That is what's holding the connection between Bear and me right now. Things seemed to be going so well except that I'm getting pretty pissed off at his constant trolling for food. But he was becoming more used to me and I to him, and a real affection was taking place between us.
I've been walking him several times a day - across the street to the grassy area to pee, plus morning and late day walks out to the walking/bike trail to do his business. I thought we had a system going that I could count on.
I went to bed around 11 pm last night and Bear settled down on the small rug next to my bed. When I got up in the middle of the night to answer nature's call, he escorted me to the bathroom, waited in the hall, and then walked me back to bed. He didn't stay in my bedroom long, but I figured he just went into the living room to lie on his comfy dog bed.
He woke me up at 6 am, which I don't care for because I can't go back to sleep after that and I don't want to be up that early. But I got up and found he had pooped in the kitchen, the living room, and the hallway. Big blobs all over everywhere. Not only that but he had evidently gotten up to the small dinette table and knocked a lot of things on the floor - including my camera and a small flash drive. I cleaned up the mess which took a while, and then took him across the street to pee. I dumped the garbage from cleaning up after him and tried to go back to bed but it was no use. When I finally got up I found more and more evidence of his knocking things over.
Oh, he also went into
the spare room last night and obviously threw up - not much but enough to be maddening.
I usually bring my coffee cup and whatever I'm having for breakfast, usually a bowl of cut up fruit first, then a Danish, then a bowl of cereal, and he sits close and watches every move I make, hoping I'll drop something and he can eat it. While it is amusing at times, I really don't like it as a constant thing.
God only knows whether he is just unused to the brand of food, mixing a bit of wet food in with the dry (I don't mix much because it's too expensive to feed a large dog.), or whether he's ingested something else. I tried to make it as dog-proof as I could, but I am not the kind of person who has to have perfectly cleared surfaces - I have things on my kitchen countertop, including his big bag of dog food because I have no where else to put it that he can't reach or get into, and I'll admit I set my camera, the tv remote, today's mail, etc. on the dinette table. I'm not going to become Suzy Housekeeper all of the sudden. (The foster had told me to keep the wastebaskets empty, and now I see why - he knocks them over to try to see what is in them.)
So after I ate breakfast I decided I have to go to Costco - I'm out of some of the fruit I eat every day and breakfast is the part of my day I love the best. I have been debating calling the whole thing off and phoning the foster from Lab Rescue. I can't go on like this day after day, wondering what he is going to destroy or make a mess of. I decided I would go to Costco and see what happened - if I came home to a mess then he would be gone by the end of the day.
The boy must have sensed my mood because everything was in place, and he didn't even push open the bedroom or spare (camping gear) room doors, which
I purposely shut to see if he would stay out. Maybe he's earned a temporary reprieve but I'm going to be on pins and needles until I can trust him.
Sorry I have nothing else to write about, and I just feel awful about this whole experience - awful for Bear as well as for me. It makes me wonder about taking on an 11 year old dog, which would be different if I had a fenced yard and a doggie door.
On another note, I have mentioned in previous blogs that I try to clear cookies from my computer at least every other day. I just did that task and deleted 108 cookies and leaving about 40! Many of these are things such as Paypal, that I never ever use so I don't know how the cookie appears. Placing cookies is an invasion of privacy as far as I'm concerned and I would set my preferences to none at all, except then I'd have to log in to everything every time, such as email, and a few other things i use on a daily basis.
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Have you thought about a crate? I know some dislike them, but I have found them a great help with my relationship with my dogs. My dogs go to the crate at bedtime or when I leave the house. Further, I would crate him when I eat as it is bothering you.
ReplyDeleteI was so surprised to see that you had gotten another dog. It seemed like Lady annoyed you so much while you had her. Perhaps pets just aren't your thing; nothing wrong with that as long as you know it in advance.
ReplyDeleteYour posts say that you got the dog Sunday, and today is only Tuesday. Two days isn't nearly long enough for your new pet to learn the habits of your home. Since he was a stray, he probably had to forage for his food, which may be why he is so food -focused. If you are giving him canned food without having weaned him from whatever the shelter fed him, that would explain the upset stomach. Please don't be angry with him -- you are the parent in this situation and your anger will just make him feel bad. If you are not able to adjust your own habits to help Bear better acclimate to your home, a pet is probably not for you.
ReplyDeleteVada in Tx.Oh Gypsy...get him a crate. You are a loving,caring person and a crate is the answer! A nice pad,a comforting chew toy and a place near your bed ..so you can talk to him will give him a secure bed and make his roaming at night a thing of the past.It is the common sense solution and you are usually all about common sense.Go directly to the store and don't pass Go.Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone out there would be in a relatively decent mood after been awakened at 6 am to find dog poop all over the house. Don't criticize my attitude unless you have had the same thing happen to you, and if you weren't bothered by it, then my hat's off to you. I didn't yell at the dog or show anger, I just cleaned the damn stuff up which took about half an hour. Am I allowed to be frustrated?
ReplyDeleteWe have one dog that spends the night in a cage and wants to. We feed her in the cage (with the door open) and she thinks it is her "house". Just don't ever put a dog in a cage for punishment if you want them to be content in the cage. When we travel, she travels in her "house".
ReplyDeleteI know the guilt of having second thoughts about taking in a rescue. I've almost taken my younger cat back a couple of times. He seems to sense when he has pushed me too far and stops. He's hurt me (accidently) with his claws, which I now trim. My flat surfaces are now empty except for the cats. It's been a couple of months and we are still working on it. But, I'm getting trained more each day.
ReplyDeleteThe change in food is probably upsetting his digestion. Give that a couple of weeks before getting too concerned. A crate, and more walks.
I have to agree with everyone else - a crate may be the perfect answer for you. It may take him a few days to settle down in it but they really are a good thing. I have gotten woke up with a dog vomiting all over the bed and poop in the living room. It happens. We're just lucky the girls are small so the messes aren't as big as yours.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about that canned food, too. Can you check with the foster mom and find out what she fed him? I also would never feed a pet canned food because it's more of a hassle, and more expense. Katie was very sensitive to food, too, vomiting and pooping until I finally started her on Royal Canin for Chihuahuas. She's only 13 pounds though, I wouldn't pay for that food for a large dog.
ReplyDeleteI've never crated a dog, but apparently it's the thing to do - gives them a place to feel cozy, it's THEIR place, like their DEN, and you can put him in it overnight and when you're gone.
I know people who crate their dogs all day while they are at work, and they have no problems, the dogs are used to it. Sounds like that might be a great idea.
Katie barked when I was at work after I got her, and I locked her in the bathroom all day (with the light on), per the trainer's instructions. She only had a small area to worry about, stopped barking during the day, and she was fine. It will take time for him to learn what's expected.
You are obviously a dog lover, and I know you really loved Lady, and miss her. I knew you'd have a new dog pretty soon.
As long as Bear is safe and you don't have to worry about him or your things, or the poop and pee all over the place, I love the idea of a crate.
And if it bothers you when he stares at you, tell him to "go lie down." Katie does the same thing sometimes, and I make her go away! :)
Sorry about this happening. I have to agree about this wet food. Dry food is better for their teeth also.
ReplyDeleteAnd when I got Fred he was crate trained and he loved it. At the begining I would close the door when I left him but now he roams free but sleeps in his crate and goes in there when ever he feels like. I no longer close it at night. Like others have said it's their home. Around here we call it Fred's Man Cave.
Good Luck
Some more unsolicited advice about Bear:
ReplyDeleteA crate can be a great idea for the issues that Bear has, however, please to yourself and Bear a big favor and do some 'net research on crate-training. It's not as simple as just buying a crate and throwing a blanket and toys in it; there are some tricks-of-the-trade which make it easier for both the dog and the owner. I had to crate-train my terrier at age 8 due to a back injury. After a period of adjustment, he loved the crate and would go in it even when he wasn't being crated.
As others have pointed out, Bear is going through a period of adjustment that ALL adopted animals go through. Remember, he has probably had no less than 3 "homes" - previous owner's, foster's, and now yours - in the last month or so. That's enough to make anyone anxious, much less an 11-yr-old dog. Not changing his food and limiting his ability to roam in the house will help lessen his (and your) anxiety. In all likelihood, Bear will be a different dog in a few weeks, calmer and more settled, especially once he understands your expectations. But the reality is he's going to need time, as in weeks, not days. If you can't do that then, as you realize, you need to re-consider this.
BTW, five years ago, my husband and I adopted a four-yr-old Siamese cat. In the 4 months prior to adopting her, she had 4 different "homes," including two shelters. It took her over a year to settle in with us and realize that this was her forever home. (Dogs tend to adjust easier than most cats.) At times, she drove us crazy with her adjustment anxiety but she DID settle in and is as normal as any Siamese ever gets.
Seems like lots of good advice. I know I'd have lots of trouble adjusting to a new home at my age. I have never used a crate. Cannot even imagine putting a dog in there all day while you work. That actually seems cruel to me. Never had a dog over 30 pounds as it always seemed too difficult. All my dogs were more work as they got older and I had to make lots of allowances for their age. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI can not offer you any advice as I have only had one dog in my life and I raised him as a puppy not fully grown as in Bear's case.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is that only you can make the determination of keeping him or taking him back.
You ARE allowed to be frustrated and have second thoughts.
Our kids crate their dogs at night. Haley used to spend time in a crate, but we have come to an understanding on how things should go and she has free range of the house an RV all the time. She does rarely poops indoors, but if we leave her for an extended time, then nature always wins out.
ReplyDelete