Advice on re-adopting a dog

3dogman · 20-09-2007, 16:09

Hi last a week last Monday me and Mrs D adopted a little JR cross called Mop for company for our other dog Rosie a 6 year old crossbreed after our old dog Charlie had passed away. We expected a few little spats at first which did happen on the Monday. Thing settled down a bit but on the Thursday the they had a real set to and in a panic I returned Mop to the animal sanctuary. What happened was that Mop was sat on the sette with Mrs D and the phone rang, when this happens Rosie starts to howl and roll on my feet I think Mop thouht Rosie was having a go at me and started to wade in. Point is I phone the Mayflower animal rescue to ask if Mop is ok which he is and we got talking and we are thinking about giving Mop a second go. Am I daft or can anyone offer advice on how to get them to mix together. They had walked together well and we had fed them in seperate rooms, could letting them on the furniture have any effect on how they behave we let them have the run of the house usually. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
3dogman

katkin · 20-09-2007, 18:51

Hi 3dogman, I can see why you would want to try again- and no, you're not daft. Your explanation of why Mop reacted towards Rosie when the phone rang seems very plausible- all these sounds and sensations are still new to Mop and she may have misinterpreted Rosie's reactions.

There's often an issue with small dogs that are allowed on furniture too - a bit of a territorial and hierarchical thing (not that I can criticise- I own a big daft doberman who was never supposed to be allowed on the sofa or even upstairs but you try getting her off it (or the bed) without brute force or friendly bribery...)

Actually, she's not that bad, I don't let her take liberties (much) and I happen to like having a cuddle with my dobermutt, especially on cooler evenings - she makes a fab (but bony) foot warmer.

But dogs can interpret being allowed on the sofa as having special privilages and rights - and its likely Mop thinks that she is top dog, or that Rosie poses a threat, hence the attack.

Certainly, walking them together helps to strengthen the pack feeling between them, and it would be a good idea to begin to feed them closer together (gradually, once you've judged things are cooling down), to develop that further. You may have to watch how you interact with each dog, to make sure you're not favoring the dominant dog more than the other one - giving ideas above it's station, as this can perpetuate problems.

I really think you can get them to accept one another, given a little time and patience - dogs are naturally pack animals and once they think any threat has been removed, they will relax. You'll probably still get the occasional spat, but hopefully things will calm down. Good luck.

blue-kat · 20-09-2007, 19:27

would it be possible to turn the ringer down on the phone or do something to divert Rosie from howling etc when it rings?
I've read that it helps to introduce the dogs as much as possible in neutral territory.

we got a 11 week old puppy early August and have taken things steady for settling him into the house and our other pets.

we've kept them mostly to the kitchen and garden, and highly supervised visits to the other rooms, and put them in the garden to sort it out between them as soon as there any nipping, barking, circling, play fighting, dominance etc.

the puppy has been sleeping alone in the crate, just this week, the 2 dogs have started sleeping in the crate together by choice, and now it's ok to them along together. we still give our older dog some time away from the puppy because he must get annoying.

personally I think it helps to do introductions slowly. we did the same introducing 2 kittens to older solo rescue cat, and now they have bonded well, and sometimes groom each other.

good luck with Rosie and Mop.

3dogman · 21-09-2007, 17:23

Thank you for the advice blue-kat and katkin, I have spoken to Jenny at Mayflower today 21st Sep and she is willing to let us try again with Mop. Jenny has spoken to a dog whisperer (I didn't know there was such a thing) and she is going to send us a dvd on how to get the dogs to behave together. I suppose it is me and the wife that want training as we have let our previous dogs have the run of the house, they are usually in bed before us.
This is Mop he is a JR cross he's bit thinner in real life
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...man/MopJRx.jpg

katkin · 21-09-2007, 18:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3dogman

Thank you for the advice blue-kat and katkin, I have spoken to Jenny at Mayflower today 21st Sep and she is willing to let us try again with Mop. Jenny has spoken to a dog whisperer (I didn't know there was such a thing) and she is going to send us a dvd on how to get the dogs to behave together. I suppose it is me and the wife that want training as we have let our previous dogs have the run of the house, they are usually in bed before us.
This is Mop he is a JR cross he's bit thinner in real life
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...man/MopJRx.jpg

Good on you - he looks fab- sounds like Mayflower want to do all they can to help so better luck this time xK

blue-kat · 22-09-2007, 20:12

I hope all goes more smoothly this time around.
let us know how you get on please
best wishes

keely · 23-09-2007, 20:30

my dogs (or rather my mums dogs) still scrap if they think one is threatening my mum. and surprise, surprise, theyre both small dogs who are allowed on the furniture!!

I hope they can solve their differences

3dogman · 27-09-2007, 18:28

Been and fetched Mop home today 2.00pm upto now no bother, he's asleep in the big dog box all 4 legs in the air. We have been told to keep him and Rosie of the furniture for a few days and not to show them to much affection especially when we come in. Don't know what they have been feeding him but he's been twice and it's very yukky, also he's not eaten any food here yet.

xxhunniixx · 27-09-2007, 18:29

aww can we pweeeeease have piccies...??

katkin · 27-09-2007, 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3dogman

Been and fetched Mop home today 2.00pm upto now no bother, he's asleep in the big dog box all 4 legs in the air. We have been told to keep him and Rosie of the furniture for a few days and not to show them to much affection especially when we come in. Don't know what they have been feeding him but he's been twice and it's very yukky, also he's not eaten any food here yet.

He'll soon settle down, I'm sure. hope all goes well this time, keep us posted xK

3dogman · 29-09-2007, 18:09

Hi everybody sorry about being late with a pic finally got one. Had 1 or 2 little hiccups but otherwise Rosie and Mop are putting up with each other. Rosie can't understand why she's not allowed on the furniture now but I think after a week or to we'll try and let them have a few minutes a day on it. We have watched a dog whisperer video and will try and use some of the advice on that, especially the bit about walking on the lead. Rosie can pull like a tractor.
http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...t=IMG_0033.jpg
This is Rosie
http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k1...rent=Rosie.jpg

xxhunniixx · 29-09-2007, 18:24

awww mop looks very happy (and comfy) lol glad its workn out x

3dogman · 12-10-2007, 18:50

Hi everybody Leo (formally Mop) has settled in quite well now in fact he's a cheeky little beggar. He's been playing with his frisbee today and loved it. Rosie our other dog still tries to bully him a bit but he's beginning to stick up for him self, I try to calm them down before anything nasty happens.
One day I was in the living room with Rosie our other dog when the mrs started shouting from the kitchen Leo had been in the waste bin and was going to do a runner with a turkey leg bone there was bits of turkey all over the place.
Trouble is now the idiots have started with the fireworks and of course the dogs like to let you know this very vocally, well at least they don't go for each other now when the fireworks go of they just bark their necks off.
We're still not letting them on the furniture might try that next week and we don't leave them together when we go out, that might be a couple of weeks yet.

katkin · 14-10-2007, 19:21

glad all is working out well. Of course, we'll all have the idiot firework season to contend with and terriers like to use their voices, it's their way of showing they object. You might want to look at getting a DAP plug is diffuser(it's a dog appeasing phermone which is meant to help distressed dogs to 'chill' when fireworks or other scary noise sor situations arise). Try Nutrecare - an online supplier- I buy my feliway (cat equivalent plug ins) from them and have found they are the cheapest suplpiers and pretty quick to deliver too.

Dozy · 14-10-2007, 22:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by katkin

glad all is working out well. Of course, we'll all have the idiot firework season to contend with and terriers like to use their voices, it's their way of showing they object. You might want to look at getting a DAP plug is diffuser(it's a dog appeasing phermone which is meant to help distressed dogs to 'chill' when fireworks or other scary noise sor situations arise). Try Nutrecare - an online supplier- I buy my feliway (cat equivalent plug ins) from them and have found they are the cheapest suplpiers and pretty quick to deliver too.

Grrrrr...... (that's me, not dog!)

DAP sounds brilliant for my scaredy-dog. I've just been on the website, ordered the plug in and a collar and then it went funny when I tried to register - kept telling me my passwords didn't agree or there was a server error.

Will have to try again tomorrow.

3dogman · 15-10-2007, 10:32

Hi Dozy just had the same problem with Nutrecare says there's no server or something. The DAP sounds ok if you get it.