# Help with Reese



## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

As some of you know i got retired 6 year old girl a couple of weeks ago. She's a real sweetheart and follows me everywhere and is so excited to see me when i get home from work and she sticks to me like glue. I'm having my husband and son help to feed her and take her out when it's potty time and they also pet her and hold her and talk to her. Well today i had to work, but my husband had off and she hung out with him and sat with him on the couch, but later that day she came into the computer room and laid in her bed and my husband was taking the pups out and he went to get Reese and she bit him. He was a bit shocked since they hung out earlier today with no problem. He thinks she may have been startled and then she growled at my son when he went near her. I'm trying to have them do as much as possible positive things to help her get used to them. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm thinking of having them take her to obedience class to possibly help them bond more together with her. Maybe i'm doing something wrong to help with her bond to my husband and son.
Another problem i'm having is where having a problem with potty issues. I have been trying to crate train her, she's pad trained somewhat. I put her in her crate at night and she has pottied in her crate. I have removed the bedding because she pees on it. I have now put her in an expen with a pee pad and and her bed and she used the pad to pee but pooped in her bed and now i have since removed the bed. I was hoping that my other pups would finally get pad trained, but since Reese isn't consistent i don't think that's going to happen. How can i confine her in her crate when i can't watch her when she has no problem going potty in there? I need help! 
I just want her to be a happy girl and enjoy her new family like we enjoy her.


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## mom2bijou (Oct 19, 2006)

Aww poor Reese. I know it must be hard for everyone trying to adjust. I'm not much help in the training department Debbie. Have you been having DH and your son give her treats and her dinner? Maybe get really high value treats and when they are near her they feed them to Reese? 

I know others will have better suggestions than me but I want you to know I"m praying that Reese will start to settle in. Stay positive Debbie! And give your sweet girl an extra special kiss from me.


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

Debbie, this may sound cruel, but it's not. Dogs do not like to soil where they sleep. If you crate Reese at night in a crate large enough to put a bed in, the bed will absorb the pee and she is probably small enough to pee on one end of the bed, poop somewhere near where she peed, and still sleep in a clean dry spot at the other end of the bed. Put her in the smallest crate you can find (like a cat crate) with a bed or towel. Something only large enough for her to curl up and sleep in. Wake yourself up every 4-5 hours, open the crate and take her directly to a pee pad or outside, let her pee, tell her "good girl" and put her right back to bed. I bet if you do this for a week or two she will learn to "hold it". She probably lived uncrated in an environment where she had pads that she could use whenever so consequently was able to eliminate whenever. It's now time to teach Reese to "hold it."

As for the biting, it sounds to me as though this is a bit of reactive behavior ... "hey, get lost, I want Debbie, not you." She's in a totally new environment, she bonded with you because you were the one who picked her up, gave her your undivided attention for the weekend, brought her home and gave her special attention, while trying to help her adjust to a new environment. She's comfy with you now and acting out a bit, trying to get her own way. Time for you to set some limits. She needs to learn that she's not the only member of the family and you are not her sole caretaker. It's okay to say "no" or "behave" to a dog, just like you would say that to a child. Share the caretaking responsibilities with others so that Reese gets used to the whole family, not just you. And call Theresa and ask for her advice.

Good luck. I'm sure it will all work out. Consider this as being part of her transition time ... whether a rescue or a retiree the transition time spans several weeks.


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## Tina (Aug 6, 2006)

Patience and lots of it. It takes time and lots of love and consistency. :wub: I commend you for taking her on. It isn't easy.


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## Tina (Aug 6, 2006)

MaryH said:


> Debbie, this may sound cruel, but it's not. Dogs do not like to soil where they sleep. If you crate Reese at night in a crate large enough to put a bed in, the bed will absorb the pee and she is probably small enough to pee on one end of the bed, poop somewhere near where she peed, and still sleep in a clean dry spot at the other end of the bed. Put her in the smallest crate you can find (like a cat crate) with a bed or towel. Something only large enough for her to curl up and sleep in. Wake yourself up every 4-5 hours, open the crate and take her directly to a pee pad or outside, let her pee, tell her "good girl" and put her right back to bed. I bet if you do this for a week or two she will learn to "hold it". She probably lived uncrated in an environment where she had pads that she could use whenever so consequently was able to eliminate whenever. It's now time to teach Reese to "hold it."
> 
> As for the biting, it sounds to me as though this is a bit of reactive behavior ... "hey, get lost, I want Debbie, not you." She's in a totally new environment, she bonded with you because you were the one who picked her up, gave her your undivided attention for the weekend, brought her home and gave her special attention, while trying to help her adjust to a new environment. She's comfy with you now and acting out a bit, trying to get her own way. Time for you to set some limits. She needs to learn that she's not the only member of the family and you are not her sole caretaker. It's okay to say "no" or "behave" to a dog, just like you would say that to a child. Share the caretaking responsibilities with others so that Reese gets used to the whole family, not just you. And call Theresa and ask for her advice.
> 
> Good luck. I'm sure it will all work out. Consider this as being part of her transition time ... whether a rescue or a retiree the transition time spans several weeks.


 :goodpost:


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

Don't despair over the potty training Debbie. It took me about a yr to get Hannah 100% trained even though she was partially trained already to pottypads. I had wanted her to potty outdoors but I didn't have any success with that. I put down several pottypads in different locations & let her pick her spot. I also closed off all of the rooms except the den & kitchen so she couldn't wander off & hide to potty. Hannah doesn't do well with crates, so I never tried to cratetrain her. I just followed the basic rules for pottytraining just like she was a puppy.Hannah will not pee on a pottypad with poop on it,so I have to be watchful & clean it up fairly quick or she will pee next to the pad. Using treats & praise, keeping close watch & letting her pick her favorite spot was what worked for me. I don't know what to advice on the biting issue as Hannah is as mellow as they come, but hopefully she's just scared & still needs to become more comfortable in her surroundings.


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

mom2bijou said:


> Aww poor Reese. I know it must be hard for everyone trying to adjust. I'm not much help in the training department Debbie. Have you been having DH and your son give her treats and her dinner? Maybe get really high value treats and when they are near her they feed them to Reese?
> 
> I know others will have better suggestions than me but I want you to know I"m praying that Reese will start to settle in. Stay positive Debbie! And give your sweet girl an extra special kiss from me.





MaryH said:


> Debbie, this may sound cruel, but it's not. Dogs do not like to soil where they sleep. If you crate Reese at night in a crate large enough to put a bed in, the bed will absorb the pee and she is probably small enough to pee on one end of the bed, poop somewhere near where she peed, and still sleep in a clean dry spot at the other end of the bed. Put her in the smallest crate you can find (like a cat crate) with a bed or towel. Something only large enough for her to curl up and sleep in. Wake yourself up every 4-5 hours, open the crate and take her directly to a pee pad or outside, let her pee, tell her "good girl" and put her right back to bed. I bet if you do this for a week or two she will learn to "hold it". She probably lived uncrated in an environment where she had pads that she could use whenever so consequently was able to eliminate whenever. It's now time to teach Reese to "hold it."
> 
> As for the biting, it sounds to me as though this is a bit of reactive behavior ... "hey, get lost, I want Debbie, not you." She's in a totally new environment, she bonded with you because you were the one who picked her up, gave her your undivided attention for the weekend, brought her home and gave her special attention, while trying to help her adjust to a new environment. She's comfy with you now and acting out a bit, trying to get her own way. Time for you to set some limits. She needs to learn that she's not the only member of the family and you are not her sole caretaker. It's okay to say "no" or "behave" to a dog, just like you would say that to a child. Share the caretaking responsibilities with others so that Reese gets used to the whole family, not just you. And call Theresa and ask for her advice.
> 
> Good luck. I'm sure it will all work out. Consider this as being part of her transition time ... whether a rescue or a retiree the transition time spans several weeks.





Tina said:


> Patience and lots of it. It takes time and lots of love and consistency. :wub: I commend you for taking her on. It isn't easy.


 

Thank you ladies. Mary that was some good advice and i will use one of my cat's carrier's for her. I did take out all of the bedding in her crate and she pottied in it and was soaked. I sent an email to Theresa tonight since i'm working crazy hours this week and don't have time to call her this week. I know it's going to take time to get her adjusted she has been uprooted from the only family she knew for 6 years and is with new people and new furkids, that's alot to take in for a new pup pup. Thank you again for the advice.


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

momtoboo said:


> Don't despair over the potty training Debbie. It took me about a yr to get Hannah 100% trained even though she was partially trained already to pottypads. I had wanted her to potty outdoors but I didn't have any success with that. I put down several pottypads in different locations & let her pick her spot. I also closed off all of the rooms except the den & kitchen so she couldn't wander off & hide to potty. Hannah doesn't do well with crates, so I never tried to cratetrain her. I just followed the basic rules for pottytraining just like she was a puppy.Hannah will not pee on a pottypad with poop on it,so I have to be watchful & clean it up fairly quick or she will pee next to the pad. Using treats & praise, keeping close watch & letting her pick her favorite spot was what worked for me. I don't know what to advice on the biting issue as Hannah is as mellow as they come, but hopefully she's just scared & still needs to become more comfortable in her surroundings.


 
Thank you Sue. Reese is a very sweet girl and my husband thinks that she bit him because she was scared and that he may have startled her. I'm going to have to my son give her tastey treats that only they give to her and i also have them help feed her. I know in time and with love and patience she'll get comfortable with her new daddy and brother.


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

I am not really qualified to help, but hopefully JMM will post and all these other ladies who know better than me about the issues. 

Just wanted to wish you well with her :grouphug: it may be that she just needs more time to adjust.


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

I can't say that I'm qualified to help either, especially with potty issues. But one thing that comes to mind is to have them play with her more, fetch or whatever as well as feed or give treats to her. I'm sure it will work out but it can be frustrating.


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## Sandcastles (Jul 7, 2010)

momtoboo said:


> Don't despair over the potty training Debbie. It took me about a yr to get Hannah 100% trained even though she was partially trained already to pottypads. I had wanted her to potty outdoors but I didn't have any success with that. I put down several pottypads in different locations & let her pick her spot. I also closed off all of the rooms except the den & kitchen so she couldn't wander off & hide to potty. Hannah doesn't do well with crates, so I never tried to cratetrain her. I just followed the basic rules for pottytraining just like she was a puppy.Hannah will not pee on a pottypad with poop on it,so I have to be watchful & clean it up fairly quick or she will pee next to the pad. Using treats & praise, keeping close watch & letting her pick her favorite spot was what worked for me. I don't know what to advice on the biting issue as Hannah is as mellow as they come, but hopefully she's just scared & still needs to become more comfortable in her surroundings.


Great advice! 

BTW, Ms. Momtoboo, I miss seeing your kidz! I just LOVE seeing your pictures!

Allie


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

The biting...it would be essential to get your hubby/son to video tape this (just the growling would be fine). Be sure the human and dog are in the video. 
Often times the dog is being mis-ready and the humans are giving threatening body language (we think its nice, the dog dooesn't). This stuff can be very easy to change if you can see what is actually happening. 
The other thing you have to remember is that adult dog being rehomed have about a 6 week adjustment period on most cases. What you see now is not often what you see once the dog is settled and comfortable. But it is very important to address any serious issues such as this starting now. Homework! Get video! 

Mary gave you great potty training suggestions. I have worked with some dogs that did not have the idea of keeping themselves clean for a variety of reasons. There are other methods if the small crate and frequent potty breaks aren't doing it. Putting her day on a schedule would really help as well.


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

Debbie I can only speak from my experience with B&B, when we first got B&B I wanted her to bond more with dh so I didn't do much in the way of treats etc. I would brush her hold her abit but not push my self on her, she was very standoffish and didn't like being on our laps, a few months went by and she decided she wanted to sit on daddy's lap and even decided to sleep on our bed with us and Matilda, one evening I put her on our bed and went to cover her, she snapped at me:w00t: and then growled, I was in total shock, I told her she was a bad girl, I was fearful she would try to bite me, but she has never snapped at me again, she has growled and we have told her no, I think dogs that are older have more of an adjustment to us then a puppy. I hope you get this all figured out. Your such a wonderful mommy.
I think Mary has given you the best advice.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

Debbie, I haven't read all the responses but wanted to post before I miss the thread. 

I've learned that for Kallie, who is my "difficult one" I need approach her in a certain way and that makes all the difference. If she is sleeping in the bed in the kitchen and it's time for us to go in to the bedroom, if I were to just go toward her and grab her, she would likely growl at me. 

But what I do is bend down and stroke her and talk sweetly to her and tell her we're going to bed now, etc. I then pick her up. If she gives a little grumble I take her in the bedroom but if she is totally quiet I first stop by the treats and give her a little bite and praise her. 

I think Reese is just confused and trying to adjust. I bet she will be fine after a little time has passed.


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

mysugarbears said:


> but later that day she came into the computer room and laid in her bed and my husband was taking the pups out and he went to get Reese and she bit him. He was a bit shocked since they hung out earlier today with no problem. He thinks she may have been startled and then she growled at my son when he went near her.


Debbie, was Reese asleep or in that half asleep state when your husband went to get her to take her out? My Skipper was 8 yrs. old when I got him and was the dearest sweetest dog. About 6 weeks after he arrived we were all sitting on the couch one night watching TV. Skipper was curled up next to my leg, between me and the arm of the couch. When it was time for bed I picked up Andy and Grace and put them on the floor and then went for Skipper who was sleeping. Not thinking anything about it I reached to scoop him up and he bit my thumb and I mean bit. I was beyond startled, yelped "ouch", and he sat up with this confused look on his face, like "I'm not really awake yet but did I just do what I think I did?" I must admit ... my feelings were hurt as much as my thumb. I contacted the trainer I was using, she thought it may have been because he was asleep and when I touched him he woke up to see this big hand in front of his face, was scared and went into defense mode. She said "put yourself in his place and think about how you'd react if you were woken up unexpectedly because someone was touching you and all you saw was a hand in front of your face." From then on if Skipper was sleeping I would start talking to him first to wake him up and then I'd pick him up. He never bit me again. And never bit anyone else ever.


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

MaryH said:


> Debbie, was Reese asleep or in that half asleep state when your husband went to get her to take her out? My Skipper was 8 yrs. old when I got him and was the dearest sweetest dog. About 6 weeks after he arrived we were all sitting on the couch one night watching TV. Skipper was curled up next to my leg, between me and the arm of the couch. When it was time for bed I picked up Andy and Grace and put them on the floor and then went for Skipper who was sleeping. Not thinking anything about it I reached to scoop him up and he bit my thumb and I mean bit. I was beyond startled, yelped "ouch", and he sat up with this confused look on his face, like "I'm not really awake yet but did I just do what I think I did?" I must admit ... my feelings were hurt as much as my thumb. I contacted the trainer I was using, she thought it may have been because he was asleep and when I touched him he woke up to see this big hand in front of his face, was scared and went into defense mode. She said "put yourself in his place and think about how you'd react if you were woken up unexpectedly because someone was touching you and all you saw was a hand in front of your face." From then on if Skipper was sleeping I would start talking to him first to wake him up and then I'd pick him up. He never bit me again. And never bit anyone else ever.


 
Oh Mary, that story brings back dear memories of my Flakey. We would have to stroke his sides lightly to let him know we were picking him up. He bit me once, and you are so right, I think your feelings get hurt as much as my finger did. But we learned from there, and bless him, he never did it again.


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

I got a response from Theresa:



Hi,, Debbie!
I am so glad you love her and am sorry to hear she bit your hubby. I think in time it will be a great thing for them to take her to class, but I would give her more time to adjust before doing so. She has never showed any agression, always passive, so it is very unlike her. Let them move slowly around her and pick her up slowly. You pass her to them slowly and let them sit holding her. In time, she should accept. Keep doing what you are doing, letting them give her treats, etc. Let her begin to come to them. Make it her idea. When she is in her place to go potty, if she does not do the bm, don't let her have full reign of the kiitchen or whereever. She is going through a period of adjust, and it will get better in time, but it will be at her pace. Go back to basics with training, I'll see what I can send over or will mail you. Give me your home address, so I don't have to look it up....
love you,
Theresa

I honestly think that we were trying to move too fast for Reese. She is a really sweet girl and i think she was just startled by my husband and if i had a 6'4" person looking at me and trying to get me i would probably growl too like she did with my son. We are all going to work with her and at her own pace. She really is a sweet little girl and just wags her tail constantly when she sees me and she's so full of love. We are going to go back to basic potty training with her and eventually get her 100% trained. I'm not expecting miracles and know that it's going to take more than the two weeks since she's been with us to have her comfortable with everyone and everything. I really love Theresa and what a great lady she is.  I really appreciate everyone's suggestions. 



Update: Right after typed this my son came into the room and Reese was in her bed and he was talking to her and he stooped down and she didn't run away and she even let him pick her up he talked to her when he was holding her and gave her a kiss.  I think we're making progress.


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

Sandcastles said:


> Great advice!
> 
> BTW, Ms. Momtoboo, I miss seeing your kidz! I just LOVE seeing your pictures!
> 
> Allie


Well aren't you sweet. This is my slow time for pictures because it's gloomy & gray much of the winter here in S.Ky. I only use bright natural light & mother nature can be rather stingy this time of yr. But someday, the sun will shine bright again. Hugs & give sweet Lucy-Lu & Baron a smooch for me.



mysugarbears said:


> I got a response from Theresa:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I agree, back to the basics, be patient, give her lots of love & time to adjust & everything will work out.


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## silverhaven (Sep 6, 2009)

Oh and one suggestion. Lola was being a pain when I needed to pick her up. Backing up then wanting to chase. Not that I do that, but oh well! lol. So what I do now some of the time, but not all the time, is say up to her and have a treat in my left hand. Then I pick her up with my right hand and then give her the treat. She has been MUCH better. Now I just say up and she positions herself. If she is treat oriented it might help.


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## allheart (Oct 3, 2008)

mysugarbears said:


> I got a response from Theresa:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
Oh bless you Debbie, and bless sweet Reese. Theresa gave you great advice. Just remember, it's all so new to Reese, everything is new to her, and she is old enough to know that, not like a new pup, Oh I could just hug her. Will you do that for me :wub: Before you know it, by doing things gradually, tons of love, like you are doing, it will feel like Reese has always been there :wub:

Many hugs to you, and your beautiful precious babies.


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## lori (Jul 8, 2008)

Debbie, I am so glad to hear that you are getting the support from Theresa during Reese's transition period. Obviously, at this point she knows her the best and will be able to guide you to make her transition as smooth as possible. With your family's love and patience, sweet little Reese will do just fine!!!! You're a great mommy!!:grouphug:


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