My New Dog
I adopted Buddy from a shelter last week. He is a 65 pound shepherd mix who is supposed to be about 5 years old. We picked him because the shelter told us he had lived with a cat, and we needed a dog who would be OK with ours. We were told that he lived in the backyard at his previous home, and didn't get enough socialization and training. I rather wonder how much contact he had with the cat if he was outdoors all the time. He approaches her in a friendly (not predatory) way and I am pretty confident they will be fine together although she does not trust him yet.
I like this group because several people here have adopted adult rescue dogs. My first dog was Petey, a pit bull mix, also adopted as an adult, who died recently. I found him wandering the streets and he turned out to be a wonderful dog. The trouble is, I don't really remember how I trained him! How could I forget so soon?
I've signed up for a class that starts next month. There are a few things he needs to learn before his formal education starts. He's got to stop his playful mouthing! He does it gently, but it is unacceptable anyway. All suggestions are welcome!
The people at the shelter thought my rather short, slow walks would not be enough exercise for him. They said he loves to fetch and that would be a good way to exercise him. Ha! It's taken several days for him to get interested in any toys at all. He will chase them, sometimes, but it doesn't occur to him to bring them back. I'm wondering whether it's because he has never played with toys, or whether he is just too busy adjusting to his new environment. He paces around the house a lot. I'm thinking maybe this is not from a need for more exercise but from the stress of a big change. What do you think?
Here he is:
I like this group because several people here have adopted adult rescue dogs. My first dog was Petey, a pit bull mix, also adopted as an adult, who died recently. I found him wandering the streets and he turned out to be a wonderful dog. The trouble is, I don't really remember how I trained him! How could I forget so soon?
I've signed up for a class that starts next month. There are a few things he needs to learn before his formal education starts. He's got to stop his playful mouthing! He does it gently, but it is unacceptable anyway. All suggestions are welcome!
The people at the shelter thought my rather short, slow walks would not be enough exercise for him. They said he loves to fetch and that would be a good way to exercise him. Ha! It's taken several days for him to get interested in any toys at all. He will chase them, sometimes, but it doesn't occur to him to bring them back. I'm wondering whether it's because he has never played with toys, or whether he is just too busy adjusting to his new environment. He paces around the house a lot. I'm thinking maybe this is not from a need for more exercise but from the stress of a big change. What do you think?
Here he is: