|
Post by lancafogo on Feb 2, 2006 12:50:06 GMT -5
Hi,
I hope someone out there can shine some light on why we`re having some issues with our new German Shepherd.
We picked up Juno from a kennel on the 28th December. She was a rescue dog and the only background we know is that she is now about 13-14 months old and was left at the kennel due to her snapping at the previous owners Grandmother after she was kicked. From what we`ve seen so far I think it`s fair to say she was mistreated as if you pick up a shoe etc near her she cowers down etc. She had been in the kennel since last August.
She`s not a vicious dog by any stretch of the imagination and is always playful and loves sitting on or around you for attention. She still has a lot of puppy in her. When I enquired as to her house training the kennel owner did say that on occasion she did go to the toilet in her bed area but not very often. On getting her home I think the only training she has previously received is how to `sit`. We are slowly dealing with the training issue but there is one thing that keeps happening that is leaving us at a loss:
During the night and sometimes during the day she wets on the floor, even though she has been out a couple of times a day. I take her out when I get home from work in the evening and then again just before bed. I can`t take her out in the mornings as there are time constraints but she gets a run around the garden while I`m getting ready for work. Usually however there is a wet patch waiting for me in the morning. Today for example I went out of the house for only 3.5 hours and the same thing was waiting for me. I can`t quite figure it out as when someone is at home keeping her company she doesn`t seem to do it and will even stand by the back door if she needs to go out. On other days she`s spent 8+ hours on her own and no problems. The amount of water she`s drinking doesn`t seem to change much.
The problem is that since this has become so regular I`ve started putting paper down to try and save the carpet but I`m wondering if she now thinks that she`s been given the all clear. I do wonder about her bladder control as if you try and tell her off for anything she cowers down and usually leaves a little wet patch….she`s obviously scared probably due to her previous treatment. I`m wondering if having her spade would make any difference.
Any ideas out there as it`s getting quite frustrating.
Thanks
L.
|
|
|
Post by willow on Feb 2, 2006 13:32:01 GMT -5
Congratulation on the new member of your family and I am so happy to hear you adopted an unwanted dog. ;D
It sounds like you are doing well with her, with maybe just a couple of things you could do differently.
Have you taken her to your Vet and had her checked for a kidney or bladder infection?
I would start there and while at the Vets, if she is determined to be in good health, I would definitely have her spayed. Don't wait any longer. Spayed/neutered dogs are healthier dogs.
The next thing I would do is quit putting the paper down and thoroughly clean, according to directions on the bottle, any spots on the carpet and/or bare floor where she wet, with an enzymic (sp) cleaner, such as "Natures Miracle", or "Accidents Happen" etc. Unless you do that, she will keep going back to the spots over and over again.
The next thing I would do is keep her crated when you are gone or when you cannot keep an eye on her to discourage her from going in the house. Let or take her outside immediately when you get home, and first thing in the morning. It sounds to me as if she was just never completely house trained, so you have to go back and train her as you would a puppy. I would take or let her outside more often in the evening between the time you get home and bedtime too, to make sure she is completely empty.
Is there any reason you can't get up 1/2 hr. earlier in the a.m. and take her for a nice walk? If you do that and then crate her, she will more than likely sleep all day and keep her crate clean.
When she squats and pees submissively, never, ever correct her or that will make her behavior worse. If you don't make a big deal over it, and once she becomes more secure with you, she should stop it.
|
|
|
Post by Richard on Feb 2, 2006 14:15:29 GMT -5
Excellent advice Loey.
And I will add my congratulations too for taking on a rescue dog - and a GSD too (yeah, I'm a bit bias)! It appears, based on what you noted, she's in a much better place with you guys now.
It also sounds like she needs some routine in her life. Following up on what Loey noted, if you can find time for a morning and evening walk I know she'd appreciate that.
As well, it almost sounds like you've got to do a bit of retraining on the housebreaking. When we got Nikki from the breeder, she'd been a kennel dog for the first 4 years of her life. There was a learning curve for her too....we were finding puddles and piles around the house, even after she had come inside 20 minutes earlier....once she got into the routine of our prompting "hurry up, go pee" (and we noticed when she needed to go) things went a lot smoother. It was just that she didn't know what was expected of her, which sounds like what you're dealing with in Juno.
Along with that, there will be her adapting to her new pack. Given that she was abused, you will need to be aware, as you said, about repeating the actions around her that the previous <idiot> owners did.
Once she gets used to the fact that she's in a safe home where she will get taken care of properly, she'll come around. Mixed in with that will be training to help her understand her place in your home. She really doesn't need the NILIF program yet but you can work her through the paces. At a bit more than a year old, she will figure out quick once the other issue gets sorted out. Get the daily routine going, look into getting her spayed, get a crate for her comfort and just keep praising her as much as you can when she goes to the potty outside.
Please keep us posted.
P.S.: if you ever find out who "grandma" was that kicked her, let me know, me and the sheps will go pay her a visit. Obviously, whoever got her the dog should of got her a rock instead. No dog should ever be treated like that, nor do they deserve to be and of course if it's a GSD, well, then that gets me even more mad.
|
|
|
Post by lancafogo on Feb 2, 2006 14:24:13 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice. I have not yet been to the vet with her but she is booked in for next Monday. I must admit that every time she has been making a mess due to being `scared` we have been playing the whole thing down. We don`t want her to be a frightened dog, just to know the rules etc. As for a routine we can but try. Both my wife and I wonrk varying hours and it is not possible to know exactly where we will be at what time each day. The only plus to this is that Juno is very rarely left for more than a few hours at a time. We`ll have a think about the `crated` idea. Would prefer to avoid that is possible I think. I`m sure that what we`re going through is normal for a rescue dog. We`ve only ever got rescue dogs but I think we must have just been lucky with the housetraining part until now . Don`t worry, if I find out where granny lives I`ll pass the info on!! While I was at the kennel someone else was returning a dog they had taken home for ONE DAY simply because it had been crying in the night.....some people 8-(. One thing for sure is that we won`t be giving up and she`s stuck with us 8-P. Thanks for the help. L.
|
|
|
Post by FlatCoatedLover on Feb 2, 2006 18:37:21 GMT -5
Why do you want to avoid crate training? From your response it seems like you think it is somehow a bad thing to do.
Having a crate trained dog does not mean the dog will be in the crate most of the time or even a lot of the time. In the begining there are in there when you can not watch the 100% to prevent accidents and in some cases distruction of property or harm to itself. As they become more and more reliable with their behavior they spend less and less human insitgated time in the crate. It is a great way to house train because it makes it easier because dogs usually will not go to the bathroom where they sleep, you will not have to worry about messes occuring in the house while you are gone.
When introduced properly the dog will look at the crate as a good place and many will come to view it as their " den." When they are comfortable with the crate they will use it as a sanctuary when they are over stimulated, stressed, tired, maybe to chew a bone or many other things. Crate training also comes in handy when you have to travel with you dog. Lucy (my FCL) had not be crate trained previously when we had to move back to the US from the Caribbean. She is a pretty big dog so had to be shipped as cargo on the plane. Becuase she had never been in a crate before she was very stressed out by the who ordeal and took quite some time to readjust once we settled in at our new house. It is also good when traveling on the road with a dog to have them crated in the car to help decrease the risk of injury in the case of an accident.
My other dog Dunan was crate trained immeadiately and he quickly began to see it as a good place to be. He would take his food in there even if we tried to feed him elsewhere. He was kind of shy and when new people were around he would sit in his crate until everyone seemed to forget he was there and then he would venture out and sniff people and start warming up to them. He even slept in a crate in our bedroom, we never closed the door but he would always stay in there until we got up in the morning.
|
|
|
Post by Summer Magic on Feb 2, 2006 19:05:12 GMT -5
I agree about the crate training. I've had my rescued sheltie for over two years and I still crate her when I leave the house. Not because I don't trust her it's because she prefers the security of her own house within my house. I give her a kong filled with chopped meat and cheese and she spends lots of time cleaning it out. She is much more comfortable in the crate than being free in the house.
|
|
|
Post by lancafogo on Feb 7, 2006 5:43:33 GMT -5
I`m sure crating works for alot of dogs, it just seems like an odd idea to me. Juno (and our previous dog) loved the run of the house. Obviously they have an area that is effectively there`s where they like to sleep and eat bones etc but the thought of locking them into that area has never crossed my mind.
I think Juno would freak if we did that since when whenevr she manages to get locked in somewhere away from people she goes nuts. We have no worries regarding chewing or anything else we need to change, it`s just the toilet training which I must admit has improved over the last couple of days. She hasn`t yet mastered the art of asking to go out but I appreciate that will take time and patience.
L.
|
|