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Rescue Dog Advice Sought Please - Not Able To Play

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MacSpadger

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Hello all, I have had 4 dogs, all brought up and trained by myself from puppyhood, but now I have had a rescue dog for just over a week.

She is a terrier/lurcher cross, and is about 18 months old. She came over from Ireland to the Dog's Trust in Roden, near Shrewsbury. I was told she had a bad start in life, but wasn't told exactly what had happened to her.

I think she is a clever girl, and she is responding to training fairly well, but I am worried that she seems unable to play, she just doesn't know how. She certainly seems to be very depressed at times.

She enjoys walks in the country, and anxiously sticks very close to me when out. I was told she was probably not used to being indoors, but she has settled in the house well, and has become house trained in a matter of days. She has a good appetite, and is in good health. I am just worried that she doesn't appear to take much interest in the fun side of life, toys, playing, or even just bonding!! She is also completely mute, I have never heard her make a noise.

Has anyone else heard of a similar experience with a rescue dog? I am hoping she will cheer up soon, as i am very fond of her already.
 
MacSpadger said:
Hello all, I have had 4 dogs, all brought up and trained by myself from puppyhood, but now I have had a rescue dog for just over a week.
She is a terrier/lurcher cross, and is about 18 months old. She came over from Ireland to the Dog's Trust in Roden, near Shrewsbury. I was told she had a bad start in life, but wasn't told exactly what had happened to her.

I think she is a clever girl, and she is responding to training fairly well, but I am worried that she seems unable to play, she just doesn't know how. She certainly seems to be very depressed at times.

She enjoys walks in the country, and anxiously sticks very close to me when out. I was told she was probably not used to being indoors, but she has settled in the house well, and has become house trained in a matter of days. She has a good appetite, and is in good health. I am just worried that she doesn't appear to take much interest in the fun side of life, toys, playing, or even just bonding!! She is also completely mute, I have never heard her make a noise.

Has anyone else heard of a similar experience with a rescue dog? I am hoping she will cheer up soon, as i am very fond of her already.

Click to expand...

sorry she has problems sure she will overcome them in time with your help good on you for giving her a chance

regarding her being mute is it possible she could be deaf you can get a hearing test done could also be a reason for her not mixing and playing best of luck with her keep us updated and please put some pics on
 
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Hi, Ive had quite a few rescue dogs in my time and most of them go through this phase. Its sort of like being on best behaviour, she doesnt know where anyone fit in the pecking order in this new environment so she is doing all she can to be non threatening to this new group and fit in. Dont worry it wont last when she feels more comfortable she'll gradually unwind. When she starts misbehaving you'll know she feels right at home :D

Good luck with her
 
And, in addition to the advice above, I'd add that if a dog has not been played with, it may not readily play - you might need to teach her how to play. Luckily she's young, she'll soon get the hang of it all when she's properly settled with you, I'd imagine.

Poor little girl, she's had a lot of changes to cope with and who knows what she had to cope with before being rescued.

All the best with her. :thumbsup: :luck: :luck:

*edited cos I worded something clumsily!
 
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ooo she will soon start playng and being cheeky ,take it from somone who rescued a shy little girl and now she is the cheekest funnyest little madam around :D

love to see sum pics of your rescue :D
 
It's very early days, I really wouldn't worry too much at the moment. Don't pressure her, just give her plenty of space to come round in her own time.

If a dog has been through a hard time or lots of disruption I always reckon it can be six weeks or even longer before their real personality starts to shine through. It's important to set gentle but firm ground rules from the start, though, as your timid shy little girl may end up as a lively cheeky madam as her confidence builds!

Loads of luck with her (....and where are the pictures???) :lol:
 
Just adding to what others have said really - I am on my second rescue whippet, and it can take weeks, or even months, before they realise that they are in a safe environment. Dogs that have been ill-treated, or have had very one-dimensional lives, sometimes shut down mentally and just manage to 'exist' - when you take one into your home and give it a loving and stable environment, feed it properly, play with it, you will see it gradually blossom into a secure, happy dog - and then the fun starts! I love it when the naughtiness creeps in - then you know that they trust you enough to push the boundaries a bit!

Good luck - and enjoy your blossoming dog!
 
I'm sure once your dog has settled and feels secure their personality will begin to shine through.

Both my current dogs were adult rescues and both of them came from situations where 'play' wasn't part of their experience. I have had to literally teach both of them how to play with toys/chews etc.

I found taking them to training classes really helped their confidence as they understood what was wanted from them and it helped them to bond with / trust me and gave them a sense of confidence.

However my whippet has been here a year now and still struggles to play for any length of time, he just doesn't seem to 'get' it. Some of how your dog progresses will depend on their individual nature. I've been in this situation with both my dogs, both have responded differently and over different timescales BUT both are moving in the right direction, as I'm sure will yours too. Good luck. :luck:
 
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Hello all, thank you for your advice, which I have taken whole heartedly. It's been over a month since Mabel came to live with us, and she is very slowly getting used to things and relaxing a bit.

She had a few panic attacks when the family went to bed at night at first, but now she goes off to her own bed as soon as she gets her collar off after her late night walk. She is responding fairly well to training, and is a bright dog. She has worked out how to open the latch on the gate with her teeth, and has also worked out how to stand on her hind legs and open the fridge, with unfortunate results for me, but at least I know that she likes pesto, cheese, yogurt, fish and ham!

She is still not 100% sociable, but is definitely getting better at trusting us, and has recently starting climbing on the sofa and dozing with her head in my lap. She snores quite a bit.

She was malnourished, and had no muscle tone, but has put on over 2 kilos, all of it muscle, and she walks about 4 miles a day, sometimes more. I have to keep an eye on her though, as she really likes to roll in poo. I live on the edge of a small market town, and we are surrounded by fields of cattle, so this can be a challenge!

Thanks Again.
 
Lovely to hear that you're making progress with her - would love to see a photo :D

Jill
 
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