I’ve got the walk and food switched around, which I know I shouldn’t. Walk then food is definitely a better idea.
Michael D.
Seriously, please don’t crate the dog – UNLESS you are planning on keeping the door open all the time so she can just have a safe place to go that belongs to her.
The ONLY time I ever put my dog in a cage was when she was young and we were remodeling and there was dangerous stuff on the floor. Never before or after that.
Crate training is not good training. It is a lazy way to train a dog and plays on the dog’s distaste for defecating or urinating in its space. You can accomplish that more humanely.
And that is all I will say about that.
Michael D.
@The Saff: I would never let my dog sleep in my bed.
Na.
Ga.
Ha.
Pen.
South of I-10
Uh oh, I have a baby mockingbird out of the nest in my backyard. It seems to have survived the fall unscathed. All of my animals are inside – will Mama Mockingbird collect her young, or do I need to intervene? There are two very agitated mockingbirds back there right now, making it very difficult to water my plants.
gex
Oh, and many dogs find cat poop irresistible. You may need to plan how to keep her out of Tunch’s litter box.
g-rant
I want to highlight this, ’cause it’s true! Avoid the Dog Whisperer. He’s way too old school and believes that dogs are little wolves. Their not; 10,000 years of selective breeding has made them “dogs”. Find a vet you trust and go with their advice.
maya
Several posters have made comments about possible chewing and destruction issues if you have to leave your dog at home alone. Had this problem with the family shepherd many years ago.
Leave a radio on when you have to leave her for long periods. Preferably a talk show station or news program. The sound of a human voice around worked wonders on our dog and the chewed up pillows and ripped clothing stopped completely. Also helps burglar-proof your home/ apartment.
cs
One thing to consider is raw feeding. I’ve had very good luck with this.
Neither of my dogs get typical dog food any more. The aussie gets pork bones every night, while the big dumb black lab / newfie mix gets beef. The aussie prefers food she has to work on for a couple of hours while the lab really just wants to be lazy and get her meat sans bone, though she’ll gnaw on the stripped bones that the aussie leaves behind.
Anyways, this has had some interesting effects on both of them. Neither one of them have the typical doggy smell, other than the odors of whatever the hell they got into while on the daily hike with me. i’ve had the groomers comment on how unusually good their coats are. And most interestingly they’ve completely abandoned their previous typical doggy greediness about food. With normal dog food, they’d wolf down everything in sight and were always begging for more. Now, they’re much calmer about food and begging has almost completely stopped.
I’m not a fanatic about it, like some of the raw feeding fans out there, but thought I’d mention it as an option since no one else has. The only drawback I’ve seen so far is the sometimes 5-10 minutes of pure insanity after dinner, when they get a protein rush and have no idea what to do with themselves. Though this doubles as free entertainment, so not really a big problem.
Kennedy
You may not want to do this right away since your new pup has anxiety issues, but in the long run, ditch the harness and get one of those scary looking metal prong (choke) collars. They look worse than they actually are for the dog.
I have a Boston Terrier who has more energy than I know what to do with most of the time, and she was always a pain to take for a walk, regardless of what type of leash solution I tried. When the choke collar goes on, she knows she can’t pull her usual shenanigans, and a perpetual game of tug-of-war turns quickly into a leisurely walk.
I also see no problem in crating the dog, especially one that is as anxious as you describe. The key is creating the crate as a secure environment for the dog. If you aren’t going to crate the dog while you’re gone, then you definitely at least need to restrict the dog’s movement somehow (perhaps by baby gate, as suggested above). A lot of dogs go nuts having free range of a house while you’re gone, and a crate/gated area can actually create a feeling of security in your absence.
JenJen
@Laura W: Well, you do have an Aussie Cattle Dog, so you are blessed from the get-go. :-)
It is so much easier to raise a smart dog, is it not?
@Michael D.: After the Puppy Year, I’ve always left the crate door open. It’s their house. They enjoy it. Calling it inhumane strikes me as hyperbolic, honestly. I’ve raised a few champions in my time, well-adjusted, socialized, abundantly happy dogs and always the pride of the Vet’s Office, and I really do think an open-crate policy is still the best way to go, especially if you don’t plan to sleep with your dog. YMMV, obvs.
bodacious
So if you really go off the deep end, like this dog-owner, you can start making your dog food. I did that back in the Chinese Dog-food taint scare. I make “Spot’s Stew” once a month. Costs about $5, and my pooch suddenly conquered her 5 year ear infection. Chicken, barley, oats, carrots, sweet potato, squashes, green beans, and most other vegies needing to be cleaned out. I can lick my fingers if I touch it, mmmmmmm. Just 1/3 cup, frozen in a muffin tin, per meal.
No other advice, you’ve gotten enough. Just pictures PLEASE!
Spork
The best book we used for training our lab was “Good Owners, Great Dogs” by Brian Kilcommons. Lots of common sense advice that has kept our boy well behaved for over 10 years now. He’s a lab who knows where we keep his food, can get to it if he wants, but has never tried to; he also doesn’t eat other people’s food off their plate or table — anything on the ground, however, is fair game. We owe it all to that book.
Best advice: Don’t play tug of war or let her chew on anything resembling what you don’t want her to chew (e.g., no toys that look like shoes), at least until she’s old enough to know what’s a game and what’s not.
Congratulations on the new pooch!
You Don't Say
@gex: Oh, yes, yes, yes, forgot that part. I had an extra bedroom so I put the litter box in there and put up a baby gate that the cats could jump but my aged rescue couldn’t. Then one day I had left the gate down for some reason and came back to find the dog halfway inside the covered litterbox. I screamed and she jumped five feet in the air with the litter lid on her. I wish I had filmed it.
JenJen
@cs: Another Aussie-afficionado?
We used to keep our Aussies on a firm BARF (bones and raw food) diet on the farm, but when I became a suburban, it just wasn’t as manageable.
But really I only replied to tell you that Aussies are the best dogs ever ever ever. :-)
wrb
for Mary, from previous thread
inter-species canoodling (Jimmy and his fawn)
here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2274&id=1763191919
Marge
Sometimes a rescue dog is so grateful there are not very many issues. So you could get lucky.
The monks books are great. And mostly, they say not to leave your dog alone. I take mine with me as much as possible. They get used to different people and once they get socialized you will have a much better dog. But ofcourse, it is impossible to keep her with you 24/7. A crate is a necessity. I also recommend an X-pen. You can clip the crate to it and it gives her a room of her own. Feed in the X-pen, put some toys in it, and give her a treat when you are leaving her alone. Tell her you will be back. Use a word like “wait”. It does not mean the same as “stay” and she will learn what it means if you do it consistantly. In fact, consistantcy is the name of the game. If you dog is confined to her pen when you are gone, you won’t come home to poop on the floor or torn up stuff all over the house.
Lot’s of luck. A good dog really is your best friend.
Anne Laurie
A thot on flea treatments: John, your vet will be your best guide, but unless you know your apartment building has a flea problem, I wouldn’t use them on Lilly at all until you find out if they’re necessary. She *will* need heartworm protection, and since she’s relatively small, it’s cheaper (safer) to keep her on the chewables all year round & not have to do a blood test every spring. And she’ll need a Preventic collar or other anti-tick treatment between April or May and November. But the Advantage-type flea treatments can give small dogs with sensitive skin worse rashes than even their flea allergies… it’s like us humans balancing our nasal allergy symptoms against antihistimine side effects. Depending on what the vet says, at least at first, Lilly won’t be spending a lot of time with other dogs or running around outside by herself, so her potential for exposure is limited.
Also, if the vet agrees, giving her brewer’s yeast will help make her “invisible” to fleas & improve her coat quality at the same time. (We use Edge, which some dogs love & some don’t, because we’re lazy.) Poor girl is going to have to get used to you bathing her regularly anyway, and since you’re a fanatic pet-groomer, the Furminator will let you know if Lilly were to pick up a stray flea, at which point she gets a tea-trea-oil or pennyroyal bath to remove the offenders.
The body-mass issue means that small dogs really have *much* worse sensitivity problems, more often than their larger counterparts, with the strong chemical systems. Just as human infants can’t just take scaled-down doses of adult medications, dogs under 25 pounds can’t always be treated as half-sized versions of a Labrador or a Golden Retriever. YMMV, but since Lilly will be an only dog, good diet combined with regular baths should be enough to keep her flea-free and healthy until (unless) you find out differently.
Tara the antisocial social worker
I second (third, whatever) the suggestion of obedience school – it trains both you and the dog.
And the first thing to teach her is that she has to sit before being fed. (Just hold a treat over her nose and move it backward; she’ll follow the treat and move into a sitting position naturally.) This gets into her head that if she wants something, from you, she should sit for it (as opposed to jumping on you or something).
My border collie continues to go to her crate when she wants a nap. She also likes to curl up under my desk; she likes den-sized spaces. The lab, on the other hand, stopped going into the crate once we left it open. Of course, he was moose-sized even then.
Stacy
I tend to go with the “alpha dog” training, because with my dog (also a rescue dog) it’s what’s worked best with her. She’s a Shepherd, so she has a strong desire to be the alpha. I don’t like the Dog Whisperer though, because he uses physical force. Some dogs will catch on to this and it can cause problems in the future, when they see the hand coming they will think it’s to restrain them, and they may lash out and bite. But I think it is important, especially with an anxious dog, to let them know you are the leader, and essentially tell them “You don’t have to worry about this, it is not your job to worry about this”. This can be done through vocal corrections.
She will need love and cuddles to help her settle in (lots and lots!), but you want to make sure you aren’t rewarding her anxiety by doing it, because then she will feel that she should feel anxious. Try to get her to come to you, or sit, if she knows that, and then lavish attention on her instead of just going up to her if she seems nervous and petting and praising her. This way she gets love, but will think it’s for the obedience rather then the anxious feelings.
A lot of people that deal with separation anxiety make this mistake, they will pamper their dog right before they leave the home, which essentially rewards their dog for worrying about them when they leave (which is where separation anxiety stems from).
@ Brien Jackson:
Our dog had really bad separation anxiety as well. Alpha training helps with this. Basically he thinks that he’s alpha, and feels that he has to protect his “pack”, you. So when you leave, he gets frustrated. So you need to let him know that he doesn’t have to do this, that you worry about him, not the other way around. Anyway, after doing passive dominance (you make the dog do something for you before they get attention, like sit, come, etc), we used walkie talkies and a baby monitor for our dog, we would “leave” the house, and if she started to howl or bark, we would give her a correction (whatever you use to tell them to stop what they are doing) through the walkie talkie. It worked with my dog after a few “sessions” of this.
Oh, you can get tougher Kongs for excessive chewers.
Jager
Spend the money on a set of stainless steel bowls, we have a set that is over 15 years old…2 GSDs have beat the hell out of the them and I dumped the stand after the first few months. I wipe out the food bowl, stick in the dishwasher.
I hate crates, Straka has his spots, next to the bed, in the den next to the day bed, on the tile floor by the front door when he is hot, etc. He moves around according to his moods.
House breaking is really easy with a pup, tougher with an older dog…it involves 2 things, walking after feeding, and keeping an eye on them with a cop like eye ..see the squat, a firm no! And out the door immediately. They get it. No nose rubbing, god dammit! And pick up after your dog!
I love my dog, I talk to him all the time…the down side is they can learn a bunch of words, now we have to spell some so he doesn’t get wound up about words like “out”, “car’, “ride”…he goes nuts with “park”, “boat”, “pool” its the price you pay!
On the alpha thing, somebody has to be in charge!
BSR
Paul Owens is the real dog whisperer. Here is his website.
http://www.dogwhispererdvd.com/
Cesar Milan does have his good points and applications, mostly aggressive or dominant dogs, but he treats EVERY issue as a dominance issue, and a lot of issues are not dominance related. I don’t think Cole’s dog is going to have dominance issues, probably the opposite from the sound of it. I would not recommend Cesar Milan type techniques with a timid dog fresh from a shelter.
He represents a very old style of dog training dressed up to seem more humane and gentle than it really is, but if you look closely he is mostly forcing the dog to comply, or using a behavioral therapy technique called “flooding”, which really means scaring the shit out of the dog until it stops responding.
That said, there are a few Cesar Milan rules that are good ones to adopt early and enforce religiously;
-Dog never crosses a doorway before you.
-Dog does not go ahead of you when walking, you lead always.
-Dog is not allowed in the kitchen when food is being prepared.
-Dog is not allowed near you when you are eating.
Allowing a dog to sleep in your bed is a hard thing to decide on. I allow my dog in my bed, but only when I give her permission and only at my feet. She has her own couch next to my bed for nights when I don’t want her keeping me up and she’s ok with that too.
Notorious P.A.T.
That hasn’t been my experience at all.
Zuzu's Petals
This is just the most endearing post.
What a lucky pup.
trollhattan
Dogs differ so vastly it’s impossible to sift through all the recommendations and techniques to find what’s applicable, but among them you’ll certainly find some that work with Daisy.
See? I’ve decided on Daisy.
Since she’s not a pup she’ll be somewhat set in her ways and regrettably you have to presume she’s had zero training, much less the full attention of a human. But that’s not to say she can’t adjust to a routine, which she’ll desperately need. Dogs love routines, and a dog’s #1 job is to walk.
The crate might well provide a safe haven, so give it a go. I wish mine had a crate anytime there’s fireworks or lightning, because then she doesn’t feel safe *anywhere*.
One tip I don’t see above is to keep her on leash with the leash attached to your belt whenever you’re home with her. Just go about your day and make her follow you around. This gets her to focus her attention to you at all times and learn very quickly you’re alpha (Tunch will have to adjust). You can fade this with time but only as she shows the inclination to stick with you off leash. It will also help her get used to being on leash. I suspect once she adjusts to her new, vastly reduced pack her real personality and quirks will come forth. Only then will you know what sort of doggie you’re dealing with. Right now her traits and quirks are well and truly suppressed because she’s in survival mode.
Agree on the 2X/day food, and keep her out of the cat food. Dogs need a fraction of the protein cats need, but they’re helplessly drawn to cat food. I hope I don’t need to mention litterbox treats. Don’t worry about food variety. Dogs do best with just one food and believe me, will never turn up their nose at it cat-style unless they’re sick.
Mazel Tov!
JenJen
@Jager: Yes! Stainless steel water and food bowl. Best advice this thread yet!
Damned at Random
SOuth of I-10
I tried returning a mockingbird to the nest once and was attacked by both parents- one hit my head and drew blood. I finally just put it on a low branch. The baby was dead in the driveway the next morning.
No good answers here.
HRA
Tiki was a gift to us last year from our children and grandchildren. He came with all the necessary dog supplies and even later gifts from families out of our area.
The crate was one used before by a family member with a small dog. We lined it with a towel. You can change the towels as needed. Though for some reason Tiki only soiled the crate once when very young.
The crate has been returned to the previous owner. We Tiki proof the house before we leave for work. He has not done any damage at all. Yes, I do talk to him. “Tiki, watch the house while we are at work and we’ll see you when we get home. ”
We feed him twice a day. He eats when he feels like eating.
The stuffed animals are long gone. He ruined all of them. He has different kinds of balls and a hard rubber toy.
His food and treats are all natural ones.
Jennifer
Please, let’s not have Cesar wars. The man never has claimed to be a scientist – just a guy who understands dog and pack behavior. And he’s demonstrated that understanding beyond all question. I understand that some people have some issues with his methods but that’s based on their desire to make a dog into the equivalent of a human companion. And dogs aren’t meant to be human – they’re meant to be dogs and will be happiest or as Cesar says “balanced” when they are allowed to be dogs and treated as dogs – as other dogs in a pack would treat them. Making your dog get off the sofa won’t hurt the dog’s “feelings” but it will make it easier to live with your dog. Nothing wrong with doing things that make the human/animal bond and living arrangement most amenable to both.
That having been said, ATTENTION JC: look into what Cesar says about introducing a dog to your home. With virtually every case he gets called on, the roots of the problem go back to the minute the dog was brought home – errors in the way the owner handled the situation. Seriously, look into his advice about bringing a dog into the home for the first time, and postpone bringing the pooch home a few days if necessary to prepare. Especially since the dog is nervous/timid and not leash trained. Really dude, you owe it to the dog, Tunch, and yourself to gear up for introducing the dog to your home – not so much with the dog supplies but with the knowledge of the best way to do it.
Damned at Random
And for John-
Get the Monks of New Skete book and read it out loud to the dog. Your voice will be a comfort to her.
mr. whipple
Oh boy. Sounds like my choice of a psychotic wife, except I got laid and she was easier to get rid of.
Bless you, John. :)
cc
i know nothing about dogs, but i just wanted to comment how much i’ve enjoyed reading your posts and the comments about your impending adoption. i look forward to the day when i can adopt a dog for my son. some day when we have a house and a yard.
slag
My friend who is a dog trainer always recommends harnesses over collars. Also, she uses only positive reinforcement training (like the kind that Bo Obama got).
As for Comfort Zone, I’ve used it on my cat who was stressed out about a neighborhood cat that was spraying our front door. When I spray it on the inside of the door, my cat definitely senses something that either makes him uncomfortable so he leaves the area or makes him forget about the invading cat so he leaves the area. Either way, it works for me. But I’m not sure it’s performing as intended.
Concerned Citizen
Check out these guys…
http://www.barkbusters.com/
FYI: I am not paid by them, but I hired them. Excellent stuff. People will think you’re weird for growling at your dog (freaks out the mother in law) but it works.
Good Luck!
P.S. Food 2x a day.
dand
I really liked “The Art of Raising a Puppy” by the Monks of New Skete.
Crating is great. Just be consistent.
Want a pair of old Labs?
Skip the positive reinforcement bit. They need some discipline too. Keep up with the treats and you end up with a fat disobedient jerk.
sab
Carol Benjamin has written lots of books on dog training and dog psychology. There’s lots in her books about weird and neurotic dogs. Her approach is firm but gentle, which works well on rescue dogs. I found her books to be a god-send when I was trying to adjust my totally neurotic rescue lab to his surroundings. Also when I took in my neighbor’s skittish shepherd after his home was foreclosed. She also has good advice for happy, well-adjusted golden retrievers and german shepherds, but anyone can train those. The scared dogs are harder, but well-worth the effort.
SammyV
I’ll second the recommendation for the Kilcommons book. His techniques have mostly worked very well for my two beagles (both shelter dogs with anxiety issues).
The main thing to know about dealing with anxiety (if it turns out to be a real problem, and doesn’t just go away once you get her home) is that it will take a lot of time and effort on your part. What worked for us was my wife spending a few weeks slowly acclimating the dogs to us being gone — she would leave the house for ten seconds, then come back and sit until they calmed down. Then she would leave for 30 seconds. Then a minute. Then five minutes. Then half an hour. It took forever, but it worked. In the meantime, your vet can prescribe anti-anxiety medication (probably prozac, in fact). A good book (more a pamphlet) is I’ll be Home Soon! by Patricia McConnell. You can get it on Amazon.
Loneoak
@Jennifer:
Cesar War! I have no doubt that Cesar is really skilled at what he does—he has an intuitive sense of dog behavior on a very fine-grained level. But John will not be doing what Cesar does.
Cesar’s show hardly ever does follow-ups, gives no instruction on positive training, and the Cesar-industry is full of easy-answer BS. The problems he ‘solves’ on the show are one-off issues, like aggression at the door, not deep seated issues like anxiety. Furthermore, despite his clear intuitive aptitude with dogs he often says things out loud that are wildly inaccurate and harmful, that reflect long since abandoned views of dog behavior. The professional dog behaviorists ignore him—The Dog Whisperer is to dog training what The Secret is the quantum physics.
I’d say something similar about the Monks of New Skete. Their training methods include physical punishment, which is always counter-productive. Of course you can still get a good dog with physical punishment, just like you can with humans. But its cruel and its not necessary. They may be correct 90% of the time and have some real insights, but if they use physical violence against dogs they are certainly the wrong option for John training an anxious dog.
In a lot of ways, the present battles over dog training match the culture war battles over parenting—conservative approaches emphasize dominance and discipline, the liberal approaches emphasize trust and communication. Sometimes dominance and discipline works and you get a great kid, but we probably all agree it is not the most reliable and healthy way on average and you can get a better baseline person out of trust and communication. I’m not going to raise my kids wingnut style and I’m sure as hell not going to have wingnut dog.
John, try this book: The Cautious Canine.
Shinobi
We had some issues when we first got our husky, Vlad. And I cannot recommend highly enough the ORIGINAL dog whisperer book: http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Whisperer-Compassionate-Nonviolent-Approach/dp/1580622038
It covers many different topics and is all based on positive reinforcement and operant conditioning. Which with a timid dog is really ideal. Dogs who are confident can handle some of the dominance based training better than dogs that are prone to anxiety.
I would also be very careful about which obedience school you choose to use, with a dog who is already anxious. I would make sure you find a class that uses postive reinforcement ONLY. (Petsmart and the like do use leash corrections, which I have found to be INCREDIBLY counterproductive with my dog who is relatively timid.) And you may want to wait a while and do some training on your own at home before you take her to a class. For our dog, who is nervous on leash, it was basically a disaster. But remember that the classes are mostly for you anyway. She can get doggy socialization at the dog park and with G&G.
You are really going to want to make sure you stick to only positive methods, doing things that build her self esteem until she gets to know you. (Like some dominance based trainers will tell you not to let them win at TUG, but with timid dogs it helps if you let them win about half the time.)
If you want a great show to watch you should check out It’s Me or The Dog on APL.
I also have gotten some great advice and book recs at: http://chazhound.com/forums/ They have a lot of really knowledgable trainers there who can recommend reading material and methodologies.
Every dog has their own quirks, and it can be rough going in the beginning with a rescue dog. It certainly was with ours. But you’ll soon learn to communicate with eachother (That’s all training really is anyway) and you’ll have a new best friend!
Best of luck and congrats on the new addition!!
South of I-10
@Damned at Random: That’s what I’m afraid of. The nest is too high for me to reach anyway. Poor little thing is hiding under a leaf. It may be hurt and that’s why the parents are leaving it alone, but it is moving around well.
PurpleGirl
Good on you John for getting a rescue dog. I have friends who for several years placed retired racing greyhounds in foster homes (if you read the actual forms, you’re not adopting the dog because the track maintains formal ownership of the animal). I house sat when my friends went on vacation or traveled for work; they had 4 dogs, 1 cat, 2 parrots, 3 ferrets.
Anyway, we crated the 3 greyhounds during the day when people went to work and the dogs liked it. They were raised that way on the track so they felt okay about the crates. The one thing we did differently though was to put blankets in the boxes where the track used newspaper. My friends kept food open for them but fed them dry food that they liked but wouldn’t over eat. We kept the food bowls in the kitchen/hallway area. The cat’s food was across the room when we feed him. One thing that surprised us as regards to treats… anything I held out for them they seemed to consider a treat, even stuff like cut up broccolli stems. Really weird, if anyone else tried to feed them vegetable bits they turned away. For me, though, they gobbled the stuff up.
Litlebritdifrnt
@Laura W:
I think there is nothing better than a dog in a bed, you can curl your legs around them and sleep soundly knowing you are protected. I love it.
Loneoak
@Jennifer:
Also, I would say this about the whole ‘put dogs in their place and don’t treat them like people’ meme. All dog trainers agree with this, the difference is what the trainers think the dog’s place is how best to put them there. Its really easy to tell when people are treating their dog disgustingly like a ‘little person’ and follow the behavioral problems from that. But what comes next is the hard part. Hell, we don’t even know what to do half the time if a person needs to be retrained. There are professionals out there who study this in academic institutions with research budgets. Then there are entrepreneurs like Cesar who have TV shows and get advertisers to pay them.
The question is whether to go to Dr. Nick or to the Mayo Clinic.
Laura W
@Litlebritdifrnt: Isn’t that what your Darling Husband is for?
Jennifer
@Loneoak:
The problems he ‘solves’ on the show are one-off issues, like aggression at the door, not deep seated issues like anxiety.
I completely disagree. The heart of his philosophy, if you’d call it that, is that all of those issues relate back to the human owner/companion’s failure to show consistent leadership, in terms which behaviors and states of mind are desired and acceptable, and which are not. It’s rooted in the fact that while every dog can display dominant or submissive behaviors, very few dogs are truly alpha in their natures – the vast majority of them are born with the disposition to follow rather than lead. And too often, dogs that were born to be followers end up unwittingly elevated to the alpha position, because their human companions fail to show leadership and set the rules, and a dog can’t abide a leadership vacuum, so the dog steps up and takes the role even though he’s not suited for it. A good many dog neuroses stem from allowing them to be the leader when it’s not what they were born to be and wouldn’t be expected to be in a pack of dogs, where the alpha dog would call the shots. For an anxious dog, a leadership vacuum would up the anxiety level, not dial it back. An anxious dog needs more than most to have a strong leader for reassurance.
As for the claim that he does no positive training, I can’t imagine where you’re getting that.
xaaronx
I highly recommend dogbreedinfo.com for information on training, communicating with, and mentally stimulating your dog.
I’d start here: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/separationanxiety.htm
Cain
Congrats, John. I hope Laila (you’re calling her that right?) and you become the greatest of friends. I have no advice to give you as everybody seems to have given you good advice and I’m a cat owner so…
On the other hand, I can’t help but feel sorry for Kayla. Poor thing…
cain
Anne Laurie
Technically, a “choke collar”, or ‘choke chain’, is the metal chain with a large metal loop soldered on each end. A “prong collar”, aka ‘pinch collar’ is the scary-looking thingy with the separate metal ‘bent staples’ looping through each other, made into a circle with a loop of chain at the bottom.
Prong collars are indeed scary-looking & cause more flame wars among dog lovers than anything this side of raw food diets. Many trainers and dog venues ban them entirely. They can, and are, misused by humans who think they’re weapons rather than training tools.
BUT… they do have their place, in the right circumstances. Believe it or not, a properly fitted prong collar is biomechanically safer for dogs under 20lbs who are “pullers”, and for big dogs with long necks like Great Danes. Choke chains restrain a dog by pressing against its trachea, at the bottom of its neck; very small dogs are prone to tracheal collapse and chronic pulling on a choke chain can actually kill them. Big dogs are so strong that a mere human has to pull *really* hard on the choke to get their attention, and if the dog doesn’t have a thick coat their tracheas may suffer.
Prong collars, correctly used (they should be fitted so that the prongs just circle the dog’s neck when the chain is pulled tight), tighten against the muscles on the *back* of the dog’s neck, not the vulnerable underside. Just the way a mother dog will grab a misbehaving puppy by the back of the neck, or an alpha wolf will correct another wolf who’s getting above his station, dogs are innately conditioned to PAY ATTENTION when they’re grabbed that way. It also avoids the problem of a fearful or abused dog “fighting” the choke collar they think is cutting off their air supply. For big dogs with thick ruffs — malamutes, chow chows, even Pekinese (‘big dogs in small bodies’) — a prong collar can be a way to get their attention without half-strangling them (you can’t blame a dog for not paying attention to a ‘correction’ he can’t feel through his fur).
Prong collars are also “self-correcting” — unlike chokes, or regular buckle collars, a dog who lunges against a properly-fitted prong collar reminds himself, immediately, every time, that lunging is A Bad Idea. Paradoxically, it can even calm a fear-aggressive dog… when he lunges, the pressure around his neck reminds him instantly that he is with his Alpha Person, his substitute-mom, someone he can trust to protect him so that he doesn’t have to fight his own battles.
Most dogs, under most circumstances, will never need a prong collar. But they can be a life-saver in the right situation.
Chuck Butcher
Basics:
You are the boss dog – always; this isn’t a cat
Consistency – if it is wrong, it is always wrong no matter how cute. Right is also always right.
Quiet voice, loud reserved for exceptionally unacceptable.
The hand is never discipline, the head and face is off limits for anything other than good stuff.
Forget cat, furniture is off limits – gently at first but always. This is a dominence issue, bosses have their place subordinants theirs.
Fear is your enemy, firmness and consistency is your friend.
The course you set from the beginning is the one you’ll have to live with, this is late for a dog and further changes will be problematic.
Remember that behavior that you reward will be repeated, shaking and other fear displays need to be ignored, once settled then reward with petting and etc. This one is tough.
I wish you the very best.
Stacy
@ Jennifer
Oh, I’m not trying to start a Ceaser fight either. I respect that he popularized the Alpha Dog method, because I do think that is the most effective when it comes to training. And although I have an opinion about physical restraint, so long as it doesn’t cross the line into abusive it’s still up for debate and is nothing that is set in stone.
Personally, as far as Alpha training goes, I dig Bark Busters. That’s the training we did, and it’s helped us a lot, my dog had many issues when we adopted her, and aside from the prey drive (which I don’t think can be helped on her), it’s done wonders.
They have a book too! yay for the Aussies.
SIA aka ScreamingInAtlanta
We used the Monks of New Skete book and it worked great. I believe they took out one portion of the original book about the “take down” if the dog tries to step into alpha role or gets aggressive.
Unlike some other countries, our society isn’t set up where dogs can accompany their humans many places, but they do advocate the dog being with their human constantly, except when it’s time for the dog and the human to have alone time. I found the book very helpful in getting a perspective on the pack concept.
We adopted a male adult cat from a shelter (Angel, who has been pictured here a couple times) who had been rejected by 2 different owners. he was living in a crate over a dog at the shelter. We kept him isolated from the 3 dogs and the other cat for a few days, but took a towel and rubbed all the animals and put in his space, and did the same with his scent, so they could all get used to each other. The first few days he paced and paced, and he was very fearful/cranky/aggressive for a while. Now, almost 2 years later, he has integrated well into the pack. I have never regretted it, and I know there’s not many families who could have him.
I read but never got around to commenting about the name issue, but I liked many of the ideas, esp Daisy & Rosie, which seem to fit her.
John, you’re a prince.
Gina
Okay, I’ve done two rescue adoptions of male Rottweilers. Both had been starved originally (skin and bones, seriously) One had been fostered to good health but not really a lot of refined training. As in, at 1 1/2 years old he’d pee like a firehose on anything inside or out when the mood struck. And poop. Giant man-sized piles. Ugh.
The other one we got as a skinny 7 month old complete with upper respiratory infection, and he also developed severe food allergies and mange the first week. He’s my blind, diabetic middle-ager now. And too cool by half, he reminds ME he needs a shot.
Both dogs had way less issues than the one you’re looking at, but there was some anxiety and fear-based stuff like food aggression. It was handled by feedings done 2x per day, consistently after the cats had been fed. The dogs had to sit nicely and wait for “Okay” to begin eating. This was all done with us humans being very calm, upbeat, and quickly, firmly but kindly, correcting verbally as needed if any grumbling ensued.
We also fed small amounts by hand at first, that really made a difference, along with the “WooHOO! It’s a party now!” celebrations of good behavior. Watch out you don’t get stingy with expressing goofy pleasure to them – in my personal experience (YMMV), the men in my life who were kind of low key on praise didn’t inspire much in the way of confidence OR devotion from any dog I’ve owned. But, when a guy can get over being too cool, things can really take a nice turn.
I’m a stay-at-home mom, and the kids are homeschooled, so we had lots of time to bond just hanging out.
For house training the key is to do like when they’re a puppy: take them outside right away after they wake up, have a praise party when they do the deed outside. 15 minutes to 1/2 hour after eating, drinking a lot (the dog, not your) or playing, take them outside again, same drill. If there are no physical issues, and you are absolutely consistent, this should have most adult dogs trained in a couple of weeks. You’ll begin to get a sense of her internal clock the first few days. Be sure to immediately clean up any indoor messes, and definitely use an enzyme spray (soak and leave) like Nature’s Miracle.
Confinement can be a comfort, so the crate is a good move. But just be sure you can handle the rat race of those first house training days, it does get tedious, but trust me the results are well worth it. Consistency is a must.
A positive trainer one-on-one would be a good thing, you may not need more than one or two sessions if you continue the routines at home.
We feed California Natural, it’s just rice and chicken, dry. They don’t source from China, so no delicious melamine to add to the fun.
Good luck, and I hope Daisy works out :-)
Kewalo
I have been at my wits end trying to raise a puppy for the first time. Our first dog was a rescue and, although I didn’t know it at the time, she was so grateful to us for taking her that she was never a problem.
So after she got sick and we lost her we made the mistake of thinking we should get a puppy. Not that we could replace our beloved Makalani, but because the house would seem so empty. That was probably one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made and believe me, I’ve made some doozies. I had no idea that a puppy had so much energy, at least twice what I have and I’m being driven to distraction. She’s very, very smart and sweet and very, very busy…all the time.
So, thanks for all the great posts. You’ve given me the idea that maybe I can get her trained and I won’t go nuts, and that has been very iffy.
I do have one suggestion. We don’t have much money and the toys at pet stores are so damn expensive that I went to a thrift store and picked up a bunch of stuffed animals that were very cheap. They wash easily and if she does tear them up it’s not a big loss.
Chuck Butcher
I really like dry food and dry snacks/treats; I’ve never had a dog get teeth problems with that course and I’ve had very large dogs live to 13 years.
dopealope
For Training:
Karen Pryor Clicker Training
For Food & Supplements:
Wysong
mcd410x
Cesar war!!! Cross the Rubicon, I double dog dare you.
When I rescued my second cat, she was downright territorial. Hope Tunch isn’t like that. The lit says male cats (I respect it’s privacy) aren’t as bad as females.
dopealope
For Training:
Karen Pryor Clicker Training
For Food & Supplements:
Wysong
ed_finnerty
Chuck Butcher
I have a 15 year old healthy 80 pounder – rescue dog – good quality dry food only. When we went with second rate food she had gastro problems all the time. The most important thing – don’t use crap food
gbear
John, don’t forget to take a ‘before’ picture.
SIA aka ScreamingInAtlanta
About the rash – once the vet has treated her, you might try organic apple cider vinegar for any recurring skin issues. This is a great website for holistic cures for animals. http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/acvfordogs.html (sorry don’t know the proper way to do the link – is there a school I can go to to learn how to use the html tags? :D)
We have used ACV to treat arthritis in our older dog, and urinary tract infection in our cat.
Bernie
We read and used “The Art of Raising A Puppy” by the Monks of New Skeet and we thought it was a great book and really helped us with our Mastiff a few years back. Highly recommended.
For anxiety, I’ve missed the earlier postings and I”m not going back to read it or all the comments but…. one of our dogs is a total freak during lightning / thunder storms here in Florida. She was born and raised in Oregon where lightning / thunder storms are extremely rare so she wasn’t exposed to them as a puppy.
Long story / short – I’ve been giving her six 50mg capsules of the herbal supplement Valerian, wrapped up in bread or cheese or whatever she’ll wolf down, about 30 minutes prior to the storm. That seems to be helping out quite a bit. I also dose her with Rescue Remedy Spray. Both are available at natural/organic food stores.
Best of luck!
Zak44
Here’s a list of books on dealing with fearful dogs. Hope it helps.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_wl_0_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cautious+canine&sprefix=cautious
Tattoosydney
@Anne Laurie:
Thanks for your advice last night, btw.
cathaireverywhere
If your vet likes it, I agree with the other poster and highly recommend Taste of the Wild. It’s great dog food, and grain-free. I get it at our feed store- I’ve never seen it at the regular pet store.
Also, on last night’s topic, I saw a very cute yellow dog named Penny today. She is a yellow lab and wiggled her whole body, gnawed my arm and talked to me in dog “woo woo woos”. So, obviously I love the name Penny now.
Church Lady
I’ll put in my two cents. As to the crate, since she’s older and may not like it, I’d use the one your parents offered. We have two dogs – one a rescued Golden and the other a British Lab we got as a puppy. The Golden won’t put a paw in a crate but the Lab loves his. I guess it’s because we crate trained him as a puppy.
As to the differences between Frontline and Advantix, both have worked well for us. We have a heavily wooded back yard, a veritable mecca for fleas and ticks, but have never had a problem while using either of the two flea control products. The only real advantage I can think of with Advantix is that it’s a little cheaper. Don’t buy it from the vet – you can find it much cheaper online. I’ve never had a problem with Entirelypets.com. They’ve got good prices and it gets delivered in just a couple of days.
Someone else mentioned Innova food. I highly recommend it, especially for a dog with skin problems. It’s a little on the pricey side – about $50 for a 40 lb. sack – but my dogs love it and it’s very healthy.
We feed twice a day and the dogs can apparently tell time, because they know when it’s 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and won’t leave us alone until we feed them.
Also, I don’t remember seeing it mentioned, but joint supplements are very important. We give each of ours two Glyco-Flex II soft chews per day. We just toss them in their food bowl at dinner time. We buy it online from Entirelypets.com (they are a little cheaper than 1-800-Pets).
Good luck with your new four legged friend. I know you love Tunch, but absolutely nothing beats the love and devotion of a dog. They’re the best!
wonkie
“For house training the key is to do like when they’re a puppy: take them outside right away after they wake up, have a praise party when they do the deed outside. 15 minutes to 1/2 hour after eating, drinking a lot (the dog, not your) or playing, take them outside again, same drill. If there are no physical issues, and you are absolutely consistent, this should have most adult dogs trained in a couple of weeks. You’ll begin to get a sense of her internal clock the first few days. Be sure to immediately clean up any indoor messes, and definitely use an enzyme spray (soak and leave) like Nature’s Miracle”
This is exactly right.
Generally positves–treats, especially–work best.
Dogs love routine. One of he vbest ways to treat anxiety in an animal is to establish a positive routine. Let her out for pee,poopand praise on a schedule. make a ceremony of feeding her on a schedule. Take her for walsk on a schedule. Have a greeting ritual for when you get home.
Animals respond to yur emotional cues, not your words. You will be tempted to give her a lot of reassurance before you leave for work–don’t. A whole bunch of cuddling and kisses befoer yu leave indicagtes toher that there is something to worry about. So depart with a brfief cheerful kiss. Make a big deal about your returnw, not your departures.
Take her to a posite obdience class not because she is necedsarily badly behavied but becuase theaching her and you things she can doa nd get rewarded for will improve her confidence and reduce her anxiety. Plus it adds another positeve reitual to her scheudle at home: parcticing her obdedience lessons!
I am so glad you are saving this baby. i’m invoved with dog rescue and it braeks my heart how many homeless loving dogs there are in the wordl.
Anne Laurie
See, Kewalo, you’re already “experienced” enough to give good advice!
My first dog (acquired when I was almost thirty) was a puppy. Galley was a wonderful dog & grew up to be the kind of perfect companion who inspires dog-haters to rethink, but the Spousal Unit & I agreed: NO MORE PUPPIES! They’re too hard for lazy people like us! We are now on Dogs #3 (adopted as a yearling from her breeder), #5 (adopted as a 5-year-old rescue) and #6 (adopted as an 18-month-old after being rejected from at least two previous homes). Even #6, the hyperactive ‘unhousebreakable’ goofball with ‘ emotional issues’, has been less of a… challenge… than one normal healthy puppy just bein’ his adorable non-stop puppy self.
The GOOD news is, as our first trainer expressed it, “Right around a dog’s second birthday, the UPS package with his brains in it finally arrives.” It will get better. Sometimes you just need to grit your teeth & remind yourself that the little guy will get better, eventually!
greylocks
I’ve yet to have a dog that will voluntarily sleep in a crate. Travel in one, yes, but not sleep in one at night.
We’ve had much better success with puppy pens. They’re roomier and the dog can see out out of them much better. With an insecure, anxious dog, this may be critical for both of you to get a good night’s sleep.
Also, cats are very territorial and when there’s something like a dog crate in the house, the cat often claims it and scent-marks it, at which point most dogs won’t use it any more.
There’s no particular reason to make a dog sleep in a crate. I think people use crates to keep the dog off the bed. It’s really better to just train the dog to stay off the bed, which with most dogs takes about four or five repetitions of gently pushing or lifting the dog off the bed when she tries to climb on it.
KRK
I’ve never had to train a dog, so I have nothing to contribute to the Cesar wars being very mildly waged in the comments, but I do know that Cesar Millan inspired one of my favorite episodes of South Park.
Anne Laurie
TattooSydney, another suggestion: Once my friend’s dog Flamer was ready to start accepting food from strangers — as long as it was really tasty food & the strangers were relaxed adults — Tee found the local college quad a great place to recruit volunteers. On a nice day, it was always possible to find a student or six with a few spare minutes to lob cheese tidbits underhand to a dog who’d snap them up in mid-flight. Eventually Flamer decided that having a bunch of people standing around going, “What a beautiful dog!” and “Oo, he’s so fast!” was actually the kind of positive attention he craved. Canine vanity can work wonders.
Irony Abounds
Holy Mother of God, this sounds like more planning than Ike had for D-Day (in keeping with the day). It’s a dog. Treat it nice, take it for a walk daily, don’t beat it, feed it regularly and don’t act like it’s a person (which means don’t let it sleep on your bed) and everything will be just wonderful. She’ll be happy, you won’t be neurotic and your spoiled cat won’t go nuts.
Oh, and before anyone thinks I’m a heartless crank, we have three dogs, two of which came from the pound. A pointer mix who is still bounding around at 16 and a rottweiler, aussie shepard basset hound mix (yes, Dr. Frankenstein worked on dogs) who looks like a prototype for the Abrams tank. In one shape or another I’ve had a dog or dogs for almost my entire life. So if I’m cranky, it’s because I’ve been picking up dog crap for close to 43 years now and I’m a bit tired of it.
Delia
Some various random comments.
Another food that’s good for dogs with skin problems (and sensitive stomachs) is Nutro’s herring and sweet potato formula. That’s what my dog has been eating for the past four years. It’s helped his skin allergies and kept his weight at a good level.
If it should turn out that your new dog is sensitive to the topical flea preparations, there’s a prescription called Confortis which is a beef flavored tablet to repel fleas and mosquitoes. I know this because one of my cats is one of the very few felines who is allergic to topical flea drops. She gets Confortis off-label, the smallest dosage, and I give her half a tablet crumbled into a tablespoon of canned catfood. But wait and see what happens.
Dog seatbelt harnesses. I once had one of these for my Pippin. It worked well for a while. Then one time in the car he panicked over something or other (I had to go inside a gas station or something and he thought he was abandoned) and he managed to twist himself around and out of the harness. After that whenever I buckled him in, he promptly twisted himself right back out of it.
Cesar Millan? Eh, I learned some useful things from him. I got my dog to stop scratching the front door when we’re going out for walks, and I got him to stop biting the vacuum.
She looks like a lovely dog, John. I’m sure she’ll work out fine. A lot of dogs are just frightened to be in horrible kennels. She’ll be thrilled to have a nice home with a kind person.
Anne Laurie
Greylocks: We have three dogs, all papillons in the 10-15lb range, two of them rescues. They all have crates in our bedroom, and there’s usually at least one crate open in the downstairs living room as well. None of the three are locked in their crates at night, but our old girl Flicker chooses to sleep in hers anyway, while the two rescue boys sleep in the bed with us. When the dogs are going to be alone in the house, all three dogs get locked in the dog-proofed bedroom, but only the two-year-old rescue with separation anxiety gets locked in his crate as well. (The one time we — meaning my husband — decided to ‘see how Sydney did un-crated’, during our half-hour absence Syd Viscous managed to climb up onto the wall-mounted headboard, pull everything off it (books, tissues, water glass, reading light) into a pile in the middle of the bed, pee on the resulting mess, and then proceed to claw/chew up the carpet & carpet pad until he could start clawing/chewing his way right through the hollow-core door. When we returned home from a quick consolation visit to the doggy toystore with our older rescue boy, Syd’s nose was just peeking out through a gnawed ‘mousehole’ at the bottom of the door. Meanwhile, elderly Flicker was still sitting in her crate, ignoring the mess & confusion like the princess she is.)
When we travel with the dogs, all three crates come along, so the dogs can be safely crated when we need to leave them alone. At night, however, Zevon is the dog who feels “safer” locked in his crate (i.e., when he’s crated he doesn’t bark at every noise or footstep outside the motel-room door), while Sydney delights in being the only dog sharing our people-bed.
Martin
Definitely get a baby gate to set her into one room with an open door to monitor her and eventually an outdoor folding metal door fence to keep her into a smallish area outside. Those will allow you to still function without the dog driving you mad.
Our dog was crated every night for a good 6 months. He likes his crate and is happy to go in there when we need to leave. Thats a good habit to establish. Only takes an ice cube to get him sprinting for the crate (‘night night’ is the command to go in his crate). We used the baby gate and confined him to the family room (and the back yard) until he could consistently follow commands to sit/stay/now/don’t jump. He often sleeps in his crate.
We feed him 2 times a day at specific times and always after the family eats. He’s a little less annoying with 2x feeding than once, but he’s a corgi and they’re insanely food motivated, so you might get by with 1x a day. In order to be fed, he must lie down in his spot in the other room and remain there while we get his bowl ready. We don’t put up with dogs jumping all over us when we try to feed them. That took a while to establish, but it’s well worth it. We don’t use dog treats, his rewards are just some of his regular dry food. I wouldn’t feed her in the crate, though you could put her in the crate while you prepare food if that helps. You want to establish that the crate is the clean sleeping area.
And hire a trainer. It’s not that expensive, and they can help establish the relationship between you and the dog (you must be dominant) – something a book can’t do. Our experience is that dogs like routine. Train them and they’ll be calmer.
You’ll do fine.
Anne Laurie
We got one of those nice well-padded “collision-safe” harnesses for our escape artist Zevon. Day 6 of our 10-day road trip (New England to Michigan & back, unavoidable family visit), Mr. Excitable Boy discovered he could get out of his safe harness by hanging himself over the back of the front seat. Now Zevon and his ‘younger brother’ use Batzibelts, which are just short leads that clip to their ID harness at one end and over the fastened people seatbelt at the other end. Possibly not quite as safe in an accident, goddess forbid, but it keeps them from trying to hide under the brake pedal or jump out the window, and Mr. Houdini hasn’t been able to work his way free despite 2 years of trying. Princess Flicker travels in her imperial crate, and I swear all my future dogs are going to be trained to do so as well, no matter how sad the Puppy Eyes from both dog & spousal unit!
Fulcanelli
Don’t know if you’ll make it this far down the thread John, but this is what we do after 15 years of parenting lovable mixed breed shelter pups we’ve adopted.
Our 2 dogs are with us 24/7/365, in fact they come to work with us at our office so they have to behave, and 49 out of 50 clients really love it. In fact many are jealous.
On behavior…
We hired a trainer who used and taught us positive reinforcement techniques and word and hand commands. Second best money we ever spent.
The trainer turned us on the MultiVet “Spray Commander” training collar for behavior issues like eating rocks, etc.. It has a radio remote like a car alarm remote you keep with you and shoots a lemongrass oil (citronella) spray mist which they hate and has a warning beep. The BEST money we ever spent. Breaks their focus and stops ’em dead in their tracks and uses NO electric shock. He was a different dog literally overnight. Around $80 on E-Bay. We’ve turned a few people on to it and they love it and say the same thing.
We never crated, ever. We understand the “den” concept and have beds in the corners of the room. Just a personal preference.
Cesar’s advice and his show is good for understanding dog psychology, and we found it to be a big help when we got our most recent pup last fall.
Ours sleep on the floor in the bedroom and are on the bed ONLY when invited. No exceptions.
Great training treats: String cheese and grilled beef liver we grill in batches. Really cheap and healthy.
Feeding and food: Twice a day, AM & PM, the best you can afford. Or you’ll spend it in Vet bills. Trust me. We use Canidae dry kibble mixed with various high-end wet foods like Innova and others.
Chew Treats: Raw beef bones with the marrow from a grocer are Nirvana and cheap. Avoid cheap processed, bleached rawhide chews unless you want to poison them slowly over time. Toxic shit.
Expect housebreaking accidents. It sucks but it’s not the end of the world. We use Nature’s Miracle spray to help avoid repeats and odor buildup.
Be patient and consistent with praise and discipline and never strike the head or face. She’ll need guidance to learn how and where she fits in in your household. Once she learns, I’d bet a lot of her anxiety will fade. You’re the Pack Daddy now.
I gotta check out those Monk books, I’ve never heard of them.
Best of luck!
Michael D.
@JenJen:
Well, I didn’t call it inhumane – I said there are more humane options. Just like I think raising chickens cage free is humane – but not as humane as, say, not raising them at all. But still, I can see how I might have been misunderstood and apologize to anyone who might think I was calling them evil for putting their dogs in crates. Still, I just think crate training is unnecessary, as there are better options.
And I should have read John’s comment above, which stated that the crate is not a cage so much as it is her own space – which I think is fine as long as the door stays open.
I should just stop commenting.
Bernie
Delia (comment #150) mentioned “Comfortis”. I recommend it also for fleas. We switched to this last October after middling results switching back and forth between Frontline and Advantage (the fleas seem to build up a resistance to them).
Like Delia said, Comfortis is a once-a-month tablet, ingested with food, that works pretty well against fleas. The active ingrediant is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosad
Sword of Damocles
No tennis balls, they have dyes in them that are not good for dogs.
We have crate trained all of our dogs. We foster for the local Labrador rescue and we also crate train the foster dogs. They are all well adjusted, happy dogs that have suffered no ill-effects from this. It provides them a space of their own and trains them to not go in the house.
The Steeler tag of course is a must.
Bernie
GENTLE LEADER
Oh, and one more thing (said in Peter Falk as Columbo way, turning around to look at you)….
GENTLE LEADER. You absolutely MUST have one of these.
Video here: http://tinyurl.com/ojkexf
It will be one of the best $15 to $20 pooch investments that you’ll ever make and will make your walks with him/her an absolute pleasure and not a struggle to maintain him/her under control while he lunges at other dogs, pulls on the leash and yanks your arm out of its socket, etc.
http://www.buygentleleader.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/behavior/gentleleader/description
DZ
First, John, avoid anything from the Monks of New Skete. their concepts of domination and control are just dead wrong and counterproductive. If you want to read the best stuff about dogs, read Patricia McConnell or Ian Dunbar or Gwen Bohnencamp.
I have 4 Siberian huskies. They get fed twice per day, always at the same times. Dogs like routine and dislike change. My dogs have a dog door so they come in and go out as they choose. No crate training – it’s popular but achieves nothing. Careful and constant training using ONLY positive reinforcement is required.
If they have separation anxiety, leave your TV on with sound when you’re gone, leave them messages on the answering machine if you have the kind that broadcasts messages, make your home coming exciting for the dogs. Hug them, pet them and treat them.
matoko_chan
Umm..is G&G’s crate big enough for her? And is it wire or enclosed plastic?
Obedience training is also good to socialize to her with other other dogs. She may be socially retarded, like a feral human child or a kid raised in a closet.
Growing up we had labradors and jack russel
terribadsterriors. Those are working dogs, but most dogs actually love to work, even if it is just a walk or a game of fetch.Agility training with obstacle courses is a great outlet for that, and mad fun.
We showed our jacks in the Terrior Trials…your parents should try that, there prolly is a local chapter of the Jack Russel Society.
Jackpot Go-to-Ground is one of my funnest memories from growing up.
Rawhides for chewtoys and pig ears for a treat. The fat in pig ears is good for glossy coats.
;)
WereBear
I’m so excited for you, John!
Feeling “the connection” is the most important thing; that can’t be trained into either one of you.
The important thing to remember is that the shelter is a vital, but very un-natural, place. Dogs can be dervishes in their cage, and perfectly calm when they get to their home, because it was the shelter over-stimulation driving them crazy. They weren’t crazy dogs.
Likewise, you got her out on a leash and found out more of what she’s really like. It’s not only fun to figure out which breeds went into Your Dog, it’s vital to understanding mixed breed dogs and applying methods suited to their personality. We shouldn’t use the same tricks with a high Alpha Malamute-GSD mix than we should with a mellow Spaniel-Something mix, just to draw from my own experience.
Of all the tips put forth here, my favorite is the Buddy System leash setup. I used it with my last two dogs. I had a Lab-Elkhound puppy housebroken in one weekend that way. It turned out to be unnecessary with my Chow-Newfoundland mix; he never strayed more than a yard from me, in the house, his whole life.
mary
For an anxious dog, I highly highly highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt.
I would also recommend working with a one-on-one trainer to start off with if you can afford it. The typical class setting might be too much for a dog with severe anxiety or reactivity. Unless you can find a class that specifically works the Control Unleashed method, which is designed for anxious and reactive dogs.
Also, as a general rule, soliciting dog-training advice on the internet will probably just make your head spin. There’s an old canard in the dog-training community – the only thing two dog trainers will agree on is that the third is totally wrong. :)
matoko_chan
And I agree that you don’t really need crate training…but a wire crate will let her safely socialize with Tunch and any other visiting animals.
Our dogs were all trained to “command kennel”. If you transport her, like to obediance class, putting her crate in the back of your car and having her jump right in is great, and much safer for her.
I’m really jealous.
I can’t wait to have a dog of my own again.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
@wrb: Yay! Those are gorgeous pictures! (But what happened to your eye in the last one? Please don’t say iot was the fawn.)
gex
I also recommend a stuffed animal with Chew Guard Technology ™. I don’t know who makes it, but the local Pet Smart has them. With Casey, a regular stuffed animal lasts about 2 hours before he’s ripped it apart. The first Chew Guard animal I purchased lasted a month.
gex
@Chuck Butcher:
Definitely don’t try acting like Tunch’s boss. He may hurt himself laughing.
Cindy
We always heard that crates made dogs feel safer, but all three of our walk-in dogs hated them. The crate clearly meant Prison to them. You’ll be able to tell if she feels threatened by it.
Other good books:
– What Your Dog Is Trying to Tell You, John M. Simon, DVM
– Caninestein, Fisher & Delzio
– The Intelligence of Dogs, Coren Stanley
– Think Dog! John Fisher
– The Dog’s Mind, Bruce Fogle, DVM, MRCVS
– The Toolbox for Remodeling Your Problem Dog, Terry Ryan
(that is, helping dogs whose people had problems)
We named our stray doggie Grace (Gracie). Although you can’t wait forever to name your dog according to a characteristic of personality, this one really turned out to be fitting, and passes the Yell test nicely.
Please give your new puppy a pat for everyone who wishes her well. She is precious; so glad she has this chance for a happy and comfortable life.
Aries M.
We’re doing the PetSmart puppy class with our new Golden Retriever and our instructor (who is a month away from a doctorate in animal psychology and is awesome, btw) seems to be in sync with Cesar Millan. She refers to each family, inclusive of dog, as “the pack”, for example, and is very strong in her assertions that dogs are happiest and most relaxed when they understand the leadership hierarchy and household rules.
That said, these are things we are finding most helpful:
1. Crate goes in the bedroom with us. We started out with the crate in the family room, which was a mistake. Trooper is happier sleeping with the pack and the best part of that is, he seems more relaxed in his crate and he sleeps later!
2. While housebreaking and teaching the rules of the house, we bought a few baby gates so we could section off the house. Trooper doesn’t get “run of the house” until he’s proven himself trustworthy. In fact, in the first few weeks I actually tethered him to me with an 8 ft leash while I was working so I would be able to monitoring him more closely for signs of impending potty activity. It is so much easier if you “prevent” accidents when housetraining than to let them get in the habit of having accidents.
3. We got him a ton of toys and made sure he understands they’re his… and that the chair legs, bookshelves, etc, are NOT his.
4. Patience and control, patience and control, patience and control. Dogs are so sensitive and reactive to our emotions. If you want a calm dog, be calm.
Good luck!!
Kennedy
@Anne Laurie: What you said (re: prong collars vs. choke collars). I was indeed referring to prong collars. I still maintain they are invaluable. My sister has two beagles and literally can not walk them without their prong collars (I thought I’d throw that in this comment for the sake of all the beagle love on this site).
My dogs are not of the hound persuasion, but they are under 20 pounds, essentially still puppies (18 months and 24 months), and can get a bit ornery on a leash. Call me lazy, but I never seemed to be able to find a cogent method to get them to walk properly on a leash, but these collars solved all my problems.
Also, a good way to demonstrate the collar to friends/relatives that think ‘ur doin it rong’ is to put the collar on your arm and give the chain a tug. Granted arm != neck, but you at least can feel that the prongs aren’t digging in and it’s merely as you described above: brief pressure exerted by the chain until the pulling ceases.
Mike
I’m allergic to dogs. Grew up with wheaten terriers, which are hypoallergenic. Now that I want a dog of my own (at 28), I wanted to get a rescue. Quickly found out that it’s hard to find hypoallergenic rescues. Pure breed hypo rescue orgs do exist, but they can afford to be picky in selecting homes – often families with people home at all times with yards. I soon found that there are tons of retired racing greyhounds – hypoallergenic and, despite their size, suited for apt. life, that need homes. However, these dogs are really big and in my area it’s hard to find apts. or condos that allow dogs over 30 lbs. Of those that do, most have a 60 lb. limit. (The Obamas should have tried a greyhound.)
Was getting close to paying $800 for a wheaten terrier pure breed. Visited some city pounds to try and find a suitable one, though. Finally discovered a very sweet 1/2-3/4 basenji apprx. 9-month-old female and adopted her. 72 hours in, she’s been perfect. Except for the kennel cough. Bathroom accidents: 0. Puking incidents: 11. Sweet as hell. She’s already been to the vet for the kennel cough. I was planning on just having to deal with crate/potty training and chewing, but the violent coughing and vomiting have dominated our first few days.
wrb
Mary @94
My eye is a long story. The lid always droops. I can see fine. Technically is is the result of a “sypathectomy” in which a sympathetic nerve was cut to stop never pain resulting from a dispute with a plate glass door at Stanford.
I’m kind of oblivious to it. It always catches me by surprise when someone notices. Although if I look in a mirror I must admit that it is highly noticeable.
It is highly useful when I want to convince believers in certain folk traditions that I am a very powerful witch.
Beware the evil eye!
jcricket
We use a prong collar on our dog for walking – they’re way better than choke collars (which can exert consistent strangulation-type pressure). If used appropriately, they can provide good “correction” that’s actually less harmful than having your dog straining against a regular collar for an entire 20-30 minute walk. She’s a sight-hound, which means every squirrel or bird is a potential target to chase on the walk.
Now, of course, I wish our dog could walk without one and not be straining. We did lots of training, and she otherwise got most of it (sit, stay, down, off, leave it, come). But the walking only works well with the prong collar.
BTW – I also highly recommend crate training. We got a book called Housebreak your Dog in 7 days, that uses crate training to accomplish it. We had less than 3 accidents (all our fault when we were lax with the method) in 7 days, and since then, nothing. Plus, continued use of the crate when we leave the house or at night means we never, ever come home to chewed up furniture, trash all over the place, or poop/pee. Occasionally she will have an accident in the crate (like if she’s sick), but washing a dog and a plastic crate is a lot easier that cleaning up your rug/sofa/bed.
So, yes to crate training. Yes to feeding your dog twice/day, with consistent amounts (most dogs are grossly overweight). Yes to training (we went through three or four courses on our way to “canine good citizenship” certification). And yes to prong collars, but only after training. Yes to vaccinations and regular vet checkups. Yes to proper grooming.
No to feeding your dog table scraps. No to getting a dog you won’t exercise the proper amount. No to whacking your dog, or kicking it, or training it to “fight”. In our case, no to sleeping with the dog (50% of people in sleep clinics complain about their animals interfering with their sleep, and yet aren’t willing to take the obvious step).
DarcyPennell
You’ve gotten tons of advice, way more than is helpful at this point, so I probably shouldn’t post at all. But I can’t resist adding my recommendation of the Monks of New Skete.
Years ago I rescued an abused & neglected dog who was terribly fearful. I mean, hiding under a chair all the time and refusing to come out even to eat or drink if we were near. She was like that for weeks, at first we had to feed her under the chair or she just wouldn’t eat. I didn’t know anything about dogs and couldn’t afford obedience classes at the time, and How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend was a big help.
My dog never became fully comfortable around strangers but with patience she did become happy, sweet and a good companion for us. It is incredibly rewarding to watch a dog’s happy personality emerge, knowing that its life would have been misery without you. Good luck with your dog!
Slaney Black
John! Congratulations! You will enjoy this a lot.
Don’t get the Fennel book; it looked good to me too but it’s a waste of time. Half is her own life story, half is mostly devoted to these power-trip mindfucks to pull on your dog. Which are likely not harmful but mostly useless.
Good Owner, Great Dogs is a good one, if you want a companion book to the monks. My psychiatrist actually recommended it.
Slaney Black
@cathaireverywhere:
It’s a good one. John, there might be a bulk DFH dog-food broker near you. The one near me sells TOTW and Wellness for the same price as PetCo shit like Nutro.
Lesley
Whatever training guide you use, make sure it is positive re-inforcement. No yanking on the collar to correct. Certainly no pinch collars. An anxious dog will become more anxious with those. You are aiming for cooperation no coercion.
A crate is a good idea- it will give her a safe space all her own. You may try feeding her at first in their to establish it as a happy place.
You can feed twice a day or once- doesn’t truly matter, though if she’s hungry a lot twice might feel better. Feed a non- corn or wheat food- it’s filler an crap for dogs (cats too). Innova, Evo, California Natural, Blue Buffalo, Orijen, Solid Gold are all good foods.
There are a lot of good training videos on you tube. But once she’s established do consider training, it will make both of you feel more trusting and happy with each other.
A good summer treat for kongs- put yogurt or low salt peanut butter inside and freeze it. Keep several in your freezer to keep her cool.
Good luck and congrats!
Lesley
Also-
I second NOT using The Monks of New Skete. Ask U Penn or Cornell animal behaviorists (top of the field)- the Monks’ methods are out of date. Way out of date. I’ve no doubt some dogs respond well, so no offense to those who have chosen their methods. But Their method is to basically dominate the dog. Your dog is already a submissive dog- she doesn’t need that. She needs consistency and patience with positive reinforcement. Clicker training is useful.
Sasha
Tug toys. There is no dog that does not like to play tug.
Make sure you don’t get crappy dog food. Most of them are just corn filler with almost no real nutritional value. I recommend any kind of lamb & rice formula, just make sure that
the ingredients listed first are lamb and rice
it’s made in the USA
Comfort clothing. My dog loves sleeping on my dirty laundry: its comforting. If you’re gonna crate her outside the bedroom, a retired shirt would make a worthwhile security blanket. If it’s large enough, it can be used and a mattress cover.
Slaney Black
General guideslines on food:
1. Generally if a product has corn or soy, it’s garbage. True in 99.5% of cases.
2. If it has animal products where the species isn’t named (e.g. “meat and bone meal”) run don’t walk.
3. “[identified animal] meal” should be at the top of the list. If you see “lamb” it means lamb inclusive of water weight – i.e. it’s basically window dressing. Next item should be “lamb meal”.
You fulfill those criteria, you’ll have better dog food than almost anyone.
Extra bonuses…Some people also prefer the no grain foods. Many people say stay away from synthetic vitamin K. And I personally avoid anything with animal fat + beet pulp. Beet pulp is there to help digest the fat in case it goes rancid, which tells me the company isn’t confident in its ingredients. I try to avoid animal fat sources and get food with vegetable + fish oils, which keep better.
Those might be overkill; Depends on how much of a DFH you want to be about it.
cathaireverywhere
as far as training- I really like the Gentle Leader/Haltie collars. They are very gentle, as advertised and make for pretty non-stressful training.
Delia
This thread is still going, huh? Well, I’ll stick something else in. I wouldn’t worry about any special collar for discipline until you’ve tried walking her for a while. Then if she’s having trouble with the concepts go with the special collars.
And here’s a neat trick for food discipline and teaching the sit command. When you give her her meal hold the food bowl above her head and tell her “Sit.” It sort of encourages her into the sit position and once she’s there you give her the bowl. You can just keep up that habit indefinitely to encourage good manners.
Anne Laurie
Congratulations, Mike! Sounds like you know what you’re doing, but I’ll add one recommendation: Get her a good sturdy harness instead of a collar, make sure it fits well, and leave it on her 24/7. A harness will be easier on her poor throat. And once she’s feeling well enough to let her Basenji flag fly, she will not only be FAST but a genius escape artist. It’s harder for a dog to squirm her way out of a harness than a flat collar, and if you need a “handle” when she spots something interesting the harness gives you that. I love sighthounds, they are gorgeous & fast & the females in particular usually have a great sense of humor. But they can be SCARY smart, and wilful, and their speed means you don’t get much chance to stop them once they get an idea.
KyCole
Haven’t read all the comments, but I feed my dog every morning and then we go for a 45 minute walk. Don’t forget the poop bags!
Sue
Another longtime reader, first-time commenter with a few cents to add. I’m also getting toward my third year as a first-time dog owner and am a long-time cat owner. The first few months I had the dog I felt like I had no idea what I was getting into, but the greatest resource I had was other dog owners.
Food: I moved the cat’s dishes onto a table, because as others have said, dogs find cat food extra tasty (I think it has a higher protein content than dog food, for one thing. The cat adjusted very quickly, and it gives him more exercise to have to jump up to get his food. As for what kind of food, if the vet determines that she has no digestive issues that require any specialized diet, then definitely at first feed her whatever she’s been getting at the shelter; if they’ve been feeding her good stuff, then try to stick with it, but if it’s been all mystery-meat-and-corn kibble, you’ll want to look for better-quality food (Canidae works well for us). And you definitely need to keep the litterbox out of reach, at least initially, since cat poop is a dog delicacy (I have one litterbox in a small room behind a gate with a door big enough for a cat but too small for the dog; this also gives the cat a space he knows he can retreat to without worrying about the dog bugging him).
Crate: My dog was three months old when she came home with me, and she was crate trained then. If she’s a young adult already and has never been in a crate, she may never take to it, but it’s worth a try. A used crate is fine, as long as she can still stand up and turn around in it. It’s not cruel to put your dog in a crate — if you make it a positive experience for her and don’t use it as punishment, it’s a place they see as their own. At this point, I never close the door, and she goes in there without my prompting and generally stays there all night (if it’s hot, she usually sleeps somewhere else).
Training: With her background and temperament, I’d strongly advise individual training at first, and the trainer should have experience working with dogs like her. If she hasn’t been well socialized with a variety of other dogs, a group class may overwhelm her. I second the advice to avoid Cesar Millan’s methods, especially if you’re only using books; the positive reinforcement methods that Patricia McConnell and others suggest are much more affective and more thoroughly rooted in understanding and working with actual dog behavior.
Collar vs. halter with leashes: I have a halter that clips at the front, which means if she pulls on the leash, she’s pulled to the side, so she really doesn’t pull. I did work with her on not pulling with the leash clipped to the collar, but the harness just works so well (it’s amazing how much a 35-pound dog can pull on a collar). I don’t leave the harness on her when we’re not walking, because she probably would chew on it.
It’s good that she’s lived with cats, but do go slowly introducing her to the fabulous Tunch, and make sure he still gets lots of attention. When I first brought the dog home, I turned her over on her back whenever the cat came around, so that she would know that he was in charge; they get along fine. My dog was a puppy, though, and hadn’t known cats before, so you’ll be starting from a different place.
And getting back to the barking thing, that may change when you get her home, or she may just not be inclined. My girl’s a black lab mixed with something small, probably Jack Russell, so she had the potential for a lot of noise, but she only barks once or twice a week, and even then a few woofs and she’s done (the neurotic standard poodle downstairs is another matter).
JaneAustin
GENTLE LEADER. You absolutely MUST have one of these.
Yes! It’s a headcollar, which allows the dog to learn to walk nicely on a leash.
If you prefer a harness, the same company makes the Easy Walk™
harness. It applies pressure in just the right places to encourage nice walkies.
http://www.dogstuff.com/smalleasywalkharnessfawn-p-25506.html
James J. Hare
dang bleeding heart liberal!
love you for it. too many dogs don’t get the love they need.
i’m a cat person. hope tunch likes his new roommate. my cat would make sure i knew of her displeasure.
Krista
I’ve missed a bunch of threads, as I was away all weekend, but I just wanted to say congrats on the new addition, John! That sweet-looking little pooch definitely won the new-owner lottery.
Litlebritdifrnt
I have never been into crating dogs, it seems cruel to me. (but that is just me) however, recently I was taking care of my neighbor’s dogs while they were gone and they crate all of their dogs (two in the master BR, one in elder son’s room, one in younger son’s room and one in younger two daughter’s room) I would go in there and let them out of their crates, take them out to the backyard and let them do their thing, then shortly thereafter I would take them back into the house and say “okay spot back into bed” and they would quite happily go back into the crate and lie down. I was amazed. Now, I am not saying crating dogs is right, cause I do not do it, my dogs have the run of the house, 24/7. I am just saying that training a dog that way does appear to work.
Anne Laurie
My two rescue guys wear these at their training classes, because it’s hard to fit the headcollars on 15lb. dogs. The trainer who told me about them also uses them for rescue dogs who panic at any pressure on their muzzles. The Easy Walk works beautifully to keep Zevon & Sydney focused on me (instead of on escaping or fear-threatening their classmates) even on one or two occasions when we’ve been in such a hurry I just buckled the Easy-Walk over their ‘everywhere’ harnesses {g}. Of course as far as they’re concerned when we pick up the Easy-Walk it means DOG CLASS and they promptly go insane with joy & anticipation, even more than when I pick up their leashes for ‘walkies’.
tde
You might want to go ahead an lay in a supply of Advantix. You can order it online for far less than you can buy it in stores.
I’d skip the harness – those things just teach the dog to pull.
Get a prong or gentle prong collar for leash training. It sounds like this dog is going to need a fair amount of time to start to trust you so you might want to delay serious leash training for a while.
You should get a soft muzzle that fastens with velcro. You’ll want to introduce this slowly as the dog trusts you. But you’ll definitely want it in the future if your dog is injured you need to examine a wound, etc.
tess
Late to this, and haven’t read through all the comments, but if you want a book to read that might prove somewhat helpful for understanding things from your dog’s point of view, I’d recommend “Animals Make Us Human,” by Temple Grandin.
It’s been out a few months, so still in stores, but your library should have at least once copy, and that’s probably the best route if you are reading for just dogs and cats (she covers panic issues for felines, too, and how they aren’t as unsocial as people tend to believe).
Her explanations of animal motivation and how different types of animals communicate and respond to the world were really interesting, though I do wish she’d spent more time talking about cats. For dogs, she spends a lot of time talking about fear and rage issues, anxiety, and how to teach your dog to deal with frustration (when she can’t have what she wants).
Anyway, that’s this librarian’s 2¢.