Rehomed rescue dog..help!

[stleger]

We have a new dog. He is young - aged 1 to 3 - and looks like a shetland collie crossed with a fox. He is handsome! However, he is behaving like a big puppy. He needs to be housetrained, how do I go about this with an older dog. (Rescue place had been told he was housetrained! He was in kennels there). He doesn't wee on every lamppost when walked - do neutered dogs not do that? Also he has really had no training, most dogs have had the basic sit and give a paw. This one just likes to bounce! Any advice on an overgrown puppy? And he doesn't eat well, he seems convinced 'human food' and shoes are a good diet, I'd like him to eat dogfood at least some of the time. (Past experience of a fussy cat...)

I would think the chances of him being a NSDTR X are fairly low due to the fact they are not common, ditto Shiba Inu

Perhaps some kind of spitz (klein or mittel both come in red variant) or just a random pairing that has come out to look that way.

Out of interest LittleB, does your dog have bad teeth? My friend brough the first Tollers into the UK, thereby starting the breed in this country and they both had poor mouths for a retriever.

Oh we'd so love him to be a Nova Scotia, that sounds very fancy. He has so far shown zero interest in ducks. He nicked dd2's toast off the ironing board this morning, so obviously likes various breakfast foods, which he eats in 'lie down' position. I will 'gravy' his royal canin. Dh is interested in having a personal trainer called in. He had a personal trainer for himself, I think he likes strict ladies!

oh I would love to see photos. I had a border collie crossed with a corgi and he was very fox-like.

I will try to get a photo and put it up, but I am technically challenged! We keep finding poo upstairs, despite dog not being allowed upstairs. He is like lightning. No easy way to confine him downstairs away from stairs due to the shape of the house...we have don the outside on waking and eating routine, he has walked our 2 mile walk 3 times today. We have the name of a trainer though!

Oh, he doesn't look like a nova scotia. They look lovely. I know a few Newfoundlands who are great, it must be the air out that way!

Hi Stleger, we have a 12 month old black lab from a rescue centre, we got in hin Nov and we were told he was house trained, but of course they lose this in kennels. I'd say it took him a good 3 weeks to become consistant and we have had no accidents since. He also would not eat his food, but now he clears his bowl at each meal time - no messing!

We take him to a weekly obediance class and this has helped greatly. His lead walking was awful an recall non existant. We now have recall down to a fine art and lead walking is much improved. We use a training lead and sometimes a gentle leader (similar to a halti but he hates it!)

How long have you had yours? Apparantly it takes around 3 months for a rescue dog to feel truly settled and show you his true character.

SOunds like you have some sort of sheltie- they look like small lassie dogs and often have foxy faces. Look at my profile- I have a tricolour sheltie.

They are extremely intelligent and are usually very easy to train even when older. My first sheltie was 2 when I got him and had had no training and had lived in a kennel out side so no house training either. I took him to training classes and within 3 months he was moved up to the top obedience class and was winning prizes. House training was a little trickier but we got there in the end. Good luck! If he is a sheltie-they are a lovely breed.

Hi Marmadukescarlet, can't believe your friend brought the first tollers into the country, how long ago was that? Rhubarbs teeth are fine but he is only 2, but I met both his parents and other relatives and they seemed to be fine too, I will keep an eye on them though. Apparently his flews are loose though as he does drool a bit, mainly when playing ball and mouthing my terrierX who ends up with a very soggy head!
My toller shows far more interest in my chickens than any ducks, but swims like a seal and has webbed feet, can't keep him out of water, he even jumps in water troughs!
Hope you crack the house training soon, it is hard work but its still early days.I have a friend with a sheltie, shes' loevly but quite noisy! very friendly though and very food orientated. Hope the training goes well, keep us posted!

Yes he is foxy in the faceand tail. but not as dainty as my neighbour's Sheltie (Lassie!) or as furry. Dh is preening at having caught the dog prepoo today, amazing what can please people! Our latest problem is he has tantrums before sleeping and tries to teeth on people. But he has decide to eat a bit better. He is pretty good at walking on a lead, but the shelter lady thought he wasn't used to it.

LittleB, I don't know the exact date/year but somewhere between 25-30 years ago?

It was a woman friend of my parents a well known (nationally) in show/working circles and a breeder. My parents ran dog training clubs and exemption shows in the local area. The woman in question bred 'retrieving' breeds.

I can remember my Father being horrified that the gene pool would start in this country with poor mouths - as a breeder himself he was very concerned about breeding out problems.

She passed away when about 20 yrs ago, so actually it may have been nearer the 30 yrs ago.

hi has he been neutared? thats the first place to start, A child safety gate on the stairs always hoping he cant jump it!! Definately a halti type collar (try the Canny collar )there is a website or ebay for it) Training classes if poss.
Poor thing must feel confused about life too!
xxx

He was neutered before we were allowed to have him, we were wondering if that was affecting his desire to wee on every tree. (Operation was just over 2 weeks ago). He'd be well able for any stair gate, he high jumps in the garden and our stairs are oddly positioned in the middle of the house with a 'run up' available. he is 90% well behaved and ideal family pet, but 10% of the time he is Mr Disobedient. Which isn't too bad, considering his past few weeks. I don't think he was badly treated, just ignored a lot by his previous family.