Help! Help!! Desperately need DOGGIE help!!! Help with a doggie!!!!

by ziddina 43 Replies latest social family

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  watersprout

  Also your friend must remember that this pup will be agrophobic so you would treat that like you would a human... Puppy pads are a God send! House training is hard with a rescue as nightmares, raised voices, in fact any form of tension and change will cause her to wee and poop herself... Having a rescue is not like having a ''normal'' dog, you have to go about it in a completely different way. Sid has violent nightmares and when we wake him he looks at us as the ones who used to hurt him and desperately tries to get away, he shakes violently and tears roll down his face... It's frightening, I just hope your friend has the time and patience for this poor little pup.

  Peace
• 

  Band on the Run

  It is so heartbreaking. Has a vet giving a prognosis? The poor darling.
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  ziddina

  Wow, thanks for all of the wonderful replies!!!

  I've been talking with my friend off and on today; she's taken off work early to check up on the dog again.

  The dog was housed at a "foster" home for six months, but I just learned that the foster home ALSO had around 40 other dogs... So this poor little sweetie must have gotten lost in the crowd....

  She has found the puppy pad and has used it, so her digestion appears to be normal and healthy. As she was in "foster" care, she was taken to the vets regularly, she was spayed, given her shots, her teeth were checked and dental work was done [something about breeder dogs - poor nutrition, stress of being caged - seems to destroy their teeth. Many of the "breeder rescues" end up with NO teeth whatsoever...]

  But this doggie was rescued in time to save most of her teeth. As I stated earlier, the doggie is going to the vets on Friday for ANOTHER tooth check-up, just to be sure.

  "Tammy" has just found out that the doggie has deformed hind paws; she's missing all but one toe on each rear paw. Not that one would realize it, the way the dog gets around. She's already picked up the harness and will be putting the dog into it this afternoon.

  The doggie has chosen the area under the kitchen table as her "sanctum sanctorium". The doggie - "Ellie" - has begun exploring the house - a GOOD sign! - and has actually started taking small bits of food from "Tammy's" hand - ANOTHER good sign!!

  There's hope, thank goodness!!

  I dunno about a "crate" - since the dog was caged for so long, I wonder whether a crate would feel familiar - or just like another prison. She seems pretty happy underneath the kitchen table, but I'll know more when I see her on Friday.

  The suggestions to read to the doggie - "Ellie" - or just do stuff - works very well with the kitchen table. It's a hub of activity, but with enough of a "recessed" area to provide her with a dark, safe spot - and keeps her near the food, to boot!

  Both "Tammy" and I are feeling much more hopeful, now...

  Thanks again for all of your replies!!

  Zid
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  ziddina

  Oh, and "Tammy's" neutered eight-year-old male daschund is behaving in a friendly fashion towards little "Ellie" - but maybe that's because he's gotten into her food and has eaten more of it than he should!!
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  finally awake

  maybe a long tablecloth/blanket over the table would be cave like enough to suit the dog, but I still favor a proper crate. It doesn't have to be really small, but it does help contain the mess from a non-housebroken dog. The biggest issue I had with my rescue dogs was the difficulty in house breaking them. I have a pretty low tolerance for bathroom accidents - it really grosses me out - and I like to know that I'm not going to find a pile or a puddle in an unexpected place.
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  ziddina

  Ah! I see now...

  As far as I can tell, "Ellie" IS semi-housebroken - she found the 'puppy-pad' by the back door and knew how to use it, all while my frind was at work...

  I'm going to give my friend a synopsis of the replies here, the next time she calls...

  Again, thanks!
• 

  watersprout

  Get a super soft bed to go under the table... Sounds like she is improving alreaady that's fantastic news!

  Sid has a few back teeth and three fangs, it's awful to think that the stress of being in a puppy farm has done this... Humans made me sick!

  Peace
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  ziddina

  Thanks, Watersprout! Yeah, "Tammy" has already made a run to the local PetSmart and has picked up wet doggie food, a soft doggie bed, a harness [she already has a retractable leash = but as TD pointed out, it will be some time before that leash is used for actual walks...

  I suggested that she use it to take the doggie outside to go potty at night - as the doggie is able to tolerate the out-of-doors...

  She's going to put the doggie bed under the kitchen table...

  I'm looking forward to seeing the dog - "Ellie"- on Friday, but I can't approach the dog in the same way as I did the sweet, dearly departed little female daschund who was a real sweetie...

  I'll say this, it's going to be an education for both "Tammy" and I...
• 

  watersprout

  Zid it will be totally worth it! The people that I have spoken to that have had rexcues, would only ever had rescues now. Hard work, very frustrating but soooooo worth it!

  Peace
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  ziddina

  Man, Watersprout, all my critters are rescues, even my hamsters, but....

  I've NEVER hauled a critter's butt off of the street, that wasn't at least a LITTLE bit "socialized" - and I've tamed and rescued FERAL cats!!! (Which is why I keep telling my friend to establish an intimate "FOOD" connection with the dog, and go from there...)

  But man! An animal kept in a CAGE for SIX YEARS?????? Where the heck do you start? Will she even EAT wet food? Will she even KNOW that wet food is "food"???

  And she'll take a LONG time to just get over her fear of the back yard - will she EVER be able to go on walks???

  I mean, even the FERAL CATS that I've rescued, haven't been THAT bad off!! At least they've had some experience with wide-open spaces, traffic, dogs, and so on and so forth...

  Seriously, when I said "doggie concentration camp", that's the closest example I could think of - and this poor thing was BORN into it!!

  It's a daunting challenge... Good thing that her kids are on-board with it, too...