When you adopt an adult dogs, you're getting a dog with a history...one that you may not get any information on. When I say that, I'm not saying that they are "bad dogs", just stating a fact. When these dogs come to your house, they'll use their "company manners"...at least for a bit. We had Lucky for a year before she made a mistake...she was too afraid to. Sheba spent her first month marking her territory in every room of the house. I read an article yesterday that might have helped us to avoid some of that...but oh well!
In both cases, though, the dog needed 8 months to settle in. Don't give up too soon. If your dog has guarding tendencies or any sort of aggression, please get help. A returned dog has a much harder time being re-homed. It is definitely worth the investment to help "Rover" fit in to your house! Which brings us to the "Frozen dogs".
Lucky was very much like Elsa. When she was little she had been abused. For the entire time (14 years) we had her she worried about making a mistake. She was a truly elegant dog, very empathetic, wanted to be loved. She tried not to ask too much of us. It took my husband 2 1/2 years to get her to trust him (a man had been her abuser). Because she didn't want to be a bother, she was very easy to have around!
Sheba is totally Anna! She is now energetic, always happy and curious. Sometimes she's clumsy. She seems to think that humans were put on the planet to love her. If she's lonely at 1 a.m., of course you'll want to be woken up to be with her. We needed every bit of that 8 months to settle her in! Now she sleeps at night, I've learned to go for a walk twice a day. Since she "marked" every room in the house, she does all her business outside. She didn't bark when we got her, but now Miss Nosey alerts whenever someone is on our property...and she's so proud of herself when she does! Since this was our year of the empty nest, she is really good company...and instead of talking to myself, people think I'm talking to her.
So...if you're looking at a rescue dog, good for you! Please read the article linked above. Then give yourselves 8 months while you watch your precious dog emerge. You'll be so glad you didn't give up!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
