# Adopted Golden from shelter...



## KellyinCA (Mar 14, 2009)

We adopted an approx 2 year old male Golden, who was just neutered, from a local shelter. He seems like a sweet boy, but he is very pushy in searching for attention. If our resident 5 year old Lab is getting love from us the new guy pushes him away. The new guy will also grab toys out of our labs mouth and our lab does nothing but get in a huff. There has been some growling but not much else. However, my current lab is definitely a bit bent out of joint about the whole thing. 

My husband thinks with some time they will learn to get along and the new golden is so sweet he can't bare the thought of letting the local golden rescue place him with new owners. 

While I think the Golden is a doll I worry! Life right now is easy in regards to dogs! We have one 5 year old lab and he knows our routine and requires a lot less attention then this new guy. We also have 4 children so we are very busy this is not an excuse but it is reality. 

I am losing the battle about this new dog, I say he needs a better home that has more time for him and my dh and kids want him to stay. 


Right now if I think of giving him away I get sad because he is a great dog and we saved him so I feel we made a commitment on the other hand when I think of keeping him I get anxious and feel sick to my stomach with worry of things not working out. 

It has only been a week. Should we wait 3 more and re-evaluate or will it be even harder than on everyone dog and people involved? Will obedience training make any of this seem easier to me or is it just the dogs nature if it works out? :doh:


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Don't give up yet! It took a number of months before my two really started getting along great. They will eventually work out their position in the family.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Oh, things were hopping around here the first 2 weeks when Tucker came to live with us. He and Shadow are only 2 months apart and boy did they wrestle. I thought I had lost my mind. I didn't...fast forward and they are now 6 and we dog sit for another 6 year old Golden. He's been with us 4 weeks and I love it!


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Reply*

Reply

I agree with everyone = it takes time.

Maybe the boy you adopted never got any attention before and is starved for it.

If you do decide not to keep him please make sure a rescue takes him. Don't take him to a shelter.


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## KellyinCA (Mar 14, 2009)

We would never take him back to a shelter. It is still amazing to my husband that he was at a shelter he is beautiful though stinky at the moment since they did not bathe him prior to his neutering. He can't have a bath until Fri.

We have a local retriever rescue that is working with us and helping us but I still feel nervous about it not working out. I don't know why. We lost our 13 year old lab recently and maybe that is part of it not to mention we have never rescued a shelter dog before always went with puppies from reputable breeders.

I knew with 4 kids I did not want to do the puppy thing but somehow thought the transition wld be seamless I know that is naive.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

To this day Shadow will push Tucker out of the way when I'm brushing him. This guy and your Lab will work things out. It does take time. Most times it works, but I've seen times that it hasn't. I'd give it much more time if you can. I can remember days I asked myself if I was crazy...LOL


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Please be patient with him, and with yourself. You have introduced a new member of your family and it will take time to adjust to each other, time for him to adjust to your family. Give it another 3 weeks or even 5 before you decide it's not working. 

No it can't be seamless, you don't know each other or each others habits, and he doesn't know yet what you expect or want from him. An obedience class is a great idea if for nothing other than the bonding experience, but keep in mind there is "HOMEWORK" for a training class, you have to practice at home a few minutes a day.

Give it more time, I bet you will be glad you did - and thank you for adopting him out of the shelter. We adopted our boy from a shelter too, and it is the single best thing we have done as a family, our guy is wonderful, and I'm sure your boy will be too.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

Please give yourself a couple more weeks to adjust to your new addition. If you are anything like me you tend to panic and think that things will never be normal again  Trust me when I say that you will get to the point where things will be more comfortable. 

My rescued lab, Vanilla, has a habit of pushing her way in whenever I am petting another one of the dogs but I am just used to it and when I got my rescue golden, Nash, my other golden, Biscuit wasn't too crazy about him and would give a little low growl along with a lifted lip whenever he came near him. It's been almost a year and that behavior is a distant memory now. Nash and Sasha are "playing maniacs" and they crack me up just watching them.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

It will take some time. I am sure you keep asking yourself "what was I thinking??" a lot right now, but it will get better with time. Please look up NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) and start using it with your new boy. I think you will be pleased with the improvement in his pushiness. Your Lab will thank you, too.


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

agree with your husband -- they'll work it out. You have a rescue who is "needy", senior house dog who needs to show who's boss -- both probably have insecurities right now. Do they play ball, etc together outside?


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

I would take both dogs to training. They can both learn to sit for petting and that they aren't allowed to 'nudge' the other out of the way. Same with toys. If one is being overly pushy, he should learn that a simple "eh eh" from you means to back off and go entertain himself w/o harassing the resident dog. The more dogs in your home, the more you need to step up and become a benevolent leader and control access to all the valuable resources.

Congrats on your new addition, btw!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Most dogs want attention, especially when there is competition for your love and affection.
My boys are 10 and 6 and they both try to push each other out of the way to be petted by me.

Please be patient. It doesn't sound to me like there are any problems. Having a dog is a responsibility, including obedince training and love.


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## NuttinButGoldens (Jan 10, 2009)

I don't see anything unusual here. He's a rescue, and likely affection-starved.

Once he learns it will always be there and he doesn't have to 'hoard' it, I think he will improve.

It will take time though.

IMHO, for a rescue dog this is a minor issue 



KellyinCA said:


> We adopted an approx 2 year old male Golden, who was just neutered, from a local shelter. He seems like a sweet boy, but he is very pushy in searching for attention. If our resident 5 year old Lab is getting love from us the new guy pushes him away. The new guy will also grab toys out of our labs mouth and our lab does nothing but get in a huff. There has been some growling but not much else. However, my current lab is definitely a bit bent out of joint about the whole thing.
> 
> My husband thinks with some time they will learn to get along and the new golden is so sweet he can't bare the thought of letting the local golden rescue place him with new owners.
> 
> ...


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## KellyinCA (Mar 14, 2009)

Well as of now we are working on it. They do seem to be getting along better and I am hopeful it will work out. They even played ball without growling. We have been working on no butting in for pets etc.

But please any advice you can give me or experiences you have had share.We need all the help we can get. We have never done this before so it is all new to us.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

I have adopted many shelter dogs. It does take time, as others have said, for the new ones to adjust to their new home, new schedule, rules, expectations, etc. And who knows what your new dog's life was like in the past. It may well be that he got no attention or love. Please, don't give up on him. It takes time for him to get used to you and your dog. Set boundaries, certainly, and let him know what behaviors are and are not acceptable. I predict things will work out if you give him some time.

My rescue dog, Tia, butts in whenever I'm giving my other dog, Mila, attention or a tummy scratch. I ignore her and if she gets too pushy, use my hand to push her back a little bit. Once I'm done with Mila, then Tia gets attention, too.


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## dogwalker81 (Jan 16, 2008)

Hello - just wanted you to know I understand what you are going through. We adopted a 9 month old Golden in January of 2008 after our 9 year old Golden passed away a year before from Lymphoma. We had her since she was a puppy. It is very different adopting an older dog than starting out with a puppy. I (unfairly) compared the new dog to our older dog and wondered why she just didn't act the same way. It took several months before she settled in and now is my best friend and much better behaved. Hang in there, it is definitely an adjustment for everyone including the dog.


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