Suuuuuper Neeeeedy Puppy

furmonster mom

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A little background...

Ghost is a relatively new addition to our furmily as of August.

He is a shelter rescue via some friends. Our friends usually adopt poodles because the lady is allergic to terriers. They brought Ghost home, as he looks like a Poodle-Bischon mix. However, there must be some terrier in there, because our friend started reacting. They didn't want to take him back to the shelter, as he had already been through the system twice. Taking him back would have been a third strike on him. So we agreed to take him in.

Ghost is guesstimated at 8 years old. Super sweet, playful, good with the cats... maybe because he's also half blind with cataracts.

Thing is, he is sooooooooo needy!
If he does not sense the presence of a person in the house, he will bark, whine, and howl up a storm.
He has especially attached himself to me. If I move, go upstairs, to the kitchen, to the bathroom... wherever, he is instantly out of his bed and following me underfoot. And it is literally under my feet, because remember, he's half blind. I swear this dog is gonna kill me. I told my husband, "Honey, if you find me on the floor of the kitchen with a knife in my eye, the dog did it."

I completely understand where his anxiety stems from. Being through the shelter system had to have been traumatic. Also, by his behavior, we suspect that he was an only dog for a while, and spoiled rotten. He is getting better with some commands, but he still exhibits a bit of jealousy with the cats, and bouncy-jumps like Pooh's friend, Tigger, when it comes to meal times.

We are working on his anxiety and boundaries. I just hope I live through the process, because it's sloooooow going.

Are there human sized "companion animal" vests? Because I've apparently become one.
 
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furmonster mom

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We are actually doing several things in that article.

I've put up a baby gate for the downstairs area. I will close the gate at random times to get him used to the idea of being in separate rooms. It's helping... slowly.

We've also finally gotten him to sleep in the kennel... in our room, but in the kennel. This is progress, as the kennel had a negative association from the shelter, he used to avoid it like the plague. Having him sleep in the kennel will allow us to stay with my uncle when we visit for Christmas, as he does not generally allow animals in the house (Ghost will stay out with the other dogs during the day).

I can't leave a treat toy for him, because the cats will take it away.
Our stereo system is kaput, so no music when we leave.

I do ignore him when I leave and come back. My away times are usually only a couple hours at a time, but he is always waiting at the door. I ignore him for a few minutes, then tell him to go back to his bed. When he gets to his bed, I'll wait a minute to make sure he stays, then I'll go to him and give him praises. He's getting the idea.... sloooooowly.

I give him plenty of play time when I'm home. He's got two squeaky stuffies that he loves. We'll play tug, then I'll give them a toss and let him find them. Remember, he's half blind, so he will often walk right past the toy a few times before he finds it. He's very proud of himself when he does, lol.

The underfoot thing, though... ugh! At least he's finally getting the idea that he goes up or down the stairs before me. Otherwise, he would seriously trip me and I'd be dee eee dee, dead.
 

Maria Bayote

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I have 3 dogs who go berserk when we leave and come home. When nobody is in the house, the neighbors would tell us that our dogs have been crying. It does not help that there are the 3 of them. LOL.

Anyway, you are doing a good job. Adopting a half-blind dog may have its difficulties, but the rewards are also much greater. I am sure he is grateful that you took him in, forever safe in your home.
 

Graceful-Lily

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I had a dog like that once (before Izellah - still miss Mordecai).

He would follow me everywhere. He had to he right by my side or else he would bark, scream, whine all night. We took him to a trainer and she quickly identified it as a confidence issue. His old owner used to baby him a lot so he never really got a chance to explore and face us to things that made him uncomfortable. Over time, his uncomfortablness turned into lack of confidence and eventually, the lack of confidence turned into aggression.

I had to set boundaries for him and they were working. I stopped him from sleeping in my room (never on my bed, he had his own). I bought a play pen off of Amazon and kept him in the living room. He cried for several nights but it eventually calmed down. We were also fostering a dog at one point and sleeping with her gave him more confidence to be on his own.

Hope that was helpful in some way.
 
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furmonster mom

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yah... the sleeping in the bedroom is something I've considered trying to change. But the cats are allowed to sleep with us, so it might seem alienating to him if the whole "pack" is sleeping in the "den", but he is not. :dunno:

Right now it seems like there are so many issues to try and deal with, I feel like I have to pick my battles, even if that means the next battle might be harder (because he's been "allowed").

Our first battle has been not rewarding the barking at the door when he's outside. He only barks to be let back in the house (with us). That is a tough one, because it is getting colder, so we want to let him back in, but we don't want to reward the behavior. We are making him sit/laydown before we let him in the house. Hoping that catches on soon!
 
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furmonster mom

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Got a call from mom today.

She wants me to adopt a puppy... "for her"
Keep in mind that mom lives a good 350 miles away.
She wants me to take a puppy home when I come for Christmas visit.

A PUPPY....

Hubby and I talked about possibly getting another dog as a companion for Ghost... but I do not think a hyperactive, corgie-jack russel mix, 4 month old puppy is the answer... :runaround: :doh:
 

dustydiamond1

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Got a call from mom today.

She wants me to adopt a puppy... "for her"
Keep in mind that mom lives a good 350 miles away.
She wants me to take a puppy home when I come for Christmas visit.

A PUPPY....

Hubby and I talked about possibly getting another dog as a companion for Ghost... but I do not think a hyperactive, corgie-jack russel mix, 4 month old puppy is the answer... :runaround: :doh:
AGREE, puppy not the best choice! Bless you for saving this sweet boy and bless your friends for not wanting to take him back to the shelter. Glad you posted photos, I was going to ask for some. Would love some more with him and the cats. Can anything be done for the cataracts? Keep up the great work, he'll come around slowly but surely. :vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::heartshape::rock:
 

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As someone who currently owns a puppy, I do not recommend a puppy to anyone who doesn't have the time or patience. You will spend the first year or two questioning why you thought it was a good idea to get a puppy in the first place. I've had puppies (and I know people who have had puppies) and I've had adult dogs in my life and I can say that some adult dogs are more established in a way that makes them easier to handle. I won't say "most" because that is not the case everywhere but yeah... definitely if you're not already a fan of children, a puppy is not the way to go.
 
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furmonster mom

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It's not so much that I don't have the patience, 'cause I've done the puppy thing, but a matter of a puppy not fitting in with the rest of the household.
Ghost is hyper sensitive and needy
Loki is the ol' man, with kidney issues
Kitsune is a freeway rescue who has barely enough tolerance for the other two
A puppy, let alone a corgie-jack mix, is just not a good fit for the group dynamic right now.
And, honestly, I don't think I would ever voluntarily take a jack russel terrier... they are just too hyperactive even as adult dogs.

As it turns out, though, the current owners have decided to tough it out and give the puppy more time.
whew! *dodge*
 

Graceful-Lily

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I had a JRT years ago. He was the most hyper dog ever.

We used to go on hour+ long walks everyday twice a day and he would rest for 30 minutes after we came back and be destructive again.

I don't even know if the most active of human beings can handle them. They do better on farms which is where my guy ended up and he's doing better.
 
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furmonster mom

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Well, Christmas break at my uncles was definitely challenging.

Ghost howled and yowled and barked up a storm all day long... for a week. There were a few quiet periods, but even my uncle's neighbors (who hosted Christmas lunch) were wondering what was up.

My uncle kept trying to tell me that Ghost only barked when I was around, but I know for sure that's not exactly true. Every night, we'd take Ghost with us when we gave my mom a ride home, and we'd come back to my uncle crashed out in the living room. One night, we left Ghost in the kennel in the garage with the other dogs. That night, uncle was in the back bedroom. I'm pretty sure it's because Ghost complained about being stuck outside with the JRTs (who he did not really care much for).

Ugh! Ghost got so dirty being stuck outside in the dog run. It was all dirt packed, no grass, and it rained... so, mud. I ended up scheduling a grooming appointment for literally before we hit the road. I did not want to spend 5 hrs driving with a dirty dog in my car.

Ghost is not a fan of getting groomed.
I'm sure he thought it was the worst vacation ever. lol
 
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furmonster mom

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Update on Ghost

Well, he’s gotten older, but not necessarily wiser, lol.

We had made some progress, to where I could leave the house for a few hours without him howling up a storm. Often, if hubby was home and I was out, Ghost would find hubby to hang with.

Unfortunately, Ghost‘s cataracts have gotten to the point that he is pretty much completely blind.

A few weeks ago, Hubby and I worked a local pirate themed festival. It was close enough to us that we didn’t actually camp on site, but went home every evening. So we were home mornings, evenings, and afternoon breaks. But Ghost could not handle it.

Ever since then, his anxiety has been off the charts.
I went upstairs for 30 minutes to take a shower, and came down to piddle puddles. So I finally broke down and called my vet for some anti-anxiety meds. It saddens me, but I just don’t see any other solutions at this point.
 

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Hi
Have you been able to find an inexpensive am/fm radio so that you can have some low volume easy listening ambient music, or a phone with soothing rain sounds, or something for dogs?

Also, would a thunder shirt help him if you haven't tried that?
 
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neely

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Would Ghost feel more secure in a dog crate when you or your husband are not home? It's not a punishment but actually safer for him and it would give you peace of mind when you're gone. You can put his favorite toy(s) as well as a blanket with your scent in the crate. I remember when our last dog got what they refer to as doggie dementia. It literally broke my heart. 💔
 
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furmonster mom

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Hi
Have you been able to find an inexpensive am/fm radio so that you can have some low volume easy listening ambient music, or a phone with soothing rain sounds, or something for dogs?

Also, would a thunder shirt help him if you haven't tried that?
I have tried leaving Pandora on, but still come home to a pacing puppy. Even tonight, after a long (300+ mile) drive from a weekend family visit (with him along), we fed him, drugged him, left the music on, and went to dinner for an hour. Came home to pacing puppy who wouldn’t settle until I acknowledged him (which I did once he sat in his bed).

Would Ghost feel more secure in a dog crate when you or your husband are not home? It's not a punishment but actually safer for him and it would give you peace of mind when you're gone. You can put his favorite toy(s) as well as a blanket with your scent in the crate. I remember when our last dog got what they refer to as doggie dementia. It literally broke my heart. 💔
He still has issues with the crate. He will sleep in it in our room as long as the door is open, but as soon as that door closes he fusses and whines incessantly.
I am wondering if he is getting dementia, as he seems to get disoriented even in the house where the furniture hasn’t changed. I’m sure that disorientation feeds into his anxiety… like having a panic attack that just spirals.
We’re doing the best we can, but it’s not like I can have him attached at my hip 24/7. 🤦‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️
 

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Poor baby! Hang in there with this! Other than meds are there any other calming toys available for dogs? You have likely looked into that already I realize that. Pet edibles?
 
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