Need some help with a rescue....(sorry long)

[bommi]

Hæ all,

Been a long time since I have posted...been busy with life and all that....

Well, thing is I just rescued a russell terrier/min pincher mix (spelling?) kind of completely by accident today and he has some issues....

Some background first:

I first saw him on our local rottie chat, where his original owner was making a plea for his life...this was last monday...

She had him his first 6 months, then due too unforeseen circumstances she had to find him a new home witch she did....a few months later....yup, "allergies" she took him back, and found him what she thought was the perfect home... some months later she hears from a friends friend that Nick has gone through 4 homes since then..... All the usual excuses....allergies, babies.... blah blah blah...

She went and took him back. She put a post on the rottie chat on monday that basicly said: "If anyone is willing to give him a forever home, pls help...I will not see him being moved around anymore and if someone with LOTS of dog experience, and a very big heart isnt willing to take him in and stay with it I will let him go on friday morning...I will rather do that than put him through this again."

I saw this and just thought, some1 will save him......But I just could not get him out of my head.... I mean i have passed off purebred rescue rotties cus I felt the timing was wrong (and they r my #1-2-3 breed). my mixed breed rottie, Röskva is 15 months, well behaved and completely perfect and I was planning on a purebred from breeder late fall......but this guy actually haunted me...

Last night I saw that no1 was taking him....but I was hoping for a miracle for him, I could not sleep cuz of this.. This morning I saw there where no takers....(jeez, I am actually in tears while typing this) I could not help myself and I called. She was walking thru the door for that final vet visit, actually crying while answering the phone.

His name is Nick and he is 18 months old...has been thru 6 homes already and is sleeping peacefully on my lap.

He does not trust me poor guy, thinks this is just another stop but hey, I have lots of time, love and patience( I work from home)..... Trust me this will be his last stop.
He is very smart, knows the klikker and is eager to please. His biggest problem (understandably) is seperation anxiety.

So my question: how do I go about helping him get over this, any and all tips are needed... I really want to start this off right and help him. I know this will happenn over time and with baby steps.....As soon as he arrived I made him of course obey the same rules as Röskva, I am carefull not to feel sorry for him or baby him...I just go about my buisness as usual... Röskva has already made sure that he knows his place and yes he is fixed....

All and any advice is apreciated!!!

Nick is the little guy to the left...

[AtomicSkies]

hes cute and good on you for steeping up and saving him...getting over separation anxiety is a slow process one way is you can start with 30 seconds and slowly increase the time you are gone...when you return praise him for being good...((if he has behaved himself)) also give him things to stay occupied...kongs...treat balls...toys stuff like that...the fact that he has another doggie companion will help some as well...good luck

[alimel]

Wow what a great story. I am so glad for every ignorant pet owner there is someone like you. Nick is so adorable, I think he will just need time to adjust to you and get to know your routine. It took Buddy, my rescue Beagle, a good month or two before he felt comfortable with us and realized we were not going to leave him. He can be a monster sometimes but he is a happy boy!

Your dogs look like they get along well already, they are both young it is nice they will grow up together.

[Dauxside]

First off let me say bless you to bits for taking Nick, he's just adorable.

As for separation...well right off the bat you're going to want to "Nick" proof the house. Make sure there is nothing that he can destroy or hurt himself with when you have to leave (tie up cords, lamp cords, put up pillows, rubbish bins, etc.)...think of it as toddler proofing your house. If he can reach it it can be destroyed. One safe option to leave him with is a doggy CD on TV, A buster ball is wonderful and there's little risk of him coming to injury with it.

Next, and this may seem odd, make him *earn* everything - treats, hugs, walkies, up on lap - teach him a command or give him a task and then give him his "treat" (walkie, cuddle, lap, etc.) This should give him a sense of you as the leader.

Give him something to "do" this means get him in a class, agility/ob/dog dancing...what ever, keep his little mind busy...and focused.

Make him have a "quiet space" - separation dogs are often people addicts. They NEED their human fix. Set him up a place and feed, love, etc him from that area for a bit. As it becomes "his" space don't call him off the bed/crate/pillow to come to you, the idea is to give him his own safety zone *without* the need for a human.

Wear him out - take long walks lots of ball tossing in the back yard. Make him so tired he'll be THRILLED to be separated from you. LOL

Most importantly - always leave or greet your dog in a calm manner. If he rushes you at the door, ignore him - drop off your shoes, keys, coat, etc. Change clothes, go to his quiet spot, tell him to lie down or calm down ... wait until he does and then love him to bits.

At the other end of the spectrum, skip yelling. As frustrating as this problem is, if you yell at your dog when you come home you'll increase his stress about your coming home, making the anxiety more intense. Prevention is key, not punishment. Act the way you want your dog to act, he'll follow your lead...calm leads to calm, yelling/upset leads to a barking/over excited dog.

For the first month, keep his daily routine as much the same as possible. If you're leaving on a certain day don't make a fuss the day before, it will only excite and stress the dog further.

Good luck and again bless you to bits. Do keep updating as you are able please.

[FairyDogMother]

Long tome Bommi! So glad for him that you stepped in! You're truly wonderful!
Just keep things on your terms. Build up seperate time slowly so he realizes you will always come back.
It took Ginger about 6 months to realize she wasn't going anywhere again. Genevieve still worries about me not coming back at times. She's doing better all the time though.
Best wishes and they both look wonderful!

[bommi]

Next, and this may seem odd, make him *earn* everything - treats, hugs, walkies, up on lap - teach him a command or give him a task and then give him his "treat" (walkie, cuddle, lap, etc.) This should give him a sense of you as the leader.

I have practiced NILIF with Röskva to some extent since I got her at 8 weeks, I plan to do the same with Nick!!

[vac1102]

Zoe was the same when we got her. 3 yrs. old and I don't know how many homes. No one wanted to take the time to house break her so they just moved her. She has been with us 7 months now and it took a while to get her house trained and to feel secure that she wasn't being moved again. She has come so far and is just a wonderful girl. I work from home also and she is either on the chair with me at my desk or at my feet. She is getting to the point where she isn't always wondering if we are coming back. Just give your little one tons of love and he will do fine.

[Dignity]

He's adorable!!! You have a kind heart!!

[Save the Pits!]

Bless you honey! You've just saved a dog's life. And I fully agree with Daux's post. That's the best advice I've ever read. Good job, Daux for the post and Bommi for saving Nick's life. He's a cute little feller!

[bommi]

Yup, I think u r right about "Nick"proofing the house. lol

He is crate trained so I am thinking that if I have to leave them alone I should put him in there with a stuffed kong maybe, even tho Röskva is free to roam...

She has never once in her life gnawed anything or ruined anything in her life...