[kehittyminen]

So a few days ago I adopted a new dog. The rescue said she was about a year old and she is mixed with chihuahua & jack russell terrier. Although because of her body shape I think she may have some beagle in her

Anyhow my problem is she can be very destructive. She ate my shoe (and is always after more), she tries and eats clothes for some odd reason, she digs a lot of holes, and she chews on the bed frame and few other things. She is somewhat potty trained, but sometimes she'll pee in the house. She is a really sweet dog and I don't intend on taking her back to the shelter I got her from because that's just not right.

So I'm having trouble correcting this behavior because she is EXTREMELY skittish as well. She is starting to get used to people, but like she gets scared easily and if you walk by her she freaks out and runs.
I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for my situation. Also if you have any sites that could help me, that would be great as well.

Thank you!

[cigwyllt]

It's very early days. When dogs are stressed they chew to help themselves relax - just as some people will chew their finger nails. Your little dog has had a big change from kennels to your home - she may never have had a home before and everything is new to her. You will need to be ever so patient with her and make yourself relax. If she can sense that you are stressed she will be worse.

It is up to you to puppy proof your possessions as much as you can. It might be best to restrict the area where she is allowed to be so that you can police her more easily. Try to keep her near you as much as possible. You say she is skittish - she needs to see you, to be able to watch you closely without feeling pressured so that she can "suss you out" and know what you want/need from her. Don't try and push things in these early days. Just go at her pace and take your cues from her.

Obviously you won't be leaving her alone much right now but even the most devoted and committed dog owners need to go out sometimes even if it is just to buy food or post a letter :-) so you might want to think about getting a crate for her or a puppy pen. If you decide to use a crate it is good to make it dark and cosy - like a den - as it will help her to feel safe.

Don't worry about the accidents, never let her see that they trouble you. Just clean the area really thoroughly to remove any lingering scent that she she could pick up (you may be sure that the smell has gone but her nose is much more sensitive than yours) and never, ever scold her for it.

Try and limit the number of people coming to the house. It's a bit like when you have a new baby - everyone wants to visit - but as she is so nervous it really is kinder for them to wait until she has settled in. If you have visitors ask them to ignore her completely - no touch, no talking to her, not even eye contact - and to wait for her to make the first move. Dogs are very nosy and she will soon warm up and want to know what is going on and interact with everyone.

Your doing a great job in homing a rescue dog. Just relax and spend time letting her get accustomed to you and your household.

[kehittyminen]

Originally Posted by cigwyllt

It's very early days. When dogs are stressed they chew to help themselves relax - just as some people will chew their finger nails. Your little dog has had a big change from kennels to your home - she may never have had a home before and everything is new to her. You will need to be ever so patient with her and make yourself relax. If she can sense that you are stressed she will be worse.

It is up to you to puppy proof your possessions as much as you can. It might be best to restrict the area where she is allowed to be so that you can police her more easily. Try to keep her near you as much as possible. You say she is skittish - she needs to see you, to be able to watch you closely without feeling pressured so that she can "suss you out" and know what you want/need from her. Don't try and push things in these early days. Just go at her pace and take your cues from her.

Obviously you won't be leaving her alone much right now but even the most devoted and committed dog owners need to go out sometimes even if it is just to buy food or post a letter :-) so you might want to think about getting a crate for her or a puppy pen. If you decide to use a crate it is good to make it dark and cosy - like a den - as it will help her to feel safe.

Don't worry about the accidents, never let her see that they trouble you. Just clean the area really thoroughly to remove any lingering scent that she she could pick up (you may be sure that the smell has gone but her nose is much more sensitive than yours) and never, ever scold her for it.

Try and limit the number of people coming to the house. It's a bit like when you have a new baby - everyone wants to visit - but as she is so nervous it really is kinder for them to wait until she has settled in. If you have visitors ask them to ignore her completely - no touch, no talking to her, not even eye contact - and to wait for her to make the first move. Dogs are very nosy and she will soon warm up and want to know what is going on and interact with everyone.

Your doing a great job in homing a rescue dog. Just relax and spend time letting her get accustomed to you and your household.

Yeah I always try to have her near me to watch her. Also I don't know if its just her or some other dogs, but she is actually scared of the dark. I figured this out last night. I went downstairs late last night to get some water and she came with me and she didn't want to go up the stairs so my fiance turned of the lights. She stopped dead in her tracks and kind of whined (we were kind of already up the stairs) so I turned the light back on and she started going up the stairs and then my fiance turned off the other light and she froze yet again only halfway up the stairs so i turned the light back on for her and she continued walking.

I've never experienced this with any dog lol, is that normal?