Anyone fancy a rescue survival thread?

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

We got our girl (lurcher) yesterday. She's one. She's actually good as gold, but obviously there are the inevitable teething troubles. I'm at home with her all the time, and it's a bit knackering having this very intense, one to one relationship with this smelly creature that's just parachuted into our lives. Tonight I'll be sleeping on the living room floor because she won't settle at night otherwise. We are working up to leaving her, but I just don't want to come down to a trashed living room.

BTW we do love her. Just feeling the same way I did when DS was a newborn - kind of: what the fuck have we done?

[TropicPlunder]

I'd like to join! I got my hound from a shelter around 2 months ago....about 7 months old. She's doing great now and growing in confidence (and then Some!). I know nothing about her background other than she was a street dog. Gradually getting socialised now. Do you know much about the background of yours? Are you able to get out with her (and wear her out) a bit? Heres a photo of mine

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

She is beautiful!

Ours was dumped on a dual carriageway apparently. I take her out for an hour every afternoon and DH does a half hour in the morning. She really is the sweetest thing, but she's a lot younger than our last two were, and a lot more needy! It can be a bit frustrating at times, because she'll follow me round obsessively while DH and DS are trying to get her attention. She's currently hugging my arm.

[joystir59]

It's very early days, she will grow in confidence and start relating to other members of the family. Patience is the key. We've had our JRT (he's nearly 5) for 11 months and have been through a lot with him. It took a long time and the help of a behaviourist for us to start genuinely connecting with him. He is our joy and we love him to pieces. Best dog in the world (in our house) and best thing we ever did

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

She ventured into the garden without me today!!! For five seconds, but still amazing. Now hugging my arm again. Everything I post on MN for the next 10 years will be typed one-handed.

[userxx]

@TropicPlunder look at the size of her paws 😱. She's going to be a big un!! She's absolutely gorgeous.

[TropicPlunder]

Good news cabbage! Small steps. Sounds hard having a clingy one, hope she settles down. Luckily mine likes to also follow my daughter about.
Yes user, she's growing really quickly! Think she'll be tall

[DorisDayisMe]

We got our Rescue TerrierXPatterdale at the end of December. She slept in my bedroom until 2weeks when she decided the sofa was better. I am pleased that some confidence has so I am not sure that it can be cured.

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Discovered the benefits of clingyness today. Recall trained her in about 30 minutes! Obviously we'll keep at it, but gut feeling is that she'll be fine (as long as there are no squirrels around).

She's sleeping downstairs at night with the radio on now thank god (great tip that, btw). DH has taken her and DS to the beach this afternoon to give me a bit of a breather.

Keep seeing immaculately groomed women out walking dogs. How do they do it? I'm covered in mud and hair and smell like a stable.

[TropicPlunder]

Wonderful! We're good at recall unless we're in a big open space....then she loses her hearing even if she's standing next to me!! I want to start some classes soon.... has anybody done training classes with an older puppy/adult rescue? Did you join a puppy class or something else?

I never look neat when out walking.... it's a lovely excuse with a small child and dog in tow....I don't even mind being muddy/scruffy

[honeyroar]

What a lovely thread. I've two rescues, both been here a while now. I'd never have anything else.

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

She still loves me after a bath and eye drops (she has very sore looking eyes and the vet gave us antibiotic drops just in case). Main worry now is trying to find a food she'll eat. We want to do kibble just because it's so much easier, but she will literally take all day to eat breakfast. Tried a few different types now. She's not fused about food generally it seems, would much rather have fuss.

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

My rescue dog is very eager to please (staffie cross) and arrived with nice manners (thanks, Battersea) - her recall is pretty impressive but, like you, Cabbage, we have to factor in the squirrel attraction element (also rats, deer, foxes cats under peoples' cars in their drives, etc) which makes her hard of hearing. She can't get the "paw" thing - she'll let me pick it up but it just kind of dangles limply from my hand and she looks faintly surprised that I wanted to pick it up - she's not got the idea that I want her to proffer it. She was a bit of a wuss with a wobbly kong too but she got the idea in the end - not clever enough to have sussed out that the HOLE is the key to delicious titbits and it has to be facing downwards but she generally manages to empty the thing in time. Mine has wet food with high meat content, no cereals/grains as she has a rather sensitive tum and these were my instructions from Battersea. I don't like dry dog food much - I would find it hugely boring and I don't see why my dog wouldn't also do so. Mine followed me everywhere at first and this went on for weeks but she doesn't do it now unless she thinks there is food in it, so I think your dog will relax in time too. I've had JoyfulDog for just over a year now and very joyful she is too, which is a nice atmosphere to have in the home. She was dumped in inner London and had some time on the streets being cruelly treated by children (and fed in bakery shops, I think as she wants to get into them all the time).

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Joyful She sounds very sweet. I know I'm stating the obvious here, but it's lovely to think of all these lost dogs in safe, loving homes.

We caved this morning, dashed out and bought cans. She's just inhaled one.

I went out to the kitchen just now. She pattered in, looked at me, then went back of her own accord and joined DS on the sofa

Pretty sure she's on Dogsnet somewhere: 'Day five. I had to be really patient with the food training, but I think the penny dropped today. It's been tough going though. I'm quite experienced with humans, but these ones are pretty wilful. Still cute though x'

[TropicPlunder]

cabbage! My dog came to us very under fed and still wasn't keen on kibble unless something tastier was put on top! Glad yours is finding her independence.
Joyful, mine also doesn't get 'paw' but was quick to learn the other basics. Getting her paw myself seems to be an invitation for some bitey play! May try again when she's matured a bit

[Trying2bgd]

We got our rescue dog a few weeks ago and as first timers we are struggling. She's 6 months and in many ways lovely but we didn't realise it would be so hard. We are getting a trainer in next week to help us. We feel guilty but at this point we completely regret it.

[TropicPlunder]

What type of issues are you having, trying? For what it's worth, 6 months is a tricky age. We got ours at about 6 months and had 2 weeks of timid puppy, followed by full on over confident and challenging adolescence. 2 months later, she's already much calmer

[DorynownotFloundering]

I'm in. 😁
My "pup" is an 8yr old Goldie of a dubious parentage who actually behaves like an 18month old. Background of being over fed
& under exercised & trained, much loved but lots of bad habits. Previous family had to rehome bc of illness. He's pretty full on but very affectionate, likes to try & climb on your lap all 32kg of him.
Doing ok with training but has fear aggression towards some dogs on lead, so lots of work to be done , but bless him he does make me smile when I'm not cursing him😁😍

[Trying2bgd]

I think its the sheer upheaval and the reality of life with a rescue. She is hard work and we don't get much adoration or affection. We get the feeling she would happily follow anybody home. Just trying to take one day at a time. My dh regrets her so much that he would like to return her!

[honeyroar]

That's really sad Trying, for all three of you. I think a trainer sooner than later is a good thing, you do sound like you need help.

In what way has there been a sheer upheaval? I guess life with any dog is an upheaval if you've never had one. What kind of dog is she? Do you know much about her previous life? (Just trying to get a picture in my head and see if anything springs to mind). As someone said, six months can be a tough age. My oldest dog had had four homes before us at a year old, and was hard work. We had to wear him out and find something he loved - retrieving in his case.

[DorisDayisMe]

Our trainer was very good. We said that we felt it was us that needed training rather than the dog. She gave us a clicker and treats and showed us how to react to her and how to get her to listen to us. Lots of the things that we thought we were doing for the dogs’ benefit, really were not helping her. We have invested a lot of time with her and now 3 months since we had her she is a different dog.

[Trying2bgd]

We are complete novices when it comes to dogs hence the shock to our lives. It is very much like suddenly having someone else's newborn/toddler in your house. She is a staffie mix but we know very little about her past. I'm hoping things get better soon and the routine becomes routine to us!

[agedknees]

This is our rescued dog, he’s nearly 6 now. We’re his 3rd home. It took time, but he’s the most loving dog we have had (all our other dogs we had from pups).

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Hi Trying it is a massive upheaval, isn't it? We're relatively lucky in that she's pretty good, I work from home, we're experienced dog owners and we already have a small child (so no life to start with). Even so, it's been a shock. As I think I mentioned upthread, it's very similar to the feeling you get with your first child. Unless you're a brilliant, instinctive, natural parent/dog owner - which I'm not - then you spend a lot of time mourning the lifestyle you've lost. As you go along though, the moments of joy get bigger and more frequent, and there will come a time when you feel they've always been there.

She's maybe 50% off lead now, so a lot more chilled because she's getting more exercise and more chances to explore smells properly. One of the best things about lurchers is watching them go berserk in a field and then trot over looking all proud

Also, huge coincidence - today a woman came over and introduced herself as the one who found her and brought her into the rescue centre!

[Trying2bgd]

@JesusInTheCabbageVan
Sounds indeed like our situation. She is part lurcher and chases the cat despite being told she was good with cats! It all seems horrible at the moment and I really do mourn my previous life. Am trying to find positives to keep going.

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

Trying Hang in there

Ours did a wee on the living room floor today, not sure what that's all about. She'd had plenty of chances to go out and wasn't particularly stressed or anything (wasn't shut in and I was nearby. Just having a 'sod' moment I guess.