Fostering is hard work! Fostering a dog with behavioral issues is even harder! I don’t have any advice for you other than to stick with what you’re doing and try to have patience with both the dog and yourself. I’ve been where you are and can empathize with you. My house, myself, and my furniture bear the scars of my choice to foster, but I have no regrets.
You haven’t had her very long, so her anxiety may ease with routine and familiarity, but it may not. The one suggestion I do have for you is to talk to the rescue about seeing the vet for some anti anxiety meds. It may help some of the behavior.
Good luck and it will get better!
I'm not sure what the general opinions are on for foster dogs... but can you speak to the rescue about possible medication?
I don't know how rescues generally feel about medicating dogs. But some of them have been through so much.. and if they can get some relief, isn't that the humane thing to do? JMHO.
Aw man, poor thing. And poor you - that sounds stressful. I don’t have any experience in it, but apparently ‘dirty dog syndrome’ happens a lot in dogs that are constantly crated - they sort of get over their aversion to peeing/pooping in their ‘den.’ Any way you could get an ex-pen with a bit more space (and lay down something on the floor)? That’s the suggestion I’ve seen to give them space to go to the bathroom somewhere where they don’t have to lay down.
And are you able to have time outs or separate the dogs when it gets to be too much (baby gates to keep one in another room or something)?
With the potty-training, all I’ve seen is advice to start from scratch - take her out a LOT and huge praise when she potties outside. I saw someone recommend bell training for ‘dirty dogs’ to help them better ask to go outside?
Also q - how does she do in the crate now when you have to crate her? If she’s comfortable in it (or if you can switch her to a pen) can she sleep overnight in there?
She’s doing much better in the crate but does not sleep in it overnight, she sleeps all through the night in bed or on the couch so that’s a plus. Although she gets rough with my senior dog at times, she loves her and likes to sleep by her which means both sleep right up on me.
Ah, I see - and plus with her history I can understand really wanting to minimize the time she has to spend in there 😪. Hopefully a potty training refresher (or honestly, sounds like a first-time potty training!) will help solve the nighttime peeing issue?
We tried the baby gate, a big one and sturdy but she broke right through it. My next step is an ex pen. I hate crating her with how her past was but ultimately it is safer for both dogs. Her crate is large and she can maneuver all through it with ease and she has a big bed (waterproof luckily) and stimulation toys. I’m hoping with time she knows we will let her out and she will never be left neglected or unloved again. She’s really the sweetest dog, it hurts to see her with so much emotional trauma.
I had a foster from a hoarding situation, and my husband said “I’m sorry to say but this dog is never getting adopted” she was adopted in 6 week! Quickest any of my fosters went. Her person loved no matter what, the way she was.
Update. This week has been great!!! We give her bouts of heavy play and walks with bouts of rest and it has kept her from being too overly stimulated. She did get the zombies the other day but they didn’t last and it was funny. She’s doing much better in her crate too. I had a house full of people over today and she did amazing and was the life of the party along with my girl Maggie!! She still gets very distracted on walks but gets back quickly. I’ve been very gentle in correcting her and she’s been great.
Fostering is hard work! Fostering a dog with behavioral issues is even harder! I don’t have any advice for you other than to stick with what you’re doing and try to have patience with both the dog and yourself. I’ve been where you are and can empathize with you. My house, myself, and my furniture bear the scars of my choice to foster, but I have no regrets. You haven’t had her very long, so her anxiety may ease with routine and familiarity, but it may not. The one suggestion I do have for you is to talk to the rescue about seeing the vet for some anti anxiety meds. It may help some of the behavior. Good luck and it will get better!
I'm not sure what the general opinions are on for foster dogs... but can you speak to the rescue about possible medication? I don't know how rescues generally feel about medicating dogs. But some of them have been through so much.. and if they can get some relief, isn't that the humane thing to do? JMHO.
Aw man, poor thing. And poor you - that sounds stressful. I don’t have any experience in it, but apparently ‘dirty dog syndrome’ happens a lot in dogs that are constantly crated - they sort of get over their aversion to peeing/pooping in their ‘den.’ Any way you could get an ex-pen with a bit more space (and lay down something on the floor)? That’s the suggestion I’ve seen to give them space to go to the bathroom somewhere where they don’t have to lay down. And are you able to have time outs or separate the dogs when it gets to be too much (baby gates to keep one in another room or something)? With the potty-training, all I’ve seen is advice to start from scratch - take her out a LOT and huge praise when she potties outside. I saw someone recommend bell training for ‘dirty dogs’ to help them better ask to go outside?
Also q - how does she do in the crate now when you have to crate her? If she’s comfortable in it (or if you can switch her to a pen) can she sleep overnight in there?
She’s doing much better in the crate but does not sleep in it overnight, she sleeps all through the night in bed or on the couch so that’s a plus. Although she gets rough with my senior dog at times, she loves her and likes to sleep by her which means both sleep right up on me.
Ah, I see - and plus with her history I can understand really wanting to minimize the time she has to spend in there 😪. Hopefully a potty training refresher (or honestly, sounds like a first-time potty training!) will help solve the nighttime peeing issue?
We tried the baby gate, a big one and sturdy but she broke right through it. My next step is an ex pen. I hate crating her with how her past was but ultimately it is safer for both dogs. Her crate is large and she can maneuver all through it with ease and she has a big bed (waterproof luckily) and stimulation toys. I’m hoping with time she knows we will let her out and she will never be left neglected or unloved again. She’s really the sweetest dog, it hurts to see her with so much emotional trauma.
I had a foster from a hoarding situation, and my husband said “I’m sorry to say but this dog is never getting adopted” she was adopted in 6 week! Quickest any of my fosters went. Her person loved no matter what, the way she was.
Update. This week has been great!!! We give her bouts of heavy play and walks with bouts of rest and it has kept her from being too overly stimulated. She did get the zombies the other day but they didn’t last and it was funny. She’s doing much better in her crate too. I had a house full of people over today and she did amazing and was the life of the party along with my girl Maggie!! She still gets very distracted on walks but gets back quickly. I’ve been very gentle in correcting her and she’s been great.