Damn Animal Shelter.

DiamondPuppy0809 · August 2009

I've been venting a lot lately, I know... and I am ashamed for it. Thing is, if you don't vent for a long time (which I didn't), you tend to explode afterwards. This time I'm going to vent about the animal shelter. I love all the animals in the shelter - and that's where I got Maggie, my newest dog. We've only had her for about 9 days now and I LOVE her. She's so sweet and cuddly. This is the information the shelter told us: <ul class="bb-list-unordered">- Maggie is approx. 1-2 years - Maggie is house trained - Maggie gets along with most dogs - Maggie might not be spayed - Maggie might chase cats - Maggie might/might not like water </ul> Ah, okay. That's fine. I expect a shelter dog to be like that. I'll train her. But. Instead... <ul class="bb-list-unordered">- Maggie is not very house trained - Maggie is too dominant towards other dogs - Maggie is not spayed - Maggie does chase cats, frequently - Maggie is okay with water, but scared of it sometimes - Maggie has food aggression towards dogs - Maggie pulls on the leash - Maggie barks at passing people - Maggie chews anything she can get her mouth around - Maggie takes off when the door's open - Maggie won't sit, lie down, or come on command </ul> Some of these habits we've dialed down, but many she won't give up. Well, It's only been nine days. What pisses me off is they don't pay enough attention to the dogs. They feed and walk them, get their vaccinations/spayings sometimes... but that's about it. They don't have a training program where they carefully introduce dogs to others that aren't their size or gender. They don't socialize them with people a lot. The dogs are not even attempted to be trained basically. And then they tell people interested in adopting all this "assumed" stuff and say it's true. Then you get the dog and she's everything you've been looking for affectionate-wise but never training-wise. o_O I think it reduces the dog's chances of finding a permanent home.

I think it reduces the dog's chances of finding a permanent home.

I say this because my mom is complaining about Maggie now and saying, "We can take you back to where you came from, you brat" whenever Maggie is found with one of her socks or gloves in her mouth. Which means she does have a chance at being taken back to the shelter if her behavior worsens or does not change. Agh. I like Maggie. Whether she won't sleep in my room with me or not. >.> I'd hate to see her go back to the pound... that would upset me. Suggestions on training Maggie? -sighs-

Hibachi · August 2009

This sounds like my brothers demon dog...-.- He chews on everything, all we could really do was so no firmly and take whatever it was he was chewing on away, he still chews because he still has baby teeth coming in but now he knows what no means and we only have to say it once or twice before he gets it. :] He also has potty training issues and eating issues as well, he gets into the cats food all the time so we just put it up while he is eating his food, he finally is learning to stop because 1. it makes him sick and 2. he knows not to. xD His potty training seemed to get worse these pass few weeks, but thank heavens my mom is around to watch him 24/7 unlike my brother.

The best thing to do is treat her like a puppy, crate training works best, we didn't crate train my brothers dog due to the dog has mental issues with tight spaces. And during the day take her out every few hours or so, and if she eats wait about 10 minutes then take her out. Adult dogs can hold their bladders longer than a pup. I don't have much advice with the escaping problem or dominance issues, all I can say is that you have to show her who's boss, one of my poodles use to escape ever so often, I didn't even bother getting her because we live out in the country, and when she was done exploring she came back. But, I wouldn't suggest letting her explore because you've only had her a few days and she might get lost and the fact that she isn't fixed means she might come back with a belly full of surprises. :X

DiamondPuppy0809 · August 2009

Mhm. We are training her. She's improved in some areas, but most we're afraid she might be stuck with. D; But only time will tell. Thing is, if she doesn't get better in two weeks (by... uh... next Monday? o_o) my mom might say we're taking her back. ;__; I like her. But she's already taken to my dad more (who didn't want the dog) and she was supposed to be my dog... I don't know. -sighs-

Hibachi · August 2009

D; That sucks, only one of my dogs ever bonded to me....when I was 5, and she ended up being sent to the pound because she attacked other animals. :X My poodles seem to love my mom. >.> I come second... And my brother has a dog, that thing loves me I.don't.know.why. I can't stand him. ;-; I even ignore him and make him get out of my room...but he just want leave me alone. It's sad when a dog bonds to you and you don't want it to. Lmao. xD Anyways, good luck with training, hopefully it works out for the best.

Sitka · August 2009

The best thing to do is just to keep at it. I just adopted 2 dogs in less than 2 wks. from the Animal Shelter; Titan a 10 mo. old GSD (German Shepherd) and Dingo an 8 yr. old Scottish Terrier/Blue Heeler. Upon checking out Titan, I knew that he would need some work. He is very rambunctious, and needed to learn a lot of manners. He is "AKC Reg.", as I was told by the Animal Shelter, but was unable to get the papers, as the previous owners didnt give them to the shelter when they had released him there. His reason for being at the shelter; little kid aggressive. I took him home, and after getting excercise everyday (except for this last week, cause he got neutered) he really mellowed out. He's a good house dog once he settles down and actually lays down. But until then, he likes to sniff and taste everything... and just like a little puppy, he will tear stuff apart (usually paper) and he gets into the trash... Bad. He shows a lot of signs of being starved. But he's getting worked on (I had-feed 3 meals to him a day). Titan is -not- kid aggressive though. We take him to the park, and there's little kids that will run up to him, and they pull his ears, tail, fur, etc. and he stands there patiently, allowing them to pet him. I think I pretty much covered Titan. Now Dingo... He was released to the shelter due to his owners leaving him at another shelter for 5 wks. while they were in a divorce. Alas they decided no one wanted the dog. So Dingo was moved from one shelter to the other for about a wk. I saw him on Petfinder, and ended up getting him the very next day. He was very "ugly" looking... He has wirehair that is above his soft, gorgeous fur. He actually had just one huge mat that was underneath the wirehair. So he didnt like to be pet much and was very fussy at first. A few days later, I got him groomed, and he LOVES to be pet and rubbed. The shelter told us he had -no- prior training. He wasnt house trained. He ran off everytime you let him outside. He was "kid/dog/cat aggressive", and was just a horrible dog all-around... The previous owners told them this. I took him home... He couldnt be more perfect. He is -very- passive with little kids, he allows them to mess with his ears, tail, fur, etc. Is not food aggressive, nor cat aggressive. However, if we're in the car, he will bark at passing dogs. He -loves- to go for car rides, and always sticks his entire head out the window. He hasnt had a mess in the house yet (we've had him for about a wk. now.) and he sleeps all through the night. He knows not to go in the kitchen, or on the furniture. So he's a very good dog. I was told that it's the people that the dogs are with. If you train them right, and are consistant, they will eventually get it. Yes, a lot of shelter dogs need some rehabilitation... I mean they were just stuck in dog runs for who knows how long. This could be the reason why Maggie's not potty trained. If you're consistant with her though, on all her little mistakes, eventually she will get it. She looks like a pom. or chi. mix to me... Thus she's a smaller/toy breed. They tend to not get things quite as easily as larger breed dogs. So more care and training is needed for them. So just stick to it, and be consistant. And show your ma that you're working with her. And if you keep at it, eventually Maggie will get it. good luck

DiamondPuppy0809 · August 2009

Thanks. =D Dingo & Titan sound like great boys

Maggie is very stubborn and a Chihuahua... so she -will- be a little bit harder to train. Right now we're working on one thing at a time. Currently, we're working on "come". She runs away from you if you try to pick her up when she's a) gotten out the front door or b) she's in the backyard - which is fenced, but I'd still like her to come when I call her! Dad just says, "Take her back and don't get another one" because he doesn't like dogs all that much. Dx He says that our shelters are ridiculous and not very good with adopting any animals out - BECAUSE they just assume and don't find out. D; I understand the potty training thing. She was in a cage and she probably doesn't understand where to go right now. It just bothers me that they say, "Oh yeah, she's already potty trained!" She doesn't whine or anything when she wants out. I have to take her out myself - which is fine, but I do wish she'd let someone know she has to go. We'll work on it and hope for the best. :?

Sitka · August 2009

Hmm... I'll try and cover a few tips then. Yeah... Some shelters dont really evaluate their dogs. But usually the dogs' temperment and everything changes when they're in and out of the shelter, due to how quickly their environment changes. And yes... Being a Chi. it will definately be more of a challenge. Chi's are notorious (sp?) for being stubborn. My Chi. was the same way... and potty training him was a pain, because he didnt like the outside ground. There are different alternatives to training them indoors... Such as the litterbox training method (that's what we used with Cowboy). But if she likes being outside, then take her out every 30-45 mins. and say "Maggie, Potty... Hurry up". And if she starts to play or anything, just repeat it. Once she does her business, praise her and give her a treat, or pets/lovins. Repeating this every 30-45 mins. will be a great way to start. Keep a leash on her when going out if she doesnt come to you when you need her to. Dingo was the same way the first few days, but after getting used to his name, it was fine... He goes outside off lead now, but I still stay out with him, because he tends to wander off due to trying to mark his scent everywhere (he still is unneutered, and will be till later this month... No vet openings... -_-). After Maggie eats or drinks, you should take her outside 5-10 mins. afterward. Keep her on a lead and say "Maggie, Potty... Hurry up". And just repeat it. Dont allow her to have food/water 2 hrs. before bed if she sleeps with you, and still potties in the house at night. Now for the "come" technique... Keeping her on a leash (you may want to double the leashes to make it longer), say "Maggie Come", and gently pull her towards you. Once she gets to you, praise her. I usually throw toys out so the dog is distracted by the toy, making it more of a challenge to get the dog to come to you, which will be good practice in the long run, when she's distracted by other things such as dogs/people. Repeat. Say "Maggie Come", and pull her gently towards you. Then praise. After a few repetitions, she will start to get it. Patience and consistancy is the key. And as for her liking your dad more, make sure you're the one that feeds her, and does everything for her. I dont allow my family to do anything with my dogs for the first few weeks that I have them, for this very same reason. Dogs see the "alpha" as the one that feeds them, takes them for walks, etc. So just make sure you're doing everything for her. And training will also help with this.

Sitka · August 2009

Cant find the edit button for some odd reason. I forgot to add this... If she's taking socks and other things that are yours... Make sure she has her own toys, and make sure she knows that they are hers. When she has someone's sock, or anything else, replace it with her toys. And say "Toy". Then praise her for having it, you can either play with it, with her. Or give her a treat for having it, etc. Repeating this everytime you play with her and her toys will also show her that they're hers. And replace if she has something that's not hers. But it has to be done -every- time she has something that's someone elses'... Meaning it's not hers. Otherwise, if you let her get away with anything once... Then scould her the next time... She's not going to get it. It has to be every time. Im not saying this to put you down or anything... You may already know all of this. It's just some tips to help.

DiamondPuppy0809 · August 2009

Thanks, Sitka! With the potty thing, she learned "Go pee" while we were camping. She learned it only three days, so I was very impressed. I just want her to know outside is where to pee, not in the house =P She has learned her name (she learned it on the second day, surprisingly), but she doesn't know come. Dx I am doing what you said already. Sometimes I take her in the backyard, sit down, and say "come Maggie". Often she'll look at me and walk away. Fine. I'll try again and again and the odd time she'll run up to me with an expression that says, "Whaaaat?" I praise her, she wags her tail. But my sister is chasing her around the yard yelling "Maggie COME! Maggie! COOOOME!" which is -very- bad. She thinks it's all a game when someone does that. But, my sister doesn't listen. She still chases her. -rolls eyes- I feed her/walk her/play with her. My dad does nothing. He goes to work and comes home to a very excited Maggie. xD I accept that. She might've been raised by a male owner before we adopted her. (She was found in a Mall parking lot and no one claimed her, so who knows what kind of life she had before...)

NuTsRidgebacks · August 2009

that's weird that a shelter adopted a dog out unspayed. wow, i thought it was the unspoken rule of shelters to spay/neuter them.

UnknownDreamland · August 2009

Some shelters can't afford. I know one I really like can't afford to do it but they pay you some of your adoption money back if you prove you got them fixed. Good luck, Ludie! <33 I hope she improves.

DiamondPuppy0809 · August 2009

Nutty McQuackedOut wrote:

that's weird that a shelter adopted a dog out unspayed. wow, i thought it was the unspoken rule of shelters to spay/neuter them.

Hah! Me too. But our shelter only charges $80 per dog and then you get $30 back if you get the dog spayed/neutered. We have weird shelters here. o_o But I am definitely getting Maggie spayed!! There is no way she is going to have little Chi/Spaniel/unknown+more Mutt puppies to add to this already over-dog-populated world! Besides, I'm convinced that her puppies would be totally evil if she had any. o_O -weird feeling- xD Sorry. I'm a little hyper/shooken up. xD Maggie tried to take me for a walk while Max was being walked by me... And then we ran all over the field out back to get rid of some energy. We all came back pantin' and sweatin'. That's the AWESOME thing about Maggie. She has endless energy and that's exactly the kind of dog I wanted!

Sitka · August 2009

Our shelters here dont spay/neuter. We have to sign an agreement to get them spayed/neutered within 6 mo. upon adopting them. Hence the reason why Titan got neutered last week... And Dingo is getting neutered sometime this month or whenever the vet is open to a neuter surgery. We pay $120 for unneuted/unspayed dogs. And I think it's only like $30 or something for the spayed/neutered dogs, as it covers their rabies vacc. and the adoption fee. Some shelters just dont really have the time/money to do so. Kenai is very good with adopting out their dogs though. They really try to get dogs adopted out to the right homes... When I was getting Titan, I stayed there for 5 hrs. evaluating dogs that I liked, just to make sure that they'd get along with my oldest dog Dumpy. Outta 7 dogs that I had checked out (including females) they didnt like Dumpy... But he had no problem with them. It's just more dominant males he doesnt tend to like. But Titan was the only male dog he liked, and I fell in-love with him right away. As for your sister chasing Maggie when you're trying to work with her... Keep her on a leash. That should lighten things up. That way your sister cant really chase her, and gets the hint that you're trying to work with her. Im still hand-feeding Titan. Tonight was his first time off his chain that he was hand-fed, and did alright. He was still very hyper as he hasnt been able to get some excercise in about a week due to his neutering. So tomorrow (if it's not raining) he will be able to go for a nice long walk... And maybe chase some of the rabbits tomorrow night. He's a good boy once he settles down. And does excellent in the car. He -loves- to ride shotgun. And doesnt like other people in -his- spot. lol. But practice makes perfect. So does age. lol.

DiamondPuppy0809 · August 2009

Sitka wrote:

Our shelters here dont spay/neuter. We have to sign an agreement to get them spayed/neutered within 6 mo. upon adopting them.

Us too. Exactly 6 months. We need a reciept to verify we got them spayed/neutered too. I think it's an awesome deal, honestly. It hopefully encourages more people to spay and neuter.

Sitka · August 2009

yeah, the spay/neuter surgery is included in the adoption fee. Some people have opted not to get the dog spayed/neutered. But then you're out all that money... So you might as-well get them neutered or spayed since you payed that much. I think I mentioned the cost for unaltered animals; $120. So yeah... Good idea to get them altered for that much.

DiamondPuppy0809 · August 2009

We called the Vet about getting a 11.5 pound dog spayed (already vaccinated) and they told us it would be $289! I was shocked. When we got our big Pit/Rhodie cross mix Vaccinated and spayed, she was $200. It's because a good vet recently died and now the other vets are swamped. So they thought, "Hey, why don't we raise the prices if we have this many people needing our services?" Dx Ridiculously expensive. D; And they almost never do emergency for wounded or dying pets. People have to send their dogs to 2-8 hours away for emergency. By then their pet might not make it, too. It's sad. ;_; I keep a careful eye on my pets because if there ever was an emergency, the process of getting them to a clinic would be way too long.

NuTsRidgebacks · August 2009

so if you breach the contract will they take your dog back without giving you a refund? i can't believe i've lived my whole life not knowing that all shelters didn't spay/neuter. i guess i assumed they all had deals worked out with vets. if i were a vet i'd def. offer pro bono services to shelters. that's still a pretty damn scary thought.

DiamondPuppy0809 · August 2009

They won't take your dog back if you don't get it spayed/neutered, no. (If that's what you were asking). They just say your contract expired and that you won't get your $30 back at all - whether you get the dog spayed/neutered after it expired or not. So, they do let you keep the dog unspayed or unneutered. $:\$ Which is a bad, bad, bad thing considering practically ALL dogs in shelters have behavorial problems, no papers, bad breeding, are mutts, etc. and have reduce the amount of puppies they'd get for one (because the dogs they no perfect personality that could be good for passing onto puppies. And I can garauntee those who don't spay/neuter their pets from the pound are going to backyard breed them or don't care about them all that much and wouldn't mind if their dog ran off and came home with a belly full of puppies.

< I think all shelters should spay/neuter their pets before adoption. It would adopt out wouldn't be having any xD), they might get more donations for being more responsible, and it definitely changes the behavior of the dog once it's been fixed. Males are less dominant and sometimes same with females. Often they aren't as likely to run off for a day of exploring either.

DiamondPuppy0809 · August 2009

They won't take your dog back if you don't get it spayed/neutered, no. (If that's what you were asking). They just say your contract expired and that you won't get your $30 back at all - whether you get the dog spayed/neutered after it expired or not. So, they do let you keep the dog unspayed or unneutered. $:\$ Which is a bad, bad, bad thing considering practically ALL dogs in shelters have behavorial problems, no papers, bad breeding, are mutts, etc. and have reduce the amount of puppies they'd get for one (because the dogs they no perfect personality that could be good for passing onto puppies. And I can garauntee those who don't spay/neuter their pets from the pound are going to backyard breed them or don't care about them all that much and wouldn't mind if their dog ran off and came home with a belly full of puppies. < I think all shelters should spay/neuter their pets before adoption. It would adopt out wouldn't be having any xD), they might get more donations for being more responsible, and it definitely changes the behavior of the dog once it's been fixed. Males are less dominant and sometimes same with females. Often they aren't as likely to run off for a day of exploring either.

Whoa. Did I ever screw up my sentences. xD I think I accidentally copy & pasted or something so they got all cut off. Damn. Let me reword all of that. xD They won't take your dog back if you don't get it spayed/neutered, no. (If that's what you were asking). They just say your contract expired and that you won't get your $30 back at all - whether you get the dog spayed/neutered after it expired or not. So, they do let you keep the dog unspayed or unneutered. $:\$ Which is a bad, bad, bad thing considering practically ALL dogs in shelters have behavorial problems, no papers, bad breeding, are mutts, etc. and no perfect personality that could be good for passing onto puppies. And I can garauntee those who don't spay/neuter their pets from the pound are going to backyard breed them or don't care about them all that much and wouldn't mind if their dog ran off and came home with a belly full of puppies.

< I think all shelters should spay/neuter their pets before adoption. It'd reduce the amount of puppies they'd get for one (because the dogs they adopt out wouldn't be having any xD), they might get more donations for being more responsible, and it definitely changes the behavior of the dog once it's been fixed. Males are less dominant and sometimes same with females. Often they aren't as likely to run off for a day of exploring either. There. Did I fix it? Does it make more sense now? xD

NuTsRidgebacks · August 2009

wow it does make sense, but it'd be cool if they took the dog back from you if you didn't get it spayed or neutered. i wonder how many dogs from fighting backgrounds get adopted out from these shelters intact. scary.

ChibiWerewolf · August 2009

First off, she should be spayed or nutered, That calms animals down. They don't have such crazy hormones then. You should reinforce good behaviors, and try not to yell at her to much. You've only had her for about 9 days. xDD Give her some time and I'm sure she'll be a perfect puppy.

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Damn Animal Shelter.

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