Comments on: Need Advice For My New Rescue Dog?

By: fearfuld

fearfuld — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:21:12 +0000

I think that this site will be useful in helping you understand how to help your dog become more confident. You say she’s sensitive, which can also mean scared. Time on its own is not necessarily going to help the dog and forcing it to deal with things that upset it can make it worse.
http://www.fearfuldogs.com

By: punk_raw

punk_raw — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:58:31 +0000

You should NEVER immediately change a shelter dog’s diet – even if the food that the dog was used to was inferior. Especially so in a small dog like that. Put her back on whatever food it was the shelter told you they were feeding her and then GRADUALLY mix in whatever food you want to feed her – slowly making it less and less of her old food. I adopted a shelter cat who was on Cat Chow from her former owners and slowwwwlly transitioned her to Royal Canin/Innova Evo with no ill effects. I even tried to get her to finish off the rest of the Cat Chow a few weeks later when I ran out of the good stuff and she looked at me like “Um… no.” lol
Try this at first and then see how she does. I would think your dog would be MUCH happier alone at home while you’re at work than having to endure daily care rides and all the noise of the other animals around her. It’s pretty much like being back in a shelter. If I was you, I’d stop the doggy day care.

By: Misa M

Misa M — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:22:17 +0000

Hey there. Are you 100% sure that your dog is being rewarded, and is totally empty from, successful potty trips outside?
Are you cleaning the crate with an enzymatic cleaner?
Have you removed all bedding from the crate?
Do you feed the dog in her crate?
Can you play “we love the car” and “I love my crate” games with her? For more on this, visit:http://www.finchester.org/dogs/dog_diary…
Good luck! The best thing to do for rescues is to set up clear, consistent rules.

By: Anninore

Anninore — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:55:02 +0000

She’ll get used to things at your house and her habits will improve. Try food from http://www.radiantpet.com and maybe hire a pet sitter until she’s ready for day care.

By: fallings

fallings — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:49:14 +0000

Is there any way you could take a few days off?? I know this sounds totally crazy to some people! But if you could take off a Monday and Tuesday and spend 4 days in a row at home just relaxing with her, going for walks, etc. I wonder if she’s associating the car ride with being sent here and there, and not having a “home”. If you can’t, it may be better to crate her while you’re at work, so she know that where she is–is home. If you can get away at lunch time and are close enough to home, go there and take her out for potty, then put her back in her crate (or as we call it– “your room”). I think every time she’s in the car she’s probably wondering “where are they taking me now!!!”

By: Lizzie

Lizzie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:46:52 +0000

I have a rescue that does the same thing…although she throws up also. It can be a 5 minute car ride and she does it!!! Although I do not put her in a crate. She is in the back seat and I put a cheap plastic tablecloth upside down (it’s easy clean up then). What I will be trying in the next few weeks, is take her around a few blocks in the neighborhood. I’m hoping that will help her. There is products on the market for pets that have motion sickness. I have not determined if my pup has that or not.

By: Megan M

Megan M — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:13:36 +0000

First of all: Hooray for you for adopting!
The car ride might be a negative association for her because she isn’t quite sure if you are going to abandon her or not. With the house-training, I teach all my dogs to go “potty” on command. Start by taking her outside on a leash at “high-risk times” (after eating or sleeping) and telling her a cue like “go potty” until she does her thing. Then get really excited for her and tell her how wonderful she is for going potty outside. Doing this every time she goes out will help her develop a positive association with “potty outside” and eventually she will know that when you say “potty” its time to potty now. She will learn that to earn praise she should do her business outside. If she has an accident inside, put her out in the yard for a while by herself if you can. If not tell her how disappointed you are and send her to her crate. In this case: Practice makes Perfect.
Good Luck!

By: Nancy B

Nancy B — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:13:22 +0000

Well the pooping in the crate an happen if you just fed her beore the ride. Maybe give her less before the ride and then give her the rest when she gets home. Also take a 15 minute break on the ride bavck and forth. Shorten this gradually. chihuahua can be difficult to train.

By: D and G Gifts Etc

D and G Gifts Etc — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:45:16 +0000

On the weekends try taking her in the car with you to a park or a fun location. She could be associating the car with you leaving her. She is a resuce dog and they tend to want to be around just one person or their new family. I actually leave my dogs at home with the animal planet going. They seem fine with this. I think it could also be the other dogs, Greyhound chihuahua mix is probably on the small size she could be afraid of the other dogs. Being a rescue dog it is hard to know what enviroment that she came from before, If she was terroized by other dogs before she was rescued, Most of all be patient. If you still want to take her to doggie daycare, Stop midway through the trip and take her out. A lot of changes are occuring in her life right now. She just found her forever home, change of food, crates, etc.

By: Tessa

Tessa — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:44:09 +0000

A food change should be done on gradual way and could be causing her to poop in the crate. My dogs when they were pups had a couple of accidents in the car on the way to the vet until they because use to living with me. Could you try having someone come in and walk her for a few weeks until she get use to living with you and then gradual begin taking her to doggy daycare. Maybe start out with a couple of days and then work up to all week. Sensitive dogs need change to happen slowly and only one thing at a time. Also walk her right before you put her in the car, and make sure she poops in the morning before putting the the car.