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'm so sorry about your Nana.
I really hope things improve for you but I just wanted to say if things become so bad that it's having an affect on your day to day life and comfort/safety there is no shame in admitting defeat. This is obviously the reason he has been rehomed several times and there are loads of dogs needing homes without these issues.
I can tell from your posts how committed you are to him and how well you are doing so you may want to ignore this but just wanted to say it. X

Sorry you've lost your Nana :(

You will get there with Pod, I'm sure. You're doing such an amazing job with him, although I know it's really really tough.

Thank you. I'm hoping it's a short term thing he'll get bored of. When he does it inside I can put a door between us so it's fine but outside or on a walk I'm quite vulnerable. I'm sure he's just overstimulated from the vet and acting up but it's such a horrible feeling having a big dog chomping at you and you can't get away. There's not a lot I can do except walk back inside as calmly as I can (with a 25kg dog hanging off me!).

How about doing some muzzle training with him so that he would happily wear a muzzle on walks and be unable to grab you?

So sorry to hear about your Nana @HangingOver ❤️

I'm sorry about your nanna. Hang in there. You're so amazing for not giving up on Pod. He loves you.... I'm sorry he is being so challenging when you have the least amount of emotional reserves to deal. You've got this though.

I’m sorry for your sad news OP.
I do echo the thoughts of @Newuser75 , it is okay for you to say you just can’t handle things, I think you’ve done amazingly well so far but the fact that your dog is lunging at you like that is very disconcerting and he could cause serious damage if he was to bite you, even if it wasn’t intentional.
There are so many beautiful dogs needing a loving home, maybe he will be best suited to a different environment, you want a dog you can trust and feel at ease with, a dog you can enjoy every day and have fun with, maybe he is not the dog for you, you have tried your best.
Only you know how much longer you can go on but it all sounds extremely stressful.

Sending condolences. The loss of a close grandmother is hard.

I agree with all the posters who say you are amazing sticking with a dog with those behaviour patterns. Having kept up with this thread I feel I want to ask what you would do if in a years time with all the training in the world nothing changed & pod was still exactly the same. I have no experience of dogs but I do believe this can happen at least according to what I've read in the past.

@HangingOver I'm so very sorry about your nana. That's so hard and you have so much to carry right now.

Have you found the DTAS FB page? They've just started a special group for those with rescues - they are absolutely wonderful, and will give you so much support.

The only other practical suggestion I have is to scatter treatos or his dinner on the floor or in the grass so that his nose is down rather than trying to get up at you. Bill is jumpy and scrabbly when he's over stimulated but he is a shortarse and only 20kg so, while it can be a pain in the arse, he's not damaging me. You might also want to think about getting special super-tough clothes while he's going through this phase - wellies if he bites ankles, leather gloves if he goes for your hands, a tough jacket for your arms.

To add to my previous message. I've just read this post plus a few other similar posts you've added. I couldn't cope with this for a day never mind for goodness knows how long. I 100% agree with other posters who have said sometimes you have to admit defeat. One day it may not be just your clothes he rips to shreds, or he could lunge at a child in a similar fashion. It's understandable you have serious feelings for this dogs cute side but can you honestly cope with this behaviou pattern for much longer,possibly for good OP 😪

I've just come to the hard decision of returning my rescue dog after 4 weeks - (it was a foster basis first)- sometimes it's just not the right fit, and actually their behaviour is a sign they're not settling and the best thing you can do is offer them the opportunity for another home.

Mine didn't have the severity of issues Pod does but there were enough behaviour issues for me to think 'could I live with this long term? No.'

I'm sure better people than me cope but I can't, unfortunately.

Sending you even more love than yesterday. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I hope the trainer gets back to you quickly with some help.

As others have said please stay safe above all else. Even if it doesn't feel like it's right for Pod, safety is first.

I'm sure it was heartbreaking but also a huge relief. It is the OP who is having to live with this nightmare of having her clothes etc ripped apart. No amount of encouragement to 'stick at it' is changing anything so I don't know at this stage if this is the best advice. Please don't feel guilty OP if it all becomes too much to handle.

I am so sorry you've lost your Nanna.

Could you leave him in the garden for a few moments and go in? I know he might bark but if you explain to the neighbours this is a short term thing you are trying they might be sympathetic.

OP bereavement is hard and is not the time to be making big decisions. I agree with others that there's no shame if it turns out you're not a good fit for Pod, but now isn't a good time to make a decision like that.

You are doing the right thing to contact your trainer urgently. Please also ask them about any local, temporary help there may be available.

I'm sorry about your nan.

Sadly OP is doing her best to tolerate the very behaviour that has proved there is no
'good fit' in situations like this or else dog lovers wouldn't be returning him. It is unfair to keep at the OP to 'stick with it' when she is being lunged at & her clothes etc are being ripped apart.

@Bthebestucanb I'm not saying just stick with it, I'm saying explore what other help there might be that would avoid the need to make an irrevocable decision just now.

It's highly likely Pod is picking up on the emotions you're experiencing, as well as failing to deal with his own massive feels about the world around him, which he unfortunately expresses by getting jumpy and bitey.

Out and about, is your lead long enough that if necessary you can step on it without having to bend down, so he has enough slack to stand, but not enough to jump?

A muzzle might be a consideration however introducing him to it will need to be done slowly and carefully and it may add more stress for him which would lead to him flinging himself around, smashing his head about trying to get it off - I also find if the muzzle allows you to poke treats IN, then the canny pointy faced type dog can shove their nose to the front and get a grip with the front teeth on tshirt/tennis ball fluff/rabbit skin (yup I knew a lurcher who could still catch a rabbit whilst muzzled)... As you need to be able to give treats/scatter treats/use toys... this may not be a great solution right now.

Can trainer come for a walk with you, from getting ready to go out, to coming in for a sit down and a cuppa afterward, give you some practical management ideas?

Sorry I meant in general not just you. I just feel its OK to keep giving advice & excuses but ultimately this dog has been uncontrollable with numerous owners who no doubt tried their hardest with the help of trainers too. I haven't read the whole thread so I don't know if the OP was made aware of this pattern of behaviour. I certainly hope she was. It's seriously unfair if she wasn't. Dog lovers don't give up on a dog easily which is admirable. There comes a time where saftey comes first & its more sensible to admit its just not working. It must be impossible to relax when you turn your back on a dog & don't know if it's about to lunge at you & rip the shirt of your back. It sounds horrendous.

I’m sorry about your nanna.

Maybe Pod would benefit from some anti anxiety medication from the vet to help him relax, and then training would be easier to implement. Is doggy CBD oil legal there? That could be another option to get him to chill out on days like when workmen are around.

It definitely sounds like you need the trainer to come to your house and work directly in person with you and Pod. Puppy classes aren’t going to be enough this clearly intelligent but behaviourally challenged dog.

Dogs do act up when they feel their owners are emotionally upset. I hope Pod behaves himself better today. Very sorry to hear about your Nana.

She has only had him for a few weeks, behavioural change doesn't happen so fast. "Stick at it" is what you have to do when training a dog. The changes happen gradually, as with all living beings. They aren't robots that you can just reprogramme.

Thanks for your kind words everyone and for your concern about me. I'm not thinking of returning him at this stage. He's had a long sleep and a short walk and is being lovely again. I've spoken to the trainer and he's given us some more tips for managing his over stimulated outbursts as safely as possible (for me and Pod). DP is back now which helps a lot as it means we can work together. I'll post pics from his first off lead experience tomorrow ☺️

It’s not really a job for a first timer though, with the best will in the world.

I'm glad you are talking with a trainer. In my country, when puppies behave in this way, we call it having a "rapture". I am not sure if it is called this in English. But raptures are a feature of puppyhood and they do end. Puppies can be destructive, manic and honestly a little bit frightening when in a rapture. I learnt to secure the dog and then walk away any time it happened, and leave the dog to calm down alone. Any kind of interaction would just make him worse. The raptures actually disappeared fairly fast with practice and with the dog growing up. Pod will be a different dog in a few months. You are going great.