Adopted a Dog, and Need Encouragement!

Obedience training and behavioral training. I don't understand why people and families think dogs don't need this... ALL dogs do. Call around for trainers for pricing, see if they offer home visits, etc...

I did not rescue an older dog, but I did rescue my dog.

She was NUTS when I first brought her home, NUTS. To the point where I was on the kitchen counter calling the shelter about bringing her back.

Then, I realized, HER whole life had been turned upside down. She did not know what was going on & was adjusting to a completely new situation. Stepping back and thinking about it from her point of view, helped me calm down and take things slowly.

Having an older dog, well, you just don't know what its been through, so it will need extra TLC and patience and guidance. There is a lot going on in your house... dog, kids, new people, new place, rules, etc. Some dogs are like kids, just need extra help settling into a routine.

With my dog, I found the calmer & more rational I was, the better she was.

It is HARD, but I bet with all that love in your heart, it will work out for the best!!

I wouldn't say almost a year old is an older dog, that's a puppy. :) Puppy mills are psychologically damaging to dogs, so I bet your new one is having a lot of separation anxiety--shown by the freaking out and chewing when alone. What breed is he? Seek out some training, look for "positive training"--you have to be gentle with rescue dogs, and ask trainers if they have experience with rescues.

One thing we did to build trust when we rescued our dog (10+ years ago), was to feed him by hand. If your dog is at all food-motivated (and most are), this can really help them become part of your pack. (With dogs, he who has the food is the master.)

Usually a really long walk in the morning will help the dog be calmer the rest of the day. Really long meaning at least 45 minutes. Also, dogs often need to go somewhere, walk somewhere, as exercise, not just run in circles in a yard.

If the poor dog is from a puppy mill, my guess is that he has had no socialization and has no idea how to behave in a house - he very well could have been living outside or in a kennel with minimal human contact. The first few months of a puppy's life are critical for becoming socialized to humans and learning proper behavior, like going to the bathroom outside and not chewing stuff up. He is going to take A LOT of patience and re-training and consistency. You probably will want to consider consulting a professional on this one - either an experienced dog trainer who practices positive reinforcement or a veterinarian who specializes in behavior problems (your regular vet can probably recommend one). Good luck!

Think of your dog as a kid you've adopted. This "kid" has all sorts of memories and feelings. The feeling that may be showing up now is insecurity. When you close the door, he may actually feel you're closing him out. Don't blame him for this - if you came from where he came from, you might feel that way, too.

If he were my dog I'd look for help. I'd ask around of my dog-loving friends and my vet's office and get the name of someone who works well with dogs like this.

Meanwhile, I'd pay as much attention to him as I could. I'd reward him with a bit of carrot or other small treat when he did anything (and I mean anything) I approved of - even wagging his tail. I'd try to let him know that I was (1) the lead dog and (2) on his side. I'd also move the dog crate into my bedroom. Yes, weird, I know, but your newcomer might feel more secure knowing you're in the same room. (At my house the dog crate is a standard piece of bedroom furniture.) When you crate him, give him a Nylabone or something to chew on to ease his stress.

Keep thinking "troubled child"! Don't give up.

First, good for you for adopting! More people should look at shelters and rescues.

As others have said, a year old is not older. And depending on his breed, will have those puppy tendencies for a couple more years! Secondly, the words 'puppy mill' was a red flag for me. DVMMOM is right, they are kept in cages for the purpose of breeding and are not socialized and generally are neglected and abused. But even if he was NOT from a puppy mill, you have no idea what they've been through in their short lives even if you got it from a reputable shelter or rescue group.

I've had dogs my entire life. But the last 20 or so years I've been involved in rescue groups and my last 5 dogs have all been rescues of some sort. While I do believe that they understand they are getting a second chance and are good dogs, they sometimes take more patience and nurturing because of their backgrounds.

One of my dogs, a golden/lab mix we adopted from a local shelter when he was about a year old. A nice shelter, where the animals are inside and walked regularly and have a lot of human and dog interaction. But they just picked him up as a stray and we don't know what he went through. I finally had to donate the kennel back to the shelter. He went NUTS. . . NUTS I tell you in the kennel. And he too goes crazy in our large bathroom or laundry room. So he's had full run of the house since early on. We did have to keep things picked up at first because he'd chew on them but the only accident he's ever had was when he was sick. We've now had him 6 years and he is the best dog.

It's just like kids. You have to be loving, firm and consistent with their care.

Good Luck

I adopted my dog from a shelter when he was about a year old. When we first brought him home he was a pain in the butt and if I hadn't agreed to keep him for a minimum of 6 weeks I probably would have taken him back (now if you actually knew me then you would know that I would have NEVER taken him back, but I did threaten).

He found a low spot in our fence and so he escaped ALL the time (I have a pretty good sized back yard) and he even jumped INTO someone else's back yard. He chewed up some of my daughter's stuffed animals and he peed on the floor downstairs. He was a PAIN.

We just stayed patient with him (kind of, I used to tell him he was a pain all the time LOL) and worked with him. He would also stick his feet in the water bowl while he drank...crazy dog.

I don't know what happened but after about probably 4 or 5 weeks something just clicked with him and he has been TOTALLY AWESOME ever since. He is probably one of the best dogs I have ever had and honestly if I HAD to choose between him and my other dog I would choose him. He is sweet, compassionate, well behaved and just awesome.

I don't know how long you have had your new dog but just be patient and give him/her some time to adjust, it will all work out.

Side Note: I don't crate train and I never have. My dogs have full run of the house. In the beginning we had to keep things picked up (just like with a new puppy) but now both of my dogs know what is theirs and what's not. I also keep a lot of chew toys and a toy box accessible to them at all times. :o)

Enjoy your new dog and just know in your heart that eventhough the adjustment is hard for BOTH of you it will work out!!

Dogs are pack animals. They need to learn their place in the pack. You have to figure out what will work for this dog. Closing him off from others upsets him. Our dog only gets fed twice a day but we do keep water out for him when we are home with him. We cage him during the day without food or water because he will need to pee or poop and it isn't fair to him to make him wait until the appointed time to have to go since we were the ones giving him the food and drink.

He's a puppy and puppy's have plenty of energy. He needs to be ran around more and walked more and shown what you expect from him. What motivates this dog? We got our dog this seemingly indestructible bone. It has taken him a month to almost devour it. We used to get him the raw hide chewy bones but he could devour those in less than an hour no matter the size.

This puppy will chew toys, shoes, etc. He is still a baby. Be patient but it will take time for him to grow up. Just remember to try to have everyone be consistent with the dog but he does need time and encouragement.

I agree with the advice given so far. My suggestion is lock her in the kennel in the bathroom with the other dog sleeping in the bathroom also. This way she is not alone. THe alone is causing the whining and scratching..the other dog may make her more comfortable. Also I would get apiece of wood to put on the door temporarily. Put her bed in the kennel. As far as the peeing baking soda absorbs pee. but to keep her from peeing watch for her to hunt. All dogs hunt before they potty. It might help to put a blanket over her cage to let her know its sleeping time. The seeing the other dog out may be making her jealous. This way she can't see the other dog. What your going through I went through with my new dog. It didn't last long. I was told it is anxiety. take him out 30 minutes after a meal. don't leave the dog food out till he is house broken. feed one time a day.about every hour should be good for that age on potty. make them stay out till they potty. reward and praise. If you catch him chewing on the toys grab his snout look him in the eye and say a firm no. buy dog bones or toys what every he prefers. If you catch him pottying I was taught to rub their nose in it. I don't have to do this my dogs always house train easy. I watch for them to hunt and take them out. If he is smelling the carpet he goes outside.

The dog I have now was an abused dog. So I don't use a newspaper to discipline for potty in the house. She gets put in her kennel after being told no. this has worked on her. If she says she wants to go outside and doesn't do her business she goes to the kennel when she gets in. This has reduced the accidents alot. I have always done my dogs this way and the kennel becomes their safe haven. good luck and hang in there it will get there.

Sounds like he has seperation anxiety. As for the peeping all over the house, watch for clues that he needs to go out. I had a dog that would not bark to go out. He would stand up, come nudge you then walk away. If you didn't let him out within a few minutes he would pee where he stood.

Kids toys. Spray bitter apple around them. Get him 'tough' toys that don't look like the kids toys.

Put a bed in your hallway or your room where he could stay at night.

Reach out to the rescue you adopted him from! Chances are they are associated with a trainer or other resources that can help.

Work on crate/cage training, eventually he'll start to view the crate as his bedroom, a safe place where he can be alone when he wants. This takes time, so you'll have to be patient.

Also, make sure he's getting plenty of exercise. He may just have a lot of energy and is getting frustrated that he has no outlet for it.