# talk me down part 2



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Not sure where to start--some of you may remember the 'vet dog'--I hope he lives another week! If he craps on my bed one more time, he might not. 

I digress now--some review, this dog, the 'vet' dog, is a rescue the vet asked me to take. It seems he was abandoned at his office when he was 12 weeks old with a broken foot from being tied to a tree. The vet techs kept him there after he was not claimed. I am thinking now he should have been sent to a rescue group as a much smaller pup--not the 10 month old he is now. 

He knows all his basic commands, and as long as I am standing RIGHT there--issuing commands he is fine. The problem comes when I am trying to do anything but pay attention to him. It seems to me, though is is obviously very smart he has no self regulation skills, i.e. peeing on my bed, my son's bed, jumping on the kitchen table to get stuff off it ...on and on. 

You cant really crate this guy at night because he learned to poop in the crate growing up at the vets office--and he rolls in it then before you can get him outside to hose him off--he is all over everything. :yuck: 

NOT to mention the washing out of the crate...:yuck: I have no clue how to un teach that--but oh it gets better...

You can take the dogs outside--play with the dogs outside--and the minute you come back inside he will make a beeline for a bed to pee/poop in it/on it. 

I have to make sure all the doors in the house are closed at all times...that is just gross. Just today he came in from outside and peed on the floor in my office--kinda like let me in I gotta pee...

AND--to up the ante--I have been offered a job in DC, and will be flying out at the end of the month to dot I's and cross T's. I am not going to be able to have any animal with me at first--so this guy has to find a home. But--um...no one wants a dog that craps on their beds. I have been back in touch with the vet office about all this and have gotten little response. It does not help the dog that he looks part pit bull. 

Not only can I not live like this--I can't lie to someone who might take him in. I also don't have the skills for this. I am not positive that he did not miss something critical growing up at the vets office that I can't replace. I REALLY don't want to end up taking this guy to the shelter--but I can't leave him with no one to take him. It is also not fair to him to be an outside only dog--he is not good at that either. You don't even want me to go into the outside destruction...

Anyone have any idea how to help this guy?


----------



## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

The pricey solution is to drop him off at Man's Best Friend (non-Houston people: this is a local training facility that boards while they train) for a week and let them figure it out. But unless they will consent to giving you a discount because of his circumstances, that's probably cost prohibitive. 

Has he EVER gone outside? By nature, it would seem that most dogs mark while they're out playing. I'm sure you praise him when he does that. Do you rush him outside when he is having an accident? 

Have you tried spray deterrents? I realize that may make your carpeting/comforter smell odd, though. 

Does your organization ever work with a behaviorist? Does the Houston Humane Society have a behaviorist on staff? Maybe you could have a crisis intervention with a professional.


----------



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

You make some great points! You always do! 

I kinda got hosed in this deal--they asked me to take him the had the nerve to charge me for his neuter--I would not take him otherwise. I can't even talk about that right now...grrr. 

As long as I am right there with him--he is fine. He waits until I turn my head or god forbid--answer the phone or do the dishes. 

How much time should it take for this guy to learn to live in a house like a pet? I don't know--

I don't know if another rescue would even take him--


----------



## Gldiebr (Oct 10, 2006)

Wow, I guess I hadn't realized he was still with you. It sounds like you've tried the usual tricks with him, but he just doesn't get it. I've run into cats like him (I think you have too...lol), but not dogs. Sorry I'm no help. All I can offer is support, an online pat on the back for all the good work you're done with him.


----------



## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

I'll tell you a story about Charlie, our shih tzu, who we rescued from an acquaintance when he was 12 months old. He had been kept outside 24-hours a day, and fed on top of a picnic table. Shih tzus are sweet but they aren't the brightest bulbs, and this guy thought it was okay to pee everywhere inside, and to jump onto tables whenever he wished. Within days, my tables were ruined by his nails. 

I was soon on the phone with a rescue. Every time I let him out of my sight, he peed. I spent each evening going over every inch of the house with a black light. Not the way I wanted to live! 

I wound up tethering him to me at all times, whenever I was home, and kenneling him when I wasn't. At first, he peed even while tethered to me! But he learned. He was also not kennel trained, and we had to overcome that hurdle as well. 

It was almost 2 years before I could untether him. His vets couldn't believe he was the same dog, because he also hadn't been socialized previously and he had been distant from people, and a holy terror at the vet. Now he's a sweetheart who craves people and loves the vet. 

He's now nearly 9 years old, and I'm so glad that I didn't follow through with the rescue. Of my 3 dogs, he's the easiest in all respects. 

You probably saw the 2 years and felt like fainting. Don't. As I said, shih tzus are not nearly as bright as goldens. 

It wasn't easy, and I sure got tired of having him with me every waking minute when I was home, but the technique worked. Of course, I know you can't tether a golden to your waist but you get the idea.


----------



## Gldiebr (Oct 10, 2006)

I think the tether idea might do the trick. Yep, he still might pee while with you, but it might be less likely. Does he like to go for walks? Maybe if he's worn out, he might not be as destructive? Just a thought or two...


----------



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Great ideas--but my problem is that baring some unknown event--I am getting this job in DC--and no one will take him while I make the transition. 

I will probably have to fly Julie to my Mom in Arizona-- while I find a place to live and get settled. My daughter is here but and she loves Julie but pretty much keeps her locked in backyard or in the garage so Julie wont get her carpet dirty. 

My mother does not want a dog like this either...so my choices are limited. There are just so many unwanted animals, I am not sure a rescue group would take him in, esp since he is not a golden. He looks like a pit lab mix of some kind--


----------



## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

One thing to consider: are pits (even mixes) legal in D.C.? I know some states have outlawed owning them. 

I hate to say it but if you don't have the time to work with him, your best bet may be an all-breed rescue. It's also his best chance. Giving him to the humane society risks his being returned over and over.


----------



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

I know--I know--I can't lie to the rescue groups either, it would just be wrong-they are all so overwhelmed--all the time. 

I am a little aggravated with the vet techs--they knew he had real issues, not his fault of course, and instead of being totally up front about his issues they said---just make sure he only eats in the morning. 

Lesson for me--ask lots more questions.


----------



## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

I have no clue..but I know I would get pretty heavy handed with him... much to the chagrin of many on here.. get him to pee outside then worry about his social adjustments... 
The only advice i offer, NJ, is dont let this mess up what sounds like a really neat opportunity for you in DC.


----------



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Well--I think we always try to do the right things by all dogs--but I have my limits--and pissing on my bed with me in it is one of them. He is for now--an outside at night dog. I caught him doing it the other night, that sound will wake you up at 3am--I was not amused. He got put outside---to put it nice. 

I have been in touch with the vet tech that started this whole deal--and told her the time clock is ticking--either find him a rescue group or a home. She thinks she might have a lead on a family who wants an outside dog on lots of land...not the idea solution but it is better than what could happen. 

I hope it works out.


----------



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

*update*

Well...deep subject I know--he went too far this morning. 

I spent my weekend driving back and forth to the hardware store for more cinder blocks to fix the holes where he was digging out of the yard, plus the time of driving around looking for both of them. 

So this morning, I let them out to potty--I went potty and in that 3 minutes--they were both GONE. I was the first call to animal control letting them know to watch for them. Figured it was better for me to call them than them find them running around. After an hour of driving around looking for them they finally showed back up--little brats had gone to the bay to go swimming. 

If I was not trying to get ready to move I would put my electric fence back up--but right now that is a waste of effort. So..I talked to the vet and he said bring him back to them. Thank God! I did of course...right then. 

First thing they said when they saw him is OMG --he is looking more and more like a pit...which is yet another reason he can't be running the streets. 

I am hoping the vet will have better luck with a rescue group than I could-plus having 2 10 month old pups will drive anyone over the edge. He needs to be in an only dog house for at least a while--with someone who had time to leash him right too them. 

I feel much better about this solution than what I was fearing was going to end up happening.


----------



## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

Poor guy! I hope he is on a path to getting his issues worked out.


----------



## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

You followed your heart and your gut. You can't be asked to do more than that. Hopefully he'll find the perfect situation soon.


----------



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Brandy's Mom said:


> You followed your heart and your gut. You can't be asked to do more than that. Hopefully he'll find the perfect situation soon.


Oh no doubt--he has made progress--lots of it. He only chases a couple cats now-lets the kittens sleep with him and even 'nurse' off him. He is getting better at staying off the kitchen table-etc. 

I think if he can find a place where someone is home with him all day--with no other dogs--he will be fine. I say no other dogs, not because he does not have good social skills, he does. I think he needs to pay attention to the person as the most important and not focus on playing and running with other dogs until he learns how to be a pet and the rules of the house.


----------



## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm not sure that being uprooted again and sent back to the vets office is not going to help his behavioral problems, but thats another story. Hopefully he will find someone willing to work with his problems.


----------



## Nicole&Zack (Feb 27, 2007)

Wow....you've been through alot and i totally understand your frustration. Btw...i live about an hour from DC in beautyful Fredericksburg.
He he still at the vets? Is he gonna stay there until he finds a home?


----------



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Nicole&Zack said:


> Wow....you've been through alot and i totally understand your frustration. Btw...i live about an hour from DC in beautyful Fredericksburg.
> He he still at the vets? Is he gonna stay there until he finds a home?


Yeah he is still at the vets--as far as I know-I sent them a whole list of general breed rescues and have heard nothing back. The hardest part of rescue is trying to clean up other folks screw ups. I hope for his sake he finds the perfect family. I gotta say I really don't miss a dog peeing on my bed with me in it--or without me in it for that matter. 

I am still looking for a place to live close to the DC area, close to the VRE line--the traffic there is nuts. I am supposed to be there by April or mid-April. I am starting to get my feet under me from the initial sticker shock.


----------



## Phoebe (Feb 8, 2006)

Wow, huge pat on the back for all you tried to do for your rescue. Uprooting a dog always creates some additional baggage, but if you are getting a new job, you really would not have the time to do what is necessary to train him. I am a foster home for cairn terriers, we get a lot of puppymill dogs, which means dogs that have been living in crates and used strictly for breeding, very poor conditions, no socialization. They range in age from very young dogs to very old dogs and it takes a lot of work but they can be trained to keep their crates clean and they can be trained to potty outside. As mentioned here, the dog really needs to be tethered to the trainer at all times, and when not tethered needs to be kept in a restricted area, here, I babygate a small room, or put them back in the crate (which can be a messy option). 

Foster homes deal with this type of thing all the time, so if the vet had not taken the dog back, I would have suggested you find an all breed rescue and be completely honest...most rescues have seen this before and have a foster home that has the time to work through this type of behavior issue. 

Your frustration is completely understandable. I've had fosters pee on my bed in the past. It's a marking issue, peeing where the people sleep, I learned to keep the bedroom door shut when I'm fostering, even when they appear totally housebroken. 

Sometimes, as much as we want to help a furkid, we have to understand our personal situation and if the dog isn't fitting in and we don't have the time for extensive training, it is better to find a new home. It is a very emotional decision, but sometimes rehoming is the most loving thing one can do.

Jan, Seamus, Gracie & Phoebe


----------



## njb (Oct 5, 2006)

Bless your heart for taking the time and energy to rehab those puppy mill dogs--that is huge. You must be like the special forces of dog rescue.

The final straw for this particular dog was digging out of the yard multiple times in one day--if I was going to be here longer I would have invested in an e collar. I can sleep well because I know the vet had finally made the tech send the dog to the pound, and I showed up on the 3rd day-which is all they get. This guy must be destined to find a good family. I am fine with my part in helping to save him from certain death.


----------

