Re: Is this a good idea??? Don't worry - feeling safe is his priority at the moment. But maybe his priorities might change to involve turkey and roast potatoes at some point
Re: Is this a good idea??? I had a rescued GSP who was terrified when I had him. I put him in the utility room and left the door open so that he could come out when/if he felt like it. I would just leave him alone to make his own decision. Very sad for him that he should feel so scared, I wonder if something is reminding him of his past?
Re: Is this a good idea??? I dunno. I hope not this is a brand new gorgeous nautical house! I don't know what could be making him scared other than the fact we are somewhere new. I am wondering whether he doesn't like the wooden floor that is in the hallway etc because he finds it slippery and he doesn't want to hurt his arthritic legs? I have carried him upstairs and he is settled on the sofa and murphy went and sat with him. Iv given him lots of yummy treats too. He just took about 30 seconds to build up the courage to jump off onto the wooden floor and he stood still for about 1 min and I stroked him and then he jumped back on and has gone to sleep.
Re: Is this a good idea??? It could well be the wooden floors. Lots of dogs at training where the floor was wooden, became spooked and wouldn't budge, I think they don't like the hard, slippery surface.
Re: Is this a good idea??? Its def the floors, i just lifted him off the sofa and carried him to the water bowl. He stood still for ages, then walked really slowly and wobbly for a few steps, then tried to run and slid everywhere and did the splits. He led down on the floor and sl i picked him up and carried him downstairs to the bedroom which is carpeted and then he was fine and he went outside and wagged and went for a wee. Its def the floor. Its funny coz murohy isnt bothered.
Re: Is this a good idea??? Do you have any spare towels you can lay down on the floor in areas where he needs to walk? That can help. Murphy is fine because he is young, fit, has good control of his limbs and isn't sore
Re: Is this a good idea??? We went on holiday to this fabulous cottage that Lilly just hated because of the shiny laminate flooring. It took her a few days to get used to it, but struggled in particular crossing thresholds to different surfaces. Poor Ezra....I hope he gets his balance (P@H was the same in the early days - she adapts a bit quicker now she is older)
Re: Is this a good idea??? At least now you know it's the floor you can work round it, maybe? When Charlie was injured I collected up every floor mat in the place - I have polished tiles - with rubber car mats I managed to lay my hands on a lot, quite quickly. A quick trip to B&Q for a few of their ultra budget door mats (£1.50 each) and I had covered the major areas. Completely appreciate that you sound like you are in a beautiful house no doubt decorated for Christmas and your hosts might not appreciate car mats on their lovely wooden floor...but, hey...it's Christmas. Very best wishes and good luck with it.
Re: Is this a good idea??? Luckily it's my dads holiday house and he isn't here, it's just me and my husband, my sis and her bf so I think I will be googling the nearest b and q in the morn!!! x
Re: Is this a good idea??? Hiya, A few issues with Ez have appeared in last day or so actually il go back to salcombe first, we had a really good time. Ezra went on the beach for the first time and was ok, he wasn't too keen on the water though! We decided that it was definately 90% the floor 10% new house that made him so worried and reluctant to move about in the house. We moved some bits of carpet we found and then he wasn't too bad, although he wouldn't go onto the decking by the sea. But we didn't force him and whilst I swam with murphy like a mad woman on Xmas day we left Ezra asleep in his bed. He was ok going in pubs too although only when he followed murph in. He would settle under the table and peek out at people. He barked when bikes went past and also if someone running came up behind us. He also barked at the odd van but was basically fine. We are going down again next weekend and hel be coming with us. Anyway today we thought we would go down to the new forest for a walk in the forest and pop to lymington for a wander. It all started badly when Ezra wouldn't wee before we got in the car, I knew he'd need to go but he wouldn't so we just left it, anyway halfway there we noticed him cock his leg and do the longest wee in the world onto the back windscreen!!! We stopped in a lay by and traffic was quite bad so as we opened the boot me and my husband leant underneath it to grab the dogs and stop them jumping out although murphys wait is pretty good, and anyway all the wee dripped on our heads and backs!!! Anyway we sorted it, and then we walked in the forest, he started off ok but then we came across quite a few bikes so he barked away at them, and then we walked last another couple and he went up as if to say hi and then bit into the mans coat!! I pulled him away (he always stays on an extendible lead) and apologised and the bloke was ok luckily. Then Ezra decided to bark at the ponies even though up until then he had ignored them. And then when walking through lymington he went to bite three random blokes hands and also barked randomly at another. I think we may have pushed it a bit with what he could cope with but even so it was a shock and I was quite tense after that not trusting him to say hi to anyone also last night he was quite grumbly and snappy with murphy which he hasn't been since the early days of having him. I wonder if he's in pain? He just doesn't seem very happy 75% off the time. Today has made me worried about the problems he has and whether we can deal with it, especially as we are picking up new pup Maisie in 2 weeks! He's not good orientated and when scared or uncomfortable won't even eat sausage as we saw last week at the group walk so it's not like I can distract him with anything when there are things he doesn't like. Also we go camping quite a lot which is full of kids on bikes and I know Ezra would go nuts! He also barked at a young girl pushing a bike today but previously he's been ok with them being pushed. Hmm really thinking. I do wonder whether he's in pain despite the metacam he takes. He has got a bad tooth so I wonder if it's that, coz when he was just scratching that side of his face he was almost moaning. Thanks for your ears (eyes)
Re: Is this a good idea??? Oh you poor things with the wee incident - how awful. It was all probably a bit much for him, meaning that he's reverted to behaviours that have worked in the last to keep people away. Kind of lost his head with all the new things to cope with. Pain is probably a factor - the tooth may well be very painful - is there any way the rescue could pay to have that seen to? If you have doubts you really don't need to do any more than be a temporary shelter. Ezra does sound like a dog who has seen enough of the world and now wants a quiet, sedate, predictable life. I think he'd be fab for an older couple who were dog savvy and who just enjoy quiet local activities. With your new pup you will be wanting to have a lot of new experiences for socialisation. Trying to do that for two dogs (Ezra and the pup) would be a challenge that'd give anyone pause for thought. I think you'd need to manage the two dogs quite differently. Ezra either needs predictability or a heap of work putting into socialisation with people and places.
Re: Is this a good idea??? oh Frankie - I missed this! What a time you are having. All very stressful. I think you are coping with all of this very, very, well and doing such a good thing for Ezra. I do agree with Rachael though - Ezra maybe needs just a comfy, quiet place to snooze....could you leave him at home, missing some of the outings? Has the rescue come up with any other options for him at all?
Re: Is this a good idea??? You are definitely doing a great job. You have more than exceeded your goal of providing a safe haven for Ezra.
Re: Is this a good idea??? Ah Frankie ,I bet it was quite a stressful day all round,I think Rachael has nailed it when she says it was all probably a bit too much for him.I think if he stays with you you are going to have quite a full on time with a new pup in the mix..... Have you spoken to the rescue re his tooth and if there are any other homing options for him?you have done so well,you must have learnt such a lot by having him with you xxx
Re: Is this a good idea??? Thanks everyone. Yes I agree that I think we put him through too much too quickly. I agree and have said from the start that he needs a quiet home where he doesn't really have to go anywhere and just snooze the days away with a little walk, but when the vet saw him and pointed out his health issues we thought he would be ok staying with us for the rest of his life as the way the vet was talking she didn't think it would be that long! She also said she was reluctant to put him under just to remove one tooth. It sounds bad but every morning my husband and I half expect him to have died overnight. That's just what it feels like. The other thing is he would get so unsettled moving homes I could imagine his behaviour getting worse. It's so annoying, we agreed to get the puppy (before they had been born!) when we were sure ez was only going to be temporary for a few weeks and that was back in October, and then he saw the vet and it all changed. I know that he will need a completely different life to the Maisie and I have already been planning to socialise her on her own (someone said that if she is always out with Murphy she may become nervous if she's not with him?!- I'm going to start a new thread about this as have a few questions about bringing a pup into a house with other dogs). And I definately think we won't take ez on days out like yesterday. My sis suggested Maisie might pick up in Ezra's fears and may copy and take them on herself? Which obviously we want to avoid. I have mentioned to the rescue that if these bad behaviours continue then I'm not sure I am able to keep him as I don't have experience of dogs with these problems and dont have the time to address them. x
Re: Is this a good idea??? I wasn't going to add anything but I feel for you. I'm going to break it down for you. You have a kind heart , you must or you wouldn't have fostered him. Dogs rehomed can take weeks or months to show their true selfves. You couldn't forsee his issues. I've had three dogs, twice and never again. Both times one dog had issues. The first time we had three dogs, it was 8 years of trauma. It seemed to be one thing after another. I felt relief when the most anxious dog I have ever known died. Then nothing but guilt. The second time was rehoming two bitches from the same house who within weeks were on a mission to kill each other. I had to make a choice, do I manage this situation and them for what could have been years, or do I rehome one. It was the most heart breaking decision I made, but I know now that it was the correct one. Instead of managing three dogs and neither them nor my family getting any pleasure, rehoming one meant she got the attention she deserved. The two I had got the attention they deserved and my family were a lot more relaxed. It was the best thing to do for all the dogs and the humans. I'm not telling you to rehome Ezra. Only you can make that decision. This is my experience . Just don't keep him because of guilt. If I hadn't had the first experience with a problem dog I would probably have continued managing all three dogs through guilt and none of them would have been happy. Instead Jake got to live the last two years of his life in peace and Cassie has came into her own and shown what a wonderful dog she truly is. As for Penny she was rehomed to a lovely family who took her into their hearts . I'll also add a wee story about a newfoundland that does what Ezra did. She has bitten the postman, the plumber and the man who came to fix the fence. She was a rescue at age six. She was rehomed to a couple with no children and many cats. They discovered her issues and kept in touch with Newfoundland rescue but decided to keep her . They have never had a dog before but now love this girl to bits ( they have and are spending thousands of pounds on her on going health issues.) they live out in the country and seperated their large garden so she was no danger to any one. This is just my example of how a dog like Ezra can be placed in another home and managed but still a much loved member of the family.
Re: Is this a good idea??? Cupcase that's a fantastic post,thankyou there is nothing like personal ,real experiences in situations like these x
Re: Is this a good idea??? Thank you cupcase for your stories. I totally understand what you mean about feeling relief and then guilty for feeling relieved. I think that will be the case when Ezra moves on (in anyway). He is now on antibiotics to see if it helps him with his tooth, and then an appt with the vet next week which the rescue is going to come to as well to chat about how to go forward with him. Just had a scare with him though- him scaring me! He's never shown any aggression or anything to me despite being grumpy to others and Murphy, but over the last few nights I have been giving him and murphy a large rawhide bone each which my mum got them for Xmas. They are too big to have in one go so iv been giving them a chew for a bit and then taking them away, but tonight when I went to take Ezra's he proper growled at me and then my husband tried to take it and ezra really growled at him too. It made me uneasy to the point where I walked around the footstool to avoid being too close to him because just when I stood by him he growled I can't deal with this sort of issue I tried to lure him away from it with treats but he wouldn't so iv just left him with it and murphy with his as I don't want murphy to try and get his. Don't know what to do never had this issue before with him and food x
Re: Is this a good idea??? Iv managed to get it off him when he went to have a drink, when he saw my grab it he ran over and looked to see where it was. At least iv got it now, but it does worry me that these sort of behaviours are getting worse
Re: Is this a good idea??? I guess its something else to discuss with the vet/rescue. Glad you got it without further "stress" (bodily damage!) It's not something I have experienced. Usually if Lilly has anything from rawhide to fresh bones, even a hedgehog, by choice she will take it outside. If I wanted it back I would have to chase her for it. Usually I leave her to it. Because of this she only gets meaty bones on dry days/during daylight. I guess its the hazard of "high value" treats and food items. I think Pippa posted some stuff about resource guarding, I forget if this has been mentioned before and might have looked at it.
