Update on the new pup

NavyBlue143 · March 2014

As some of you may recall, I adopted a dog about a month ago and was having second thoughts. She's still destructive when left alone, so she's crated while we're gone, which she hates like poison. She's a big ol' derp, absolutely no concept of social cues or politeness. Jumps or steps on people and fellow critters, and doesn't understand why the kitties use claws to "play."

But she's learning, she's incredibly sweet, and our other girl dog Morgan really likes her, which is good since we've noticed our old man Captain has really started slowing down. He's 17 at least already, and Morgan would not do well as an only dog, so she needs a buddy. Plus she's grown on me. She likes to lay by my feet when I'm getting ready in the mornings. And she likes to snuggle.

We're keeping her. Her name is Snow. Clearly she's miserable, you guys.

AshleyNicole1218 · March 2014

Yay! I've been thinking about you guys! I couldn't find your original post last time I looked, hoping for an update.

Very happy your family has settled in.

erinlin25 · March 2014

I absolutely love you named your pets "Captain" and "Morgan" lol... that is totally our future pets names.

pumpkinsandturkeys · March 2014

erinlin25 said:

I absolutely love you named your pets "Captain" and "Morgan" lol... that is totally our future pets names.

I was just making note of that!

I once knew two dachshunds named Frank and Beans.

kmmssg · March 2014

Love your dogs names - we think alike. We adopted twin kitties and named them Einstein and Newton. We lost Newton when he was 2 1/2 to kidney disease but we still have his brother. Einstein....really cool personality, 19 pounds of fluffy, and.....the dumbest cat you will EVER meet.

NavyBlue143 · March 2014

The names were all H's doing. He had the dogs before he met me. Cappy came with his name. When his next dog happened to be a puppy, he HAD to name her Morgan. Snow needs an alcohol name. She came with the name, and she's deaf, she won't know if I change it.

LDay2014 · March 2014

I hear you...we got our puppy at the end of the summer and while he's a sweet boy, he has a love of chewing - everything. So, in addition to eating the side of the couch, the lap top charger, a birkenstock, his bed, the sitter's shoe, an entire bottle of thyroid pills, and his penchant for dish towels - Last week, Oba ate FIs iPhone! He is getting much better, but we have to remember, he is still only an 8 month old puppy. Even if he is 70 lbs...

But how can you not love this face???

NavyBlue143 · March 2014

The answer is, you can't not love that face. And I'm sure he knows that.

pumpkinsandturkeys · March 2014

NavyBlue143 said:

The names were all H's doing. He had the dogs before he met me. Cappy came with his name. When his next dog happened to be a puppy, he HAD to name her Morgan. Snow needs an alcohol name. She came with the name, and she's deaf, she won't know if I change it.

My brother got their dog a number of years ago, and my SIL wanted to name her Coco. He thought that was too girly and foofy, so while SIL was out of town for a week or two with her parents, he spent all week calling the dog Stella (after the beer, of course). By the time SIL got back, the dog would only answer to Stella. She wasn't too pleased with him haha

MairePoppy · March 2014

We took a rescue with unknown history and behavior issues, too. Bonding with an older dog with separation anxiety and possessive personality is a little more challenging than with a cute eight week old pup. I'm so glad you're giving the dog a chance. Best wishes to your family.

SmileDamnit · March 2014

Yaaay!! So happy to read that Snow is settling into your family!

APDSS22 · March 2014

Aw, she's so cute. I'm glad she's settling in. Have you tried green apple spray at least on the edges of furniture and laptop cords to stop the chewing?

SBmini · March 2014

You need to invest in training. And if she's a young dog, she's probably bored. Are you exercising her at all? Walking her and giving her good toys that stimulate her brain will help a lot out in the destructive category. If she likes chewing on furniture, mix some cayenne powder with water and paint it on those surfaces. She'll learn quickly to leave them alone.

Dogs don't know how you want them to act, you need to teach them. This times time, energy and patience, but it is completely worth it. Our dog was a handful when we got her, but with a little work she turned into the absolutely perfect animal.

Sugargirl1019 · March 2014

LDay2014 said:
I hear you...we got our puppy at the end of the summer and while he's a sweet boy, he has a love of chewing - everything. So, in addition to eating the side of the couch, the lap top charger, a birkenstock, his bed, the sitter's shoe, an entire bottle of thyroid pills, and his penchant for dish towels - Last week, Oba ate FIs iPhone! He is getting much better, but we have to remember, he is still only an 8 month old puppy. Even if he is 70 lbs...

But how can you not love this face???

This beast chewed up my glasses last night! Popped a lens out and bite marks everywhere! He's 8 months also.

NavyBlue143 · March 2014

Finding someone who knows how to deal with deaf dogs is harder than you'd think. A regular session at petsmart won't cut it. They can't teach me anything I don't already know. She has plenty of toys, two friends to play with, and lots of playtime. She only chews when we're gone, we have taught her that certain things are not for her and she's learned to leave them alone, unless we leave the house. I think she has separation anxiety. So she's crated. When she's supervised she's perfectly fine, aside from pestering the kitties, which we are working on now. We use sign language (which fortunately I already know pretty well) rather than voice commands. She knows sit, outside, leave it, good, and no. Believe me, we are spending plenty of time and energy working with her. She has come a long way from being completely unsocialized to being a typical puppy.

SBmini · March 2014

NavyBlue143 said:

Finding someone who knows how to deal with deaf dogs is harder than you'd think. A regular session at petsmart won't cut it. They can't teach me anything I don't already know. She has plenty of toys, two friends to play with, and lots of playtime. She only chews when we're gone, we have taught her that certain things are not for her and she's learned to leave them alone, unless we leave the house. I think she has separation anxiety. So she's crated. When she's supervised she's perfectly fine, aside from pestering the kitties, which we are working on now. We use sign language (which fortunately I already know pretty well) rather than voice commands. She knows sit, outside, leave it, good, and no. Believe me, we are spending plenty of time and energy working with her. She has come a long way from being completely unsocialized to being a typical puppy.

I can't imagine the frustration of dealing with a deaf, 70-lb puppy. You are a saint for giving that dog a home and I'm sure in time she will reward you for your efforts. It sounds like you are doing a lot to try and help her, and what she really needs is time.

Our rescue had separation anxiety too. She ate a door the first week we had her. Change your routine. Walk around with your purse on. Put your shoes on in the car. Disrupt the cues that you are leaving. Don't say good bye. And when you return, don't give her any attention until she calms down. It's hard but if you don't make a big deal about leaving, neither will she. It should help deal with the problem. I also recommend you find high places to keep everything. We do a quick sweep of the house every time we leave to make sure there isn't anything in reach she may enjoy tearing apart. And based on her bad habits, I definitely recommend you keep hydrogen peroxide and a medication syringe on hand in case she eats something toxic.

Best of luck with her.

Update on the new pup

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