Oh my giddy god......

[HangingOver]

I can't actually believe I'm finally typing this... I think I'm getting a dog!

I've wanted one of my own my entire life. I had one growing up and look after friends and neighbours at every available opportunity as I adore dogs so much. A rescue came up locally and I thought he looked lovely, he was snapped up immediately, but came up again yesterday! Me and DP are meeting him this afternoon.

Any tips for meeting a rescue for the first time? Other than being gentle and calm? He's 8 months so a bouncy chap.

ARGGGH! So excited. 😁

I know it’s controversial, and I dont know if it’s been discussed, but I would put him in a covered crate for 2 hours in the morning, 2 hours in the afternoon. Mine like classical music. Yours might prefer a bit of drum n bass. You have to be able to work, and he needs to sleep so he grows good strong bones. If you cant work, you can’t afford him, so don’t feel guilty. He will get used to it it, and as he becomes less destructive, he can be left free to roam.

So the crate is a tricky one because we were told he was crate trained but also that the people who tried to adopt him previously had him taken back by the rescue because they were leaving him alone in the crate for 3 hours at a time when they went out from the word go. I don't know for sure but based on his behaviour now I would guess he spend the entire time yelling his head off.

He happily sleeps all night in his crate atm but I've only been putting him in there at other times for ten mins at a time with a tasty treat and then letting him out again. Even if i go upstairs to take a shower and wash my hair when I'm home alone and i pop him in the crate, once he's finished his Kong he begins to bark and whine.

So if he WAS crate trained, I think he's gone backwards due to his experience - or, much like the 'he goes nicely on a lead' and 'he's fine in the car', what I was told didn't match up to how he is here!

Yes, that is tricky, but other people, knowing that history, would have not used the crate at night either, to avoid retraumatising him, but you do and it’s ok. It might be useful to reframe it to be his sleep space. He is a young dog and he needs 2 longish naps as well as a long sleep at night. Not at all the same as stuffing him in there and leaving him while you go out. I’m not criticising you at all, I think he’s a lucky dog to have you, but that doesn’t mean you need to let him stuff up your life, as well as your soft furnishings!

I remember crying when mine were young, and they were little ones. It's hard but you will get through this.

Does he calm when cuddling? Would more sessions snuggling on the couch help? Mine also slept like angels on the bed with me, but I take it you don't want him upstairs.

We took our lead from him because he took himself to bed the first night in his crate and he's been doing it ever since without a peep, and secondly it isn't safe for him to sleep with freedom to roam at the moment. Much better to leave him with what he was used to and comfortable with when it comes to overnight.

I can't suddenly expect him to go from managing ten mins in daytime in his crate to shutting him in for 2 x 2 hours per day. If he doesn't happen to feel like napping he'll bark the house down and hate it.

Thank you ❤️ I did originally want him upstairs actually! I have a lovely cosy study up there that I normally work in and I had planned to have a bed for him in the corner while I was working but I didn't realise the extent of his soft furnishings fetish 😂

If I took him upstairs now he would tear the duvets and pillows to ribbons, pull all my clothes off the rack and rip them, chew up the soft ottomans and the rugs and towels and rip the carpet off the stairs. He just can't control himself around soft things at the moment, they send him crazy.

What if you walked him up to your study with his leash on and then closed the door or used a baby gate so that he’s restricted to just the study? Remove all soft furnishings except for your chair and a bed for him.

Hopefully one day 😊

He doesn't even have a bed at the moment just a pile of old shredded blankets and towels lol

Likimats, the original thing are waaaaaay too flimsy - the UFO thing they do with the suckers on the bottom however is another story, it is big idiot dog proof, can be suckered to a smooth surface or not, as appropriate and is a pretty chunky robust bit of kit! Tbh I'd just use a cheap plastic chopping board for now though.

Overtired is definitely a thing and manic, overtired puppies are difficult to handle. You will get better at recognising it and knowing when to stop before it happens as you get to know him. The destructive phase will also pass as he settles down and grows up. It is a pain having to distract them all the time, but it is short phase and you sound like you are approaching it just right. You are doing really well, OP. In a few months you will look back at this period and it will seem like a different dog in a different time. Try not to get too discouraged on the hard days!

Thank you I needed that today. ❤️

DangerPod just knocked something over which made a loud noise and did tragic ears for a full ten minutes and required a lot of gentle patting to make it better 🥹

My pup just scratched my arm pawing at me for attention which hurt & resulted in me shouting “Go away!” (very unusual) so he ran off then came back quietly all contrite.

Was very very sorry for 10 minutes then forgot himself and started jumping all over me again 🙄

Can we see a tragic ears photo please. I'm sure he does that really well.

I think we definitely need a photo of the tragic ears too

I will photograph them when they next appear.

Meanwhile, RescuePod today made to take me down our usual footpath today near my house, so rather than explain to him the tide was in, I showed him. He was amazed, then blew bubbles in the water with his snoot.

Oh wait, I do have the tragic ears 💔

Half-mast ears!

Oh my! What a hangdog look!

Oh what sad face. The poor boy. He'll start to get used to not being shouted at soon I should imagine

Oh dear, that is a proper SadFace™️

Adorable. Both Amazed Ears at the sea (moving water! - it freaks lots of dogs out as they think it's Just Wrong) and the Tragic Ears.

He looks so sad.
There's a huge amount to learn what with vanishing paths and sofas and stuff!

There's a sort of giant football made for horses. It's the only toy my friend's dog hasn't ripped to bits.

You are doing so well with him!
I bet in a few months you can look back and see how far you have come.
He sounds so interesting from a training point of view. He must hVe gone through so much bless him.

Thank you. That's partially the reason I've been keeping up with this thread, as a sort of Pod Diary.

On this morning's walk I concluded the optimum number of arms for Podwalking is, in fact, five. Two to manage the lead-pulling, one full on treats to stick in his gob for good behaviour, one to hold to poop and one to rewind my podcast because I keep missing bits.