Hi, this is my first post. I came because I needed some help.
I've just adopted two adult dogs from the local rescue centre. They are a 3 year old female Emily and a 2 year old female Jessica. The centre staff branded them as "Terrier cross". They are both extremely shy and quiet, while other dogs rush out when their enclosure is opened, they retreat into the depths of their enclosure at the sight of the approaching stranger (though they'd greet strangers like other dogs if they know the door is closed)
Jessica would come and give you two sniffs before running away, while Emily wouldn't even move. But staff there said Emily is extremely attached to you if she accepts you. The staff said Jessica seems to be the leader among the two, I saw that she'd be licking Emily from time to time. It was rightly required that they be desexed before adoption. After the operation, they were given giant plastic "funnels" placed around their necks to prevent them from licking their operation wounds.
After the ordeal of taking them back (Jessica tried to rescue Emily out of her bag after she escaped from hers, and both were totally freaked out by the car trip), their behavior at my home seemed similar to at the shelter, that was until at night when Jessica vomitted out everything she had in the afternoon. I had to be quick to clean it up before she ate it back.
I had expected dogs to cry at the first night but they were with each other. Jessica suddenly went all agro and growled and barked fiercely at every slight sound - the icq sounds from my computer, the wind against the window, a thud from the apartment upstairs etc. I detected some geniune hatred and ferocity in the tone of the barking. Barking went on at 15-mins intervals every hour until 6:00am when she seemed ok at the usual sounds, but still barked when she saw me get out of bed. Throughout the night, I acted like I did not hear her and pretended to sleep so that she will know she won't get a response by barking.
The next day presented new challenges. It had looked good when they finally won't run away at my sight and follow me around. Emily would allow me to touch her and even got into the habit of sleeping on my lap. I didn't know it was to be at the cost of Jessica. Jessica has tried her best to lick Emily where the desex operation had taken place but the "funnel" stopped her, Emily also seemed to try her best to evade Jessica, even looking away from her and seemed only wanted to interact with me. Jessica was whining and trembling the whole day from frustration. When I am away from their section of the house, there were only two things happening; Jessica trying to lick Emily with no success, and Jessica taking out her frustration at newspapers and slippers.
Burning questions in my head are:
- It won't be until Friday when the threads from their wounds will be removed and the funnels as well. They'd have to live with such frustration until then. During these four days when Emily might develop a habit of not allowing Jessica to lick her.
- What caused Emily's sudden hatred of Jessica? They had been so close together that shelter staff tried their best to find someone to take them both. There was a time today when Jessica found Emily on my lap and joined in. Emily was so disgusted she sneezed a couple of times and I can feel her working up some vomit, I had to stop her in this act. I suspect the following:
1) Since Emily allows me to touch her and Jessica doesn't (and also runs away after two sniffs), they might see Emily's status upgraded and Jessica's unchanged/downgraded. Jessica might be trying her best to reinstate her authority over Emily, or Emily now sees I'm the one with the right to lick her?
2) The plastic funnel might have caused Emily pain when Jessica tried to lick her.
Anything I can do to achieve a social class optimum?
- Jessica's barking...though I finally found how to see when she is about to do so. If she is frustrated with Emily, she'd whine twice before barking. It'd be only one or two yelps. If the environment is quiet and there is a sound, she'll start growling for 5 secs before going on a bark rage. I've tried successfully to stop her today on two occassions by shouting "Quiet!" once the warning signs appear. They both barked at me when I returned home today though
- Jessica's shyness. She'd not allow me to touch her, the only interaction I can have with her is looking her in the face and talking in a soothing voice, sometimes I'll kiss her nose if she won't withdraw, trying to make it a fun thing to do with laughter and smiles. If Emily's already on my lap, I'll make space and try to coax her to join in. She'll only do so if Emily is already there. (Update: Just found that Jess even whines in her sleep, and of course when she's awake too)
- Jessica's vomitting, it's only happened once but worried me enough. I had given her some special wet dog food so I can plant her heartworm medication inside. No way she'd allow me to prise her mouth open with her being so shy
- In order to minimize problems, I am leaving the lights on 24 hours a day, keeping the ventilation fans in the bathroom and kitchen on all the time (to prevent the wind banging the ventilation shutters and causing barking from Jessica), and leaving the radio on my computer on while I am away so that it'll drown out softer disturbances, such as the neighbours switching on some appliance. Is it OK for me to stop these precautions or will it become a habit?
- I didn't like their names and I tried to change it by calling them their new names when they arrived but seemed unable to learn it, they'd seem to both respond to a same name and not the other....because there wasn't much need to use Emily's new name as she'd come anyway and never did anything wrong. I'm now not using any names at all for fear of confusion (for both me and the dogs).
- They have no interests in any toys and only show interest in food (Jessica snatches everything edible from Emily, who is content to let Jess finish before eating, even if the food is in two bowls, Jessica would eat from both). Emily is very fond of being stroked and petted though.
Although I do have other questions, these are the most pressing, hope to get some help from the experienced. Thanks!
I've just adopted two adult dogs from the local rescue centre. They are a 3 year old female Emily and a 2 year old female Jessica. The centre staff branded them as "Terrier cross". They are both extremely shy and quiet, while other dogs rush out when their enclosure is opened, they retreat into the depths of their enclosure at the sight of the approaching stranger (though they'd greet strangers like other dogs if they know the door is closed)
Jessica would come and give you two sniffs before running away, while Emily wouldn't even move. But staff there said Emily is extremely attached to you if she accepts you. The staff said Jessica seems to be the leader among the two, I saw that she'd be licking Emily from time to time. It was rightly required that they be desexed before adoption. After the operation, they were given giant plastic "funnels" placed around their necks to prevent them from licking their operation wounds.
After the ordeal of taking them back (Jessica tried to rescue Emily out of her bag after she escaped from hers, and both were totally freaked out by the car trip), their behavior at my home seemed similar to at the shelter, that was until at night when Jessica vomitted out everything she had in the afternoon. I had to be quick to clean it up before she ate it back.
I had expected dogs to cry at the first night but they were with each other. Jessica suddenly went all agro and growled and barked fiercely at every slight sound - the icq sounds from my computer, the wind against the window, a thud from the apartment upstairs etc. I detected some geniune hatred and ferocity in the tone of the barking. Barking went on at 15-mins intervals every hour until 6:00am when she seemed ok at the usual sounds, but still barked when she saw me get out of bed. Throughout the night, I acted like I did not hear her and pretended to sleep so that she will know she won't get a response by barking.
The next day presented new challenges. It had looked good when they finally won't run away at my sight and follow me around. Emily would allow me to touch her and even got into the habit of sleeping on my lap. I didn't know it was to be at the cost of Jessica. Jessica has tried her best to lick Emily where the desex operation had taken place but the "funnel" stopped her, Emily also seemed to try her best to evade Jessica, even looking away from her and seemed only wanted to interact with me. Jessica was whining and trembling the whole day from frustration. When I am away from their section of the house, there were only two things happening; Jessica trying to lick Emily with no success, and Jessica taking out her frustration at newspapers and slippers.
Burning questions in my head are:
- It won't be until Friday when the threads from their wounds will be removed and the funnels as well. They'd have to live with such frustration until then. During these four days when Emily might develop a habit of not allowing Jessica to lick her.
- What caused Emily's sudden hatred of Jessica? They had been so close together that shelter staff tried their best to find someone to take them both. There was a time today when Jessica found Emily on my lap and joined in. Emily was so disgusted she sneezed a couple of times and I can feel her working up some vomit, I had to stop her in this act. I suspect the following:
1) Since Emily allows me to touch her and Jessica doesn't (and also runs away after two sniffs), they might see Emily's status upgraded and Jessica's unchanged/downgraded. Jessica might be trying her best to reinstate her authority over Emily, or Emily now sees I'm the one with the right to lick her?
2) The plastic funnel might have caused Emily pain when Jessica tried to lick her.
Anything I can do to achieve a social class optimum?
- Jessica's barking...though I finally found how to see when she is about to do so. If she is frustrated with Emily, she'd whine twice before barking. It'd be only one or two yelps. If the environment is quiet and there is a sound, she'll start growling for 5 secs before going on a bark rage. I've tried successfully to stop her today on two occassions by shouting "Quiet!" once the warning signs appear. They both barked at me when I returned home today though
- Jessica's shyness. She'd not allow me to touch her, the only interaction I can have with her is looking her in the face and talking in a soothing voice, sometimes I'll kiss her nose if she won't withdraw, trying to make it a fun thing to do with laughter and smiles. If Emily's already on my lap, I'll make space and try to coax her to join in. She'll only do so if Emily is already there. (Update: Just found that Jess even whines in her sleep, and of course when she's awake too)
- Jessica's vomitting, it's only happened once but worried me enough. I had given her some special wet dog food so I can plant her heartworm medication inside. No way she'd allow me to prise her mouth open with her being so shy
- In order to minimize problems, I am leaving the lights on 24 hours a day, keeping the ventilation fans in the bathroom and kitchen on all the time (to prevent the wind banging the ventilation shutters and causing barking from Jessica), and leaving the radio on my computer on while I am away so that it'll drown out softer disturbances, such as the neighbours switching on some appliance. Is it OK for me to stop these precautions or will it become a habit?
- I didn't like their names and I tried to change it by calling them their new names when they arrived but seemed unable to learn it, they'd seem to both respond to a same name and not the other....because there wasn't much need to use Emily's new name as she'd come anyway and never did anything wrong. I'm now not using any names at all for fear of confusion (for both me and the dogs).
- They have no interests in any toys and only show interest in food (Jessica snatches everything edible from Emily, who is content to let Jess finish before eating, even if the food is in two bowls, Jessica would eat from both). Emily is very fond of being stroked and petted though.
Although I do have other questions, these are the most pressing, hope to get some help from the experienced. Thanks!
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