Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hi everyone,
I just wanted to let you all know that Mercy and I made it home safe and sound from Ohio. She and I hung out in the hotel for the night before heading back to MA and we got along great. She is just the sweetest thing ever! However, I think that 13 hours in the car took more out of her than I expected. She's been holed up under the kitchen table ever since we got home late Saturday night. She's eating and she'll go out to potty, but other than that, she stays in her little hidey hole.
I'm not really sure how to manage this. Friends have told me that their dogs have acted similarly for the first few days after coming home, but I have no experience with this. When I brought Valen home, he hopped right out of the car and settled in without missing a beat.
I can see two ways to handle this:
1. Let her adjust on her own and come out when she's ready. I suspect that this is the right course of action, but I just want to go snuggle her and let her know everything is OK. I do talk to her when I'm in the kitchen and she does seem to recognize me, thumping her tail a few times when she hears my voice.
2. Get under the table, soothe her and show her that everything is fine. This is what I really want to do, but I'm afraid that it will just reinforce her fear and convince her that she really is in a scary new place.
I want to be a the good, strong pack leader that she needs right now, but I'm really worried about taking the wrong course of action. Any suggestions or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Wendy
Offline
I wonder if you could entice her with a treat or a toy. Maybe if you sit on the floor (away from the table) and act really interested in the toy, she'll come out to take a look. Some dogs are so curious that the curiosity overcomes the fear. I'm sure she'll some around soon anyway because she knows she's in a good home. Good luck!
Lisa
Sadie is my 9yr old Rott/Shepherd mix. Diagnosed with osteosarcoma in her right scapula 1/28/10. Our brave girl had her amputation 2/13/10 and her last chemotherapy on 6/6/10. Unfortunately, a tumor appeared in her back right leg and on 10/7/2010 Sadie's earthly journey came to an end. On 10/24/2010 we adopted Ranger, a handsome Rott/Lab mix tripawd (got hit by a car) I think Sadie sent him to us.
http://ranger.t.....pawds.com/
I'm no dog trainer (and you would certainly know that if you ever met my dog...) But at the shelter I volunteer at, if there are shy/scared dogs they tell us to go in and just sit with them - but not right by them and don't pet them. We just kinda go in and sit there and have a treat maybe sitting next to us. They told us not to stare at the dog and just look around as if minding our own business. Usually the dog will at least get up and venture over for the treat. It can take a while though.
So, maybe if you just sat on the floor with a really tempting treat and just read or whatever and sorted acted like you were cool with whatever she was doing, she'd come out to get the treat.
I'm sure she'll settle in soon! Can't wait to hear more about her.
All the best,
Jackie, Abby's mom
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
When I first got Zephyr, she was so scared that if I put her down on the ground, she'd curl up in a ball and refuse to move. If there was something to hide under, she'd be there. After a few days, she got used to being at the house, but if I took her anywhere strange, she'd look for a place to crawl under and hide. Even now, if she gets scared, she runs into her crate and curls up way in the back where "the bad guys" can't get her.
My advice would be to be patient. Some dogs are a little more timid than others, and take a little more time to adjust. It's best to just go on about your normal routine -- the more you baby them, the more you encourage the scared-y behavior. It's human nature to want to cuddle them and hold them, but by just talking with them while you go about your business, you are letting them know that everything is okay, they are safe with you, that you are there to defend them, and that's actually better for dogs (the cuddling works better for us humans).
Take a breath -- this is a big change for you, too! And the more you believe that everything is fine, the more your furry baby will believe it too!
Good luck!
Micki, Rio's momma
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~ ~ Rio ~ ~ |
Do you know if Mercy was crated before you got her? I had a friend who raised show dogs and they would come out of the crate and tend to hide under the table when they got scared of something or someone. Hopefully soon she will relax and feel more comfortable and come out from under the table.
Wendy, it's great you made it back, I've been thinking of you guys and your homecoming journey.
OK so I don't have a lot of experience with this sort of thing, but our very dear friend Sarah Wilson, a dog behaviorist and trainer, absolutely does. She has helped us SO much with Tripawds Spokesawg Wyatt Ray, I'm not sure where we would be without her!
Please visit her community, MySmartPuppy.com for immediate help. She has discussion forums staffed with top behaviorists who can help with bringing home puppy. It's so important to get off on the right paw, so don't hesitate to go there and tell her we sent you OK? Good luck and keep us posted!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Hi Wendy,
Glad to hear you made it home safe and sound.
Remember Mercy just had a big change in her life- it will be better, but not all dogs handle change well.
I adopted by pug boy last summer, he was 4 years old. He came with what they called a crate, but was really a carrier that was too small for him (don't get me started on his original owner...grrrrrr). But it was a safety zone for him. I left it in the living room for a couple of weeks after he came home, and when he was uncomfortable or didn't know what to do he would go lay in it. After about 2 or 3 weeks when he was more comfortable with me he stopped using it and I put it in the garage. I did get him a soft sided crate that I leave in the kitchen with the door always open. I have found that he likes small spaces, and likes to be covered so it is a comfortable spot for him.
Obie is a little insecure (to put it mildly) and did not have a good start in life so I'm not sure he will ever get over some of his 'hiding' behaviors, although he has made great improvements in the last year. Hopefully Mercy is just getting used to her new surroundings and will become more comfortable and secure as time goes on. And I think #1 is correct- let her get comfortable. Reward her when she comes out from hiding, not while she is in the 'hole'. You might try working on some games or even train her on some new tricks. This will give her fun, rewarding interactions with you. I found training with Obie really helped his confidence and strengthened our bond.
Good luck!
Karen and the pugapalooza
Happy to hear that you two made it home safely!!! I know that you are so excited to get things started with your new baby but you were not expecting her being so scared and shy. I just know that she will come around but it will just take time. I agree with what Abby's Mom said to do. Hand feeding her can also really help. Try some really yummy food like chicken or turkey and hand feed her a couple times a day and she will realize that she can trust you. When we first got our Doberman my husband took her to work with him everyday and so she was never here. After a while it became too much for her to go to work with him so he started leaving her here with me. She wasn't so crazy about me because she had always been with him. I asked the vet what to do about this and he said that hand feeding their meals was the best way to get them to trust you. It worked like a charm and we have had a great relationship every since. Now she is super concerned about everywhere I go and what I do.She follows me everywhere!! That was about 8 years ago and now I think she likes me better than my husband lol! Good luck with getting Mercy to relax and feel at home. You'll figure out what to do. I'd say just don't crowd her and take things slowly. 
Congratulations on your new Tripawd!!!
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