Experienced Dog Owners: I Need Advice

[Christine]

Good morning everyone. I need some quick advice right now as I'm sort of in a panic.

Yesterday, after a 6 week "search" I adopted a rescue dog. Unfortunately, I went against just about everything I set out to do. I wanted to get an older dog (around 2-3 years old). I had been looking at greyhounds but there is a shortage right now. The greyhound rescue I was working with also was not thrilled about my work schedule or my guinea pig (understandably).

I have been visiting a well-respected rescue each weekend since early December. They pull dogs from high kill shelters, meat trade rescue, as well rescue efforts in Puerto Rico. They have a good mix of dogs and puppies, they are assessed, and many are in foster. I had tried for a few dogs in foster; however, the fosters are not very good about responding and it was just going nowhere. I found one little dog (beagle mix) last week that seemed good but he was found to have a leg issue so they were putting any adoption on hold. My point of this is they seem like a very good rescue who cares for the dogs.

So I went back up there yesterday because there were two adult hound mixes that looked promising from their bios and pictures. When I got there, they were large type hunting hounds and way more energy than I could handle and definitely not a good fit for our schedule. There were many very cute, smallish rescue puppies from Puerto Rico but they have been roaming in a pack for the last 3 months.

There was one dog there, a hound mix, that was 6 months old, that had been brought up from a no-kill shelter in rural Virginia. Since they were no kill, not sure why she was moved but she arrived last week, she was spayed on Friday and I got her yesterday. She was very calm and sweet. She still is. I found this link for her on Facebook and I guess she was a stray that came in down in SW Virginia. Moved her quickly up to northern VA where I am. https://www.facebook.com/russellcou...7812903039058/518927318927616/?type=3&theater

But....she seems fixated a bit on the guinea pig and I believe she will kill him any chance she gets so the guinea pig is being sequestered in a room that's off limits. This has upset me so bad, I cannot convey it well enough to you. My husband just thinks I'm nuts. I think it's a little PTSD because many, many years ago one of my dogs killed a smaller dog I had and was found to have a very high prey drive. I don't fault the prey drive, but OMG, my guinea pig! How stupid could I be.

The dog went into her crate well last night and slept quietly for the most part. I did not sleep at all.

Today, she is getting more brave around the house. When I showered, I put her back in her crate and while she couldn't see me, she had a fit. I got her calmed down and she is up in her crate snoozing now while I'm downstairs typing this.

Honestly, I don't know what I'm asking, but I am scared to death to go to work tomorrow and leave the dog all day long. I am planning on hiring a walker midday but now I'm thinking it's just not enough. It has been so long since I had a very young dog and I don't know what's normal and what's not at this point.

I am considering returning the dog today but my heart is breaking. Does anyone have any advice. Please be kind! I can't take harsh right now even though I probably deserve it.

 

[maxiesmom]

As a hound owner ( I have a beagle and in the past owned a coonhound) I don't think your fears are unfounded. My Elliott is a love, but I wouldn't trust him around any kind of small rodent/creature. Does your guinea pig usually have free run of the house?

 

[Christine]

As a hound owner ( I have a beagle and in the past owned a coonhound) I don't think your fears are unfounded. My Elliott is a love, but I wouldn't trust him around any kind of small rodent/creature. Does your guinea pig usually have free run of the house?

We used to let him out occasionally. But that just started. Up until this past June, I had another dog (the high prey drive one) but she was 17 years old and had lost interest. But we still didn't let the guinea pig out. He does, however, sit in our living room on an elevated table in a large, open top pen. Very easy for a dog to access. I was going for a shorter, older dog but then just was stupid!

We do have a smaller, actual cage, for the guinea pig and we are going to move him to that and take him upstairs. But now he'll be isolated.

 

[2Kds2K9]

Where did you get the pup? I volunteer at the local animal shelter in NoVa and know that the counselors there would have worked with you and advised you how to introduce the two and given you some resources.

She’s young at 6 months and can be trained. You need to be consistent on crate training and she’ll get used to it. There are a lot of trainers and dog behaviorists in NoVa. Do some research or contact the Fairfax County Animal Shelter and they can give you some direction. They are open today.

Good luck!

 

[luvsJack]

Can you get a larger cage that the guinea pig can be in to not be isolated and still be protected?

 

[kidshop]

I am not so experienced, but I adopted a puppy in August and based on research and talking with the fosters, I don’t think a puppy should ever have full access to your house without direct supervision. For their safety and your sanity. They actually recommend not to fully trust them until 18 months or so, when teething is completed and the teenage years are over lol. They want to minimize returns, so a puppy who does not have the opportunity to do bad things is more likely to stay. So my puppy is confined to the kitchen with gates (where I am 90% of the time) and then slowly had access to the carpeted living room. He is 7 months now and is still not left unsupervised. When I leave the house he goes in the crate. I stay at home, so have not been gone for more than 4 hours when someone can let him out. I also have an exercise pen that he goes in when I am home but cannot directly supervise him. So, my advice is to use the crate and gates and keep the puppy confined so your guinea pig is safe.

I don’t have advice on introducing the 2, but you can certainly keep the puppy away.

Puppies are hard and a lot of work! I don’t think I’ll do that again. I also meant to get an older dog, but stuff happens.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think you should go with your instincts. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it, because I know your heart is in the right place. Not every dog is right for every family or situation. I remember when you had that incident with your dogs and how traumatic it was for you. Because the dog is very young, he'll have no trouble finding a home with someone who doesn't have a guinea pig and who maybe is either home more or more active with him. I don't think you should feel guilty about taking him back if that's what you choose to do. Next time you go to find another dog, try to stick as long as you can to your instincts of getting a somewhat older dog whose energy level is lower. I understand what you mean about trying to get in touch with people working with rescues, it is very difficult, and I understand it's because they're mostly all volunteer and working with the animals, etc. I've been trying for a long time to find the right dog for our family, too, and it isn't easy. I also have had to return a dog to a shelter once and felt horribly guilty and was bawling my eyes out, but I knew I couldn't live with this dog after he wouldn't let my husband in the house one day and he tried to go after my neighbor's kid.

FWIW, we brought a terrier into our house where we have a hamster. I had concerns about it but we took steps to keep them very separate and to condition the dog to accept him as part of our family, and to a degree we've had success, however we NEVER give him the opportunity to have free reign to him because we know prey drive and instinct may very well take over and we don't want anything to happen to our little guy as he is very loved. If you remember with our previous GSDs our hamsters were always allowed to hang out and walk around in our sunroom and the dogs enjoyed them there. The hamster we have now isn't too interested in that but if we do it, we shut the terrier out of the room and he watches through the door, but he is not reactive. Same with when we hold the hamster - he doesn't show any tension at all now. It's been five years that he's lived with three different hamsters and he somehow understands they belong here. BUT we never trust him completely, lol. I think it's probably different with a guinea pig because the pen is set up differently.

I am a believer in giving respect to the animals in the house who were there first when bringing a new pet in. We ran into this ourselves when we were last looking for a dog and the shelter manager herself (huge shelter that you would probably recognize the name of) even told us it wasn't fair to our dog to bring another dog in to our home who had bitter our old dog as we were finalizing the adoption, then yelled (jokingly) at the dog saying, "This is the second family in two days you've lost!". I love working with reasonable people! Because I was still thinking that we'd go through with it even after that. But she was totally right. I think it behooves them to try to find the right home for each pet. Good luck with whatever you decide. If the dog stays, your highest priority, first, will be keeping the guinea pig safe. That might take up a lot of your energy!

 

[Christine]

Thanks everyone. I'm not leaving her unsupervised at all. I'm just trying to sit in one area with her and she keeps roaming. I've got an open floor plan so have yet to find a way to gate areas off (that's always been an issue). She's a really sweet dog but probably a bit more than I was prepared to handle. I've had various young dogs. This one is probably more work than I bargained for. Maybe I'm just too old now!

 

[disykat]

First priority should be a new, covered, cage for the guinea pig!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thanks everyone. I'm not leaving her unsupervised at all. I'm just trying to sit in one area with her and she keeps roaming. I've got an open floor plan so have yet to find a way to gate areas off (that's always been an issue). She's a really sweet dog but probably a bit more than I was prepared to handle. I've had various young dogs. This one is probably more work than I bargained for. Maybe I'm just too old now!

Well I know there is that period in many new pet situations, where you ask yourself, "What have I done?". I totally remember feeling that way with both of our last two dogs. Eventually they settled in, but it is a lot of work and energy! I think your best bet if you decide to ride it out is to totally wear her out with exercise daily. That way when she's in the house, she's more tuckered out and hopefully not as ready to pounce. You can also teach her what you want her to do at the same time you're teaching her what not to do. So if she motions toward the guinea pig's area, redirect her with a ball, and be firm about her not going near there. Every time. She will eventually understand that area is off limits. You may have to change up the guinea pig's home to ensure its safety. (Our hamster is high up on a bureau in DD's room.) Guinea pig may not like it, but at least he'll be safe. Our neighbor has a young hound dog that I have had to bring out on occasion when they go out, and I am astounded with the energy that dog has. I've often thought what a challenge it would be to help him evolve into a well mannered family member. Watching him run around is fun, though - boundless energy.

 

[ljcrochet]

a 6 month old puppy should be in a crate when you are not home. You might want to think about keeping her on a leash when you are home till she learns the rules of your house.
You can keep on introducing them and praise (and give treats ) to the puppy when she is showing good behavior.

I fostered close to 100 dogs and know it takes time to introduce the dogs to the pets already in the house . A 6 month old puppy should be trained for the behaviors you want long term.

 

[TexasBee]

What about a doggy day care? She could have some fun, get some socialization and exercise, and be supervised.

 

[Sleepy425]

My advice is to give it time. The first night I brought my second dog home, he went after my first dog. I was in tears wondering what the hell I had done. With time and crates, they became good pals.
I also had birds to keep safe. My house looked crazy - there was a self closing screened door that separated my front entrance from the rest of the house. The bird cage was in that alcove, and at first the dog (and kittens when we adopted them) would sit at the screened door and try to get to the birds. But after 6 years, the cats and the dog became so used to seeing the birds that when we moved I was able to put the bird cage in a room that had no separation from them.
It is stressful keeping your dog from getting to your other animals. But with a lot of creativity, it can be done.
Good luck! Give the pup a chance. With regular exercise, a crate, and a few extra safeguards you can keep both the guinea pig and dog very happy and safe.

 

[LSUmiss]

As a hound owner ( I have a beagle and in the past owned a coonhound) I don't think your fears are unfounded. My Elliott is a love, but I wouldn't trust him around any kind of small rodent/creature. Does your guinea pig usually have free run of the house?

I was going say that. I had a beagle & there is no way I would have trusted him with a small animal like that. I have a dachshund now & same thing, but it’s harder for him to get places up high.

 

[Christine]

All,

Thanks for your advice. I contacted the rescue and they advised that I bring her back right away (today) while their weekend adoption event is going on. The two issues for me are:

1. Guinea pig: he can and would have been moved to a room upstairs. He would have been isolated and he's pretty social. He's 6 years old and I felt bad for essentially putting him in a closet.

2. We are 100% behind crate training and already had that going. She slept well in the crate but when I showered and she thought I was gone she got really upset. I know this is normal; however, the thoughts of leaving her when I went to work this week just really bothered me.

3. When she was out of the crate I felt as if I needed to be right up next to her. I couldn't do anything else in the house and I guess I was not prepared for that.

This is all on me. The dog was wonderful and sweet. I just should have never have adopted a 6 month old. I did that with my last dog and it went really well and I must have been super lucky.

So I took her back about an hour ago and I cannot stop crying. It's as bad as when my 18 y/o dog passed away this summer. I am absolutely devastated and not sure I did the right thing at all. Fortunately, nothing bad will happen to her at the rescue but how stressful for the poor dog.

 

[maxiesmom]

A word of advice: My last 3 dogs have come from a rescue. All 3 were at least a year old. You still need to do research into the temperament of the dog. The rescue I use is very up front--one of the dogs has very bad anxiety, and part of the things I agreed to do was to not crate her. Plus, my dad is home with her almost 24/7, and that is what she needed. A great rescue will know a bit about the dogs and work with you to get a good fit.

I'm sure it was beyond hard to return the dog. Take it slow, and make sure you get one that will work with your whole family, guinea pig included. Good luck.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

All,

Thanks for your advice. I contacted the rescue and they advised that I bring her back right away (today) while their weekend adoption event is going on. The two issues for me are:

1. Guinea pig: he can and would have been moved to a room upstairs. He would have been isolated and he's pretty social. He's 6 years old and I felt bad for essentially putting him in a closet.

2. We are 100% behind crate training and already had that going. She slept well in the crate but when I showered and she thought I was gone she got really upset. I know this is normal; however, the thoughts of leaving her when I went to work this week just really bothered me.

3. When she was out of the crate I felt as if I needed to be right up next to her. I couldn't do anything else in the house and I guess I was not prepared for that.

This is all on me. The dog was wonderful and sweet. I just should have never have adopted a 6 month old. I did that with my last dog and it went really well and I must have been super lucky.

So I took her back about an hour ago and I cannot stop crying. It's as bad as when my 18 y/o dog passed away this summer. I am absolutely devastated and not sure I did the right thing at all. Fortunately, nothing bad will happen to her at the rescue but how stressful for the poor dog.

Aww, I understand how you feel! But you didn't really do anything wrong, it just didn't work out. You had no way of knowing that a home with small pets might not be right for this particular dog. Now they know and can advise that going forward. I highly doubt there will be any permanent damage done to the dog's psyche, and hopefully he will find a good home soon maybe with some kids and a large yard he can run around in.

 

[Christine]

A word of advice: My last 3 dogs have come from a rescue. All 3 were at least a year old. You still need to do research into the temperament of the dog. The rescue I use is very up front--one of the dogs has very bad anxiety, and part of the things I agreed to do was to not crate her. Plus, my dad is home with her almost 24/7, and that is what she needed. A great rescue will know a bit about the dogs and work with you to get a good fit.

I'm sure it was beyond hard to return the dog. Take it slow, and make sure you get one that will work with your whole family, guinea pig included. Good luck.

Thanks. I think I'm done for a while.

This rescue does seem good. They seem to do very well with vetting out the older dogs. They've been very upfront about the various issues of the older dogs; hence, why I haven't been able to find one in weeks. For the puppies, they know less. All I know is that this one was a stray, picked up in rural southern Virginia just last week. No one claimed her and she was sent up here. So no history and she had not yet been fostered. A lot of the older puppies do end up getting pulled into foster and maybe someone will do that with her.

Right now, though, I feel like the worst person ever. I hope I'm being overly dramatic but all I can think about is how I must have confused that poor dog.

 

[Hills4diz]

Hounds are great dogs, that said they are hunting animals. Rabbits, squirrels etc are prey. I've never understood the passion to have a rodent in the house so I cant speak to a guinea pig, however you can certainly keep both pets if you create and maintain boundaries. We have exotic birds and a great dane. Normally you wouldn't have those in the same house, but with appropriate training and established boundaries it is very possible.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Oh, and I think your instincts about the crate are likely correct. One of my dogs had major separation anxiety and actually used to harm herself in the crate trying to get out. I would come home and literally find blood in the crate and her nose and paws with injuries. I stopped forcing it, and kept her gated in the kitchen. (Where, you might remember, we videotaped her pushing a chair up to the kitchen gate and jumping over at five months old! She was my high maintenance girl!) There's little doubt it would cause you a lot of anxiety while you're at work, if nothing else. One of the reasons we haven't found the right dog yet is because I have a 93 year old in the house to consider (who recently fractured her hip). I can't have a dog around who might knock her over or anything like that. I am looking for a German Shepherd and there are so many things to consider with rescues (though I have applied for many reportedly mellow ones at this point). It think it is somewhat difficult to take a dog sight unseen before you see how things go. So don't beat yourself up over it.