Hi New and Stupid!

[vivandmatt]

Hi to all! Our family has been making trips to the shelter for months and yesterday we fell in love. So we brought home this dog who is about a year old and of mixed breeds, lab, sharpei or st. bernard. He is darling and we love him already but we have never owned any animal other than a turtle. So we made a quick trip to walmart. I didn't have any dog shampoo so I used people shampoo. We put the flea and worm drops on him. He does have fleas. We brushed him. Fed him some Pedigree. Bought him a great big dog pillow. Now for the problem. He smells like DOG very bad. My house smells very bad. I have vacuumed and sprayed. I want this large dog in my home. My family does not want an outside dog. But he smells so bad. I don't know what to do. Should I bathe him again? Will it affect the medication I put on him yesterday? Also, he pooped last night while we slept and we left him alone for one hour and he broke my blinds. Is it crazy to want this big dog indoors?
Sorry this is so long. I am worried about doing the right things. We go to the vet tomorrow to get fixed and get shots.
Thanks for reading.

 

[Dizzy]

You've had the dog ONE day.

It will probably take a couple of WEEKS before the dog settles down, and adjusts.

It is very scary and stressful moving to a new home.

Before you got a dog, did you plan out how you were going to cope and look after one when it came into your home?

I would not bathe the dog again. Let him adjust and settle in.

Do you know about house training, basic obedience etc etc etc?

If not - don't be afraid to ask questions - even silly ones!!

 

[SummerRiot]

I sounds to me like you need to invest in a dog kennel, and kennel him at night or when you aren't available to be with him, or bring him with you

Did you get any history on the dog when you got him at all from the shelter??

Firstly, I'd get him to the vet to get him checked over as well. Find a good vet in your area and make an appointment for a general check up. 100% health is what you want from him firstly.
Then deal with his behavioural issues.

Do you know how long he was at the shelter for?

If you bath him, the meds that you get at walmart wont be as effective. Honestly, if you go to your vet, get them to prescribe something for the fleas.
The walmart brand flea medications dont work as effectively and have a chance of reaccurance. If you get your pup on something like Frontline or Revolution - you shouldn't have any problems.

LOTS of people have larger dogs then yours that are kept indoors so no worries

I also suggest taking your pup to an obedience class so you can begin starting a bond together. Dont forget, everything is new to you and your puppy and learning from a professional is the best way to go.

Welcome to the board!

 

[EliNHunter]

First of all, congratulations and welcome! You're on the road to a WONDERFUL experience in the new addition to your family! And I applaud you for rescuing! With the breeds you mentioned, your puppydog could have a LOT of hair? Is that the case? If so, brushing will be very important to keep the undercoat and skin conditioned by the brushings. And a good diet will also help whatever the oil glands excrete, which may smell bad right now. It's still very early and just give it time! I was going to suggest a good ole professional grooming to get you started, but your dog is going into MANY new and scary things right now... going to the vet and getting fixed, etc. Again, I commend you!

You'll get lots of good advice, here. I would not put a "people's" shampoo on your dog, though. I would definitely bathe with a dog shampoo... their PH is different and one better matched will help the smell factor. I look forward to hearing more about your new addition!

 

[Lizmo]

I sounds to me like you need to invest in a dog kennel, and kennel him at night or when you aren't available to be with him, or bring him with you

Did you get any history on the dog when you got him at all from the shelter??

Firstly, I'd get him to the vet to get him checked over as well. Find a good vet in your area and make an appointment for a general check up. 100% health is what you want from him firstly.
Then deal with his behavioural issues.

Do you know how long he was at the shelter for?

If you bath him, the meds that you get at walmart wont be as effective. Honestly, if you go to your vet, get them to prescribe something for the fleas.
The walmart brand flea medications dont work as effectively and have a chance of reaccurance. If you get your pup on something like Frontline or Revolution - you shouldn't have any problems.

LOTS of people have larger dogs then yours that are kept indoors so no worries

I also suggest taking your pup to an obedience class so you can begin starting a bond together. Dont forget, everything is new to you and your puppy and learning from a professional is the best way to go.

Welcome to the board!

Ditto Jenn!

 

[vivandmatt]

Thanks to all for the replies. I know that I sound a tad bit unprepared and to be honest we were. I know that Lokey was at the pound for about three weeks and that he was picked up by the dog catcher so any past info was unavailable. We could have bought a registered anything for what we paid for him and all his "stuff" but he is beautiful and sad and smelly! HA! The vet visit is tomorrow.
The kennel is an idea but won't that make him sad? I know that sounds stupid but he did not pee anywhere or wake us up last night, just the big diarrhea poop on the floor. I did show it to him and put him out for awhile after. Eventually we won't have to use a kennel right?
Also, we are gone up to ten hours a day. Is that okay to leave a dog alone that long?
Silly questions

 

[Dizzy]

Also, we are gone up to ten hours a day. Is that okay to leave a dog alone that long?
Silly questions

Personally - I think that is a LONG time to leave a dog alone...

10 hours gone, 8 sleeping, 2 living, washing, cleaning etc...

That leave 4 hours in the day to give to your dog.. What can you offer him in that time?

 

[vivandmatt]

Not ten hours everyday. I guess that I did not word that correctly. I only work three days a week. Good grief. Not to get defensive, but I know plenty of people who have one or more dogs in their back yard that hardly get any attention at all. My family doesn't want to be like that. And yes we were unprepared to meet Lokey yesterday and get him that day. But we did meet him and we all fell in love with him. I wasn't about to leave him there. Dogs either get gassed or taken everyday. It truly is a sad place. Anyways, that was one of the reasons we wanted an indoor dog. We are all proud of him already and he travels in the car well.
I honestly just was wondering if it was okay to leave them alone for that amount of time some OF THE TIME>

 

[Dizzy]

Not ten hours everyday. I guess that I did not word that correctly. I only work three days a week. Good grief. Not to get defensive, but I know plenty of people who have one or more dogs in their back yard that hardly get any attention at all. My family doesn't want to be like that. And yes we were unprepared to meet Lokey yesterday and get him that day. But we did meet him and we all fell in love with him. I wasn't about to leave him there. Dogs either get gassed or taken everyday. It truly is a sad place. Anyways, that was one of the reasons we wanted an indoor dog. We are all proud of him already and he travels in the car well.
I honestly just was wondering if it was okay to leave them alone for that amount of time some OF THE TIME>

You said you are away 10 hours, I assumed you meant full time. And I did say personally.

Trust me - I wasn't having "a go" - just seemed a loooong time to be ledt everyday! But it's not everyday - you have cleared that up

I used to work full time till sept, and have a dog (obviously), but was never away 10 hours!!

If it is just some of the time, I suppose there are ways around it.

Could you get someone to come to see him on the 3 days you work - it's an AWFULLY long time to hold your bladder!! Maybe someone could pop in and walk him at lunch time?

 

[showpug]

Congrats on your new pup! You need to give at least 2 weeks for the adjustment period, for your family and the puppy. This is a very new experience for both of you.

As far as bathing the dog goes, don't use human shampoo in the future, but the one time is no big deal. I think it's important to point out that when dogs are wet, they smell very "doggy", once they dry completley, the smell goes away usually.

I do have to say, dump all the stuff you bought at Walmart, starting with the Pedigree food. It's important to put your pup on a quality, healthy dog food which he can benefit from and thrive. Pedigree is equivalent to us eating junk food 24/7. You may want to check out Mordy's site for information on why Pedigree is not great. There you will also learn the skills to choose a healthy dog food for your pup. www.dogfoodproject.com. Keep in mind, dogs that are fed a poor quality diet usually smell worse than dogs that eat a healthy food.

The flea stuff you bought at Walmart wont work either. You should look into Advantage or Frontline if you want a safe, effective flea product for your dog. Products like Biospot and Hearts don't spread and the ingredients don't work very well at all.

Good luck, and you came to the right forum if you want answers and help with your new puppy.

 

[krisykris]

I think getting a crate is a really good idea. My dogs have been crate trained and now they've moved up to an exercise pen rather than two individual crates... but they love their crates. It's like their special space. It helps a ton with housebreaking.

 

[ToscasMom]

Hi!
They didn't come any dog dumber than me when I joined here. I was strictly a cat person and hadn't had a dog in decades. I'm still barely smart but I learned a lot from these folks so listen to them and hang in there. They will give you absolutely stellar advice and all you will need to do is follow it and you will have a happy dog and be happy with him besides. But like with anything else, he has to adapt and so do you, so it will take a little time. But I think you already know that.

Also, ditch the Pedigree dog food and the people on this board will give you the names of outstanding foods that will not only be healthier for the big guy but probably improve his ..um...scent.

 

[vivandmatt]

My husband comes home for lunch at noon everyday. That is not what I am concerned about. I just don't know about a kennel for that long

 

[Dizzy]

My husband comes home for lunch at noon everyday. That is not what I am concerned about. I just don't know about a kennel for that long

Aahh right ok.

People all have varying views on that.

Personally (again) I do not have a crate. I think it is pretty much akin to sticking a dog in a cupboard and only getting it out to play with (when you are home).

If people want to keep their dog in a cage, they should get a hamster.

I DID use a crate when Bodhi was a small puppy, to aid house training - it can be useful when used correctly - but NOT as a means to "store" your dog when you are out...

Imagine being confined to that tiny space all day

I think it is far more healthy to allow your dog access to move about if you can. With toys, and games left, and possibly the chance to see out of a window to watch the world go by.

Obviously - some dogs cannot be given this luxury - so a dog proofed room should be considered.

 

[smkie]

IT just takes time for a rescue to settle down. It might have taken more then one soaping to remove the kennel odor, it can be quite intense. You can mix up some baking soda and sprinkle it through the coat and comb it out to help remove some of the odor, same for the bedding. First night sounds like a stress reaction. I would suggestion asking lots of questions, reading some training books, and being patient with your new dog. Do you know a friend that is good with dogs that can help you?

 

[Gempress]

Congrats on the new dog! Double kudos from adopting an adult from the shelter! An adult dog definately seems to be the best fit for your lifestyle.

First of all, I think there is nothing wrong with leaving a well-adjusted adult dog alone for that length of time. My dogs are alone for about 10 hours a day on weekdays (we come home for lunch). They are quite happy. All they usually do during the day is sleep anyway, LOL.

And good for you for making Lokey an indoor dog! There is nothing wrong with a large dog in your home. Right now you're just going through an adjustment period. Give him time to settle in.

As for the smell, that sounds like kennel odor to me. Feed your pup a good-quality food and it should go away. I don't see a problem in bathing your dog fairly often as long as you use a good doggie shampoo and conditioner.

Go to the library and read some good books on raising/training a dog. I'd enroll in a training class as soon as possible, too. It's very important that a large dog be well-behaved: unlike a toy dog, you can't just pick them up when they start getting out of line!

And please post any questions you have. There are a lot of great resources on this forum.

Now...are you going to post pictures soon?

 

[bubbatd]

All good posts and I agree. Give him time and lots of loving. I had never crated a dog before Ollie , but his 1st adopted family turned him back as he was destructive when alone . If he can't go with me , he's happy in his crate . Your poor baby is just anxious at this point . Good luck, welcome and kudos for rescuing !

 

[vivandmatt]

Thanks everyone for your replies. We already love Lokey so much. He is such a great, calm dog. I am so proud to have him in our family. Just a few more questions
The baking soda sounds like a good idea. What do I mix it with?
THe dog food, what kind is best?
Tomorrow he goes to the vet and I am a little nervous for him. I have a list of questions for the vet for my husband to ask (he probably thinks I am crazy)
Does that spray that is supposed to keep dogs off of furniture really work?
ANd, is it true that dogs won't potty where they sleep? I figured that might be why he poopood in my son's bedroom. It was the farthest open place away from his bed.
Again, thanks. We are having so much fun. My kids are learning some responsibility as am I.

 

[krisykris]

I've never had any housebreaking aid or spray work for me. I sprayed a non chew solution on all my cabinets fairly consistently for months and I still have a few chew marks from little puppy teeth. I'm not sure about the spray you're talking about though .

 

[Dreeza]

Congrats!! I think everyone on here would LOVE to see some pics, hehe

If it makes you feel any better, we got Oakley TOTALLY unprepared as well. Lucky for you, you got a calm dog, lol. Oakley was totally off the wall hyper/crazy, and we just did NOT know what to do with him!!!

He stays home alone while my brother is at school (I am away at college), and he is okay...he just gets lots of love when he gets home (As i am sure Lokey does )

As for food..do you have a costco? We get oakley Kirkland lamb (or chicken...i forget) and rice. He likes it, and it is pretty high quality food, and super cheap...like 15 bucks!!

Good luck with everything!!!