Adopting an older dog - any tips?

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

**purplemoon** wrote:

We have a policy of not re-homing any dog to families with children under 5, and where older children exist the dogs are vetted thoroughly beforehand.



Obviously I can't comment on how other rescues perform their evaluations, but it certainly sounds far from ideal in this case, which I guess also shows that anyone adopting a rescue dog needs to make sure they are using a reputable rescue centre with full and appropriate assessments and back-ups in place

exactly he went to this resue centre becouse it is run by the rspca supposed to be reputable in there case i think it just rehome the dog and make sure its in the house sorry but i have little time for the rspca .
i have a story of the other centre run by ncdl again reutable they had a collie becouse the first lady wanted to feep it in a 12x12 kennell with a 12 x12 run she was not classed as suitable even though she had had the breed for 32 years, they gave it to a young couple in a 2nd floor flat how unsuitable is that ? infact the item was reported in the local press and they stood by there decision thats why i have issues with these rehomeing centres . also i think 5 is still very young

**purplemoon**

THE_LONE_RANGER wrote:

exactly he went to this resue centre becouse it is run by the rspca supposed to be reputable in there case i think it just rehome the dog and make sure its in the house sorry but i have little time for the rspca .

You have answered your own question there

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

**purplemoon** wrote:

You have answered your own question there

so prey tell me what is a reputable rehomeing centre?

JennyW_2

THE_LONE_RANGER wrote:

dogs are in rescue centres for a reason , the owner just dumped them or they have issue i used to work with some one who took one from a rspca center described as loving ,fun filled, lovely good with kids .
what he got was a !!!!!! dog that know one else would want im sorry but it should have been put down , its just out of controll they knew that when the gave it to him its a case of owner on the floor dog on chair people must be mad to take such a thing on ..........pup from birth is the only way you can be sure what your getting then if it developes issues its down to you

what absolutely rubbish! I have homed two beautiful dogs from rescue centres. You couldn't ask for better dogs. There are enough unwanted dogs in rescue without breeders adding to the numbers :mad:

Dogs end up in homes for all sorts of reasons, especially youngsters because the owners wanted a pup and didn't appreciate how much time and effort it takes. they cant understand why he wees or chews things when they don't give them enough attention - hence the poor thing gets given to a rescue centre.

Justie

most of what I want to say has already been said by Raksha and pboae. A rescue dog is confused and stressed and may remain so for several years. We've had our rescue for a year and he's so much better now than he was but it's taken a lot of hard work and patience and that's without a lot of the problems the OP has described.

Most of the behaviours described are stress behaviours and/or separation anxiety. Barking at people coming into your house is his way of saying 'who are these people? what are they doing in my safe space? help me I'm not happy with this?' It isn't about aggression.

The best thing you can do for this dog is get a trainer and fast. Please do not use aversion therapies as your dog is already nervous. Raska has posted the website for Taking the Lead which is excellent. But you need a real person as well to help you train your poor pooch. Ask your vets for a recommendation for a good local trainer. Book a one to one ASAP and sign up for lessons (they've seen it all before and it nothing else they will reassure you that you have a normal but stressed dog rather than a monster). Our boy barked for the whole lessons for the first 3 weeks and we were mortified but now (3 terms on) he's one of the best in the class. It's taken hard work and been quite expensive but it's worth it for a lovely calm secure dog.

You may well want to look at cage training as well. Giving the dog a secure place that is his may well help with his anxiety.

Taking the Lead has excellent advice on why your dog behaves as he does - often half the problem is the frustration of not being able speak his language and so you feel helpless.

The pack theory as used by The Dog Listener is seen as outdated and the Dog Whisperer as seen on SKY uses harsh interventions and as someone else has said Dog Borstal has so many methods that are frowned on by most professionals that it's hard to know where to turn when you're a dog owner. Victoria Stillwell is generally very good (although any programme that suggests you can 'cure' behaviour in 2 weeks is not telling the full story but her methods are generally positive. The Paul Owens Dog Whisperer book is also good although he's a bit of a hippy. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dog-Whisperer-Compassionate-Nonviolent-Approach/dp/1580622038/sr=1-1/qid=1167379887/ref=sr_1_1/203-0984046-8514337?ie=UTF8&s=books

loopy_lass

once again, i can reiterate some of the comments of consistency and patience, my dog was terrified of plastic bags, bin liners, carrier bags etc. and use to cower at the sound or sight of them poor thing.

Anyways, when i realised this, i use to get a bag slowly and carefully, whilst saying "its ok, come on" and throwing a treat for her, then threw it closer to me and the bag, then closer still then she eventually came to take the treat from me, now she still looks sideways at bags but i just need to say "its ok" an she calms down ok....

i know its only carrier bags but i think proceedure is same x

loops

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

JennyW wrote:

what absolutely rubbish! I have homed two beautiful dogs from rescue centres. You couldn't ask for better dogs. There are enough unwanted dogs in rescue without breeders adding to the numbers :mad:

Dogs end up in homes for all sorts of reasons, especially youngsters because the owners wanted a pup and didn't appreciate how much time and effort it takes. they cant understand why he wees or chews things when they don't give them enough attention - hence the poor thing gets given to a rescue centre.

us so called breeders through different agencys give plenty of money to rehomeing centeres so to bash is rather cheeky i think .as i have stated earlier there is very few well bred dogs in rescue centres in the main they are mongrels, well one for getting two dogs i dont quite see what your maoning about .

**purplemoon**

THE_LONE_RANGER wrote:

as i have stated earlier there is very few well bred dogs in rescue centres in the main they are mongrels,

You couldn't be more wrong!!!

Perhaps you would like to take a look at this page to see just how many specialist single-breed rescue centres there are around the country, covering almost every breed of dog in the UK. It's not just mongrels who end up in rescue, far from it, and for any number of reasons and circumstances, and not always at the fault of the dog.

You might also want to take note of just how many labrador/retriever/gun dog rescues there are too, and wonder why people are unhappy at breeders churning out even more!

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

**purplemoon** wrote:

You couldn't be more wrong!!!

Perhaps you would like to take a look at this page to see just how many specialist single-breed rescue centres there are around the country, covering almost every breed of dog in the UK. It's not just mongrels who end up in rescue, far from it, and for any number of reasons and circumstances, and not always at the fault of the dog.

You might also want to take note of just how many labrador/retriever/gun dog rescues there are too, and wonder why people are unhappy at breeders churning out even more!

point taken but try ringing around a few and see how many they have the people who buy my gun dogs are all shooters keepers etc . granted if i started to sell to jo blogs down the road as a pet i may not be 100% sure of what type of home it will go too. ive had one game keeper who asked if i would take his dog back as he had become ill and couldnt keep it any longer i passed it on to a local shooter who still has it today granted it is not all black and white but i see people who decide to have at least one litter from there lab etc and sell them on for £300 ono as pets not working dogs, they think there going to good homes etc but ill agree in the main they are. i spoke to our dog warden the other day who said he picks (95% mongrels up and the area he takes them back too is allways the same ). my irish wolf hounds ive bred for 12years all have gone to good homes and i here from all the buyers through shows etc again i know an irish wolf hound rescue centre but last year they took one for 4 months as owner was in hopital, the second the family seperated and wanted it to go to some one who had had the breed before which it did after 7 weeks hardley inundated, i admit i was and still am a believer in the brian plummer school of dog rearing and training etc and it has be faultless so each to there own i suppose

**purplemoon**

I understand where you're coming from, and I wasn't having a dig at you personally as a breeder of working dogs, specifically bred and sold for this purpose. The problem lies with irresponsible and indiscriminate breeders, whether it be puppy farms, pet owners and even some breeders of show dogs!

As you yourself mentioned, often people want their b1tch to have at least one litter with no particular aim in mind other than to make a few quid on the pet market, or under the misconception that they need to have a litter before they can be spayed, not true!

I have no doubt your dog warden picks up so many mongrels, presumably many of which are strays belonging to people who should never be allowed to own a dog in the first place! It's a common occurence unfortunately and the type of pound these poor dogs end up in are some of the less desirable ones that we often rescue from (many of which are connected to the RSPCA!) who will PTS if no one claims them after 7 days.

It's not just adult dogs that end up in rescue either, but also litters of puppies that get dumped as a result of unwanted pregnancies caused by allowing their dogs to stray in the first place, as well as pregnant b1tches picked up who go on to whelp in the kennels.

Apologies to the OP for going so off-topic in this thread and I hope you manage to get some help in dealing with your current problems. As others have said, the best thing would be to contact a local trainer. You can find a list of APDT registered trainers here and hopefully find someone local to you that will be able to help. Good luck!