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 have a Podenco. They are beautiful dogs with great temperaments but can be sensitive so need gentle handling/training. They also have a high prey drive and are a flight risk so I wouldn’t recommend letting him off the lead any time soon. We have a Houdini harness which are recommended for the breed. I can let my boy off but many never do as they are super fast and can disappear in seconds after a small furry. He will prob love sniffing through long grass. Mine caught six mice today and he’s happiest when he’s hunting. There’s some great Podenco groups on Facebook and a lovely Podenco community on Instagram so I’d recommend having a look. Don’t worry if he doesn’t settle in straight away. Mine ripped up our floor as he had separation anxiety from me at the beginning and he’s now super chill and can be left no problem. Patience is definitely key. Feel free to message if you have any difficult days. Enjoy your lovely boy!

I agree . We have two dogs both rescues and rescued a puppy recently she’s absolutely bonkers . I forgot how they eat everything, glasses, cables etc etc . So put stuff away and be very patient.
do ten mins training with her daily and take her out to places to meet people and other dogs. A supermarket car park is a very good place to hang around in.

good luck , don’t forget young dogs need time out like toddlers so some enforced rest in a safe place like a crate is good . Picture of Isla margot . She’s a bonkers poppet .

Oh blimey OP - your latest update!!

Re your soft tissue condition, it perhaps would have been better to get a smaller breed that couldn’t accidentally injure you so badly but hindsight is a wonderful thing! You sound like quite a nervous handler too, which could exacerbate things (no criticism implied - understandable given your condition).

Obvs you don’t want to take him back to the shelter but if this is quite a boisterous breed you’re going to need top notch training so you don’t get hurt again. Maybe once he’s settled you could pay for a couple of 1:1 sessions with a dog behaviourist? That might give you the confidence to handle his more exuberant behaviours without putting yourself at risk? Not being able to get him off you and having to shut yourself/him behind a door, and ending up black and blue can’t be an option going forwards. And there may be other rather bouncy/physical behaviours he goes on to show that could accidentally hurt you, it’s not just the clothes tugging, so it really is important to nip this in the bud.

Every rescue dog needs time to settle but this sounds a bit extreme, given your circumstances. You need to be confident in handling him and be able to manage him on your own.

How are you feeling about it now?

(I don’t know this breed so I don’t know whether they’re prone to being a bit bonkers).

I find dogs are such a joy. We recently got another border collie and we LOVE her. She does sleep funny though... double dog bed and upside down.🥰 Just remember it will take time to get used to each other and enjoy the training...make it fun it doesn't have to be all sit, stay, down etc. Loads of training videos tips on Instagram. My personal favourites are high five, selfie (where dog hugs you and poses for a photo) and play dead 🤣

I'm quite concerned about you OP. The reality of having a dog can be a overwhelming, this one sounds bloody frightening. Thinking of you....a lot. x

OP, your safety comes first.

This lad sounds like an awful lot for a first-time dog owner to take on. The rescue sounds bloody irresponsible in my opinion.

There’s no shame in admitting you can’t meet his needs. Safety first.

OP, I've suggested in an earlier post that any new puppy owner should engage a local dog trainer to do some one to one work (my trainer has a 4 session puppy training package) to get started on the right foot. In your case, I feel you must look for a trainer immediately to help you establish packing order and boundary before your little love bug turned into a nightmare. I didn't do it initially for my first Saint Bernard thinking that I have had 4 dogs (including a huge Bernese) and could handle anything. Well, it took me getting knocked over and dragged by her to realised I was in deep water...she's sweet and obedient now but it took the dog trainer 6 sessions and she's still a bit wild and very dominant with other dogs (though never injured one) on occasions. Your dog needs professional training. If you don't know where to find one, look up your local police dog training unit, their trainers are top notch so a retired trainer would be ideal.

I hope you're ok @HangingOver that sounds really frightening.

It may be that your dog is just overwhelmed at all the new experiences and so acting a bit crazy and will calm down soon.

However, I just wanted to say don't feel like you have to keep them if their behaviour continues to frighten and physically hurt you. I know you love dogs as do I and would never return a dog to a shelter if you could possibly help it. But I also think you deserve to feel safe in your own home

I'm crossing my fingers hard that the dog's behaviour starts to become easier soon.

I'm in agreement with a few folks on here OP. I actually logged on for updates to see how you are because it sounded like a potentially challenging fit for a few reasons, and I wonder if the rescue were perhaps not doing their best to find the right home for him. If that's the case then this could end up being disastrous for all three of you, really not fair on you all. But I'm of course hoping he's settling and you're getting enough of the great moments and that you're all feeling safe and well.

I guess it's now clear why he was returned so fast last time :/

Yep that would worry me too…. edited as I missed your update, sorry it has been so hard.

I'm worried that this is a compatibility issue. I feel that maybe this dog needs a more experienced owner, and this owner probably needs a calmer dog.

I know it's early days and I hope things improve but not every breed of dog is right for every person.

Agree with this.

I said earlier i would never have returned my dog to the rescue, but that's because she was manic in many ways but not a physical challenge to me.

He might settle quickly with the advice you've been given but sounds as if he needs confident and experienced handling.

I do hope all goes well as he almost certainly has the makings of a good and loving dog, but there's no shame in giving him back if he's hurting you.

I agree.

If this dog turns out not to be compatible with @HangingOver it's not the case that they aren't suitable to be a dog owner just that this one may not be the right one for them. All puppies may be hard work but I've not had one act like this & I know I couldn't cope with it so I really hope this one calms down.

The rescue centre sound like they may have been irresponsible here. Why was he there in the first place?

Hey op - how are you all getting on?

OP I hope you're ok. Please don't give up on him. I know his behaviour is a lot but he needs you to show him how to behave. He loves you and is trying to tell you that and make friends, admittedly in a way that is understandablly frightening for you. Others on here have recommended a behaviourist. If you have pet insurance you should be able to claim. Please do that and give it time. He won't change overnight but this won't last forever and he deserves a chance to settle and be part of your family.

I have to disagree here, the dog does not love the OP, please stop humanising dogs. He is a dog, an animal, and needs understanding for what he is, not as a toy or a substitute human.
I know lots of dog lovers will think me cold, but as an outsider looking in I think this is not the right dog for the OP, who sounds absolutely lovely but should have been placed with a much calmer breed of dog, this dog needs handling by someone much more experienced.
Dogs are powerful animals and I think the OP is in a very tricky situation with this one, I would very much put the blame on those who made the placement.

Thanks for the thoughts and advice everyone, I really appreciate it. We talked about this a lot last night. DPs initial reaction when he saw my arms was "Oh he has to go back". But my neighbour (v. experienced dog owner) came over and we all talked then the rescue lady phoned and talked it through with me. I do want to give him another chance because as I say it 100% wasn't malice, it was play - BUT that being said, I do have to think of my own safety (and others, if he were to try it with them). I really do bruise easily so I'm completely used to having bruises but that said, this was more powerful that normal 'mouthing'.

Basically, if it's a not a behaviour that can be nipped in the bud FAST with training, then he will need to go to someone more experienced. Because even though he won't seriously harm me, we'll never bond if he is able to hurt me so we wouldn't be helping him. He was so baffled and worried afterwards, bless him. I think one of the reasons I was so upset after it happened was because I really love him and want to keep him.

The rescue lady told me exactly what to do next time he tries it: say NO! loudly and firmly, slip lead straight on, lead to conservatory, shut door between us for five minutes for him to calm down, then bring him out and do some sits/paw for treats. And every single time he starts, he gets put back in timeout so he learns its not fun to do. Sound so simple and logical looking back on it!

So I'm taking it hour by hour today. Loose clothing does seem to be a trigger so I've whacked the heating up and I'm wearing one of my dance unitards today. And the trainer is phoning today to arrange a time to come, and if he can't come soon enough I'll just ring someone else and get them to come.

I did say to DP when he got him the only thing that would ever make me return him would be if it were in some way unsafe (for any of us). At least if we did have to return him, which I don't think we will, he will have have at least had the small benefit of having been loved and cared for and warm and safe while he was here, as opposed to in a kennel on his own.

He had his first walkie on the beach this morning with me, my neighbour and my neighbours two dogs and he loved it. He was so amazed by the waves!

There are plenty of dog breeds that are calm and gentle and more compatible with a first time owner, and especially one with a tricky medical condition. I'd return him personally.

@HangingOver please could you be very careful. I have a SEND child that gets attacked in parks just because he is a litttle different. Please be very careful about what you are taking on.

Very glad you are getting a dog trainer. If he/she is any good, you are already half way there!
Wishing you and DDog all the best! X

I'm a tricky cat person rather than a tricky dog person (haven't had dogs for a long time), but I'm wondering if you're doing too much with him too soon, which is making him over-excited and over-excitable? Possibly you're feeling bad as he's had such a crappy start and you want to make up for it and show him he's loved? He's already had walks in different places and perhaps a few visitors? That's quite a lot as he's only been with you for 2 nights, ideally everything should still be low key and calm, with a focus on some basic house manners and bond-building.

I'm glad he got to the beach. Hope everything works out.

I wonder if he was abusively trained to attack people with loose clothing.

You clearly adore him. What a lucky dog to have a beach. Hope it works out.