I think I've managed to get a photo on as my Avitar (took ages!) and this is the before the de-gunge and groom pic! I have got 'after' pics too but can't see how to post them lol!

[Mic was really nice and worked wonders with our nervous Lab. I remember the first time I called him when I stumbled on his Yellow Pages advert (pre-dog borstal) and he chatted to me for over 45mins! When we went along to his classes he always gave loads of praise even though he doesn't take any nonsense. He didn't wear the get up he wears on the programme and nor did his assistant Pat (also on Dog Borstal). He was really lovely and it's clear he loves dogs to bits!]

Ok - I'll check out local dog classes though and see what's about - I know they can be fun too!

Do you know, I feel so much better just 'talking' to you, Lizzy and Alanna about all this - I was starting to get worried and now I'm thinking, crikey, it really is only 3-weeks, they are doing really well and not to get so worried about things! Thanks loads Hali.......I'll keep you all updated (if that's ok??)
Andrea
x

Yes, give them time to adjust but keep the rules and regulations in place. Some rescues take little time, some take an age an a half. On the recall may i sugegst using a long line when they are out for walks then you can bring them in if they don't come to your call.Also very useful in the garden as recall can take time. For bad behaviour I am a great believer in a firm "NO" and make sure that they know you mean it. Good luck with them and as i am sure you know, rescues can be very hard work but if you really put in the effort then the rewards are so very great all round. Good luck!

Seriously, dump all the heirachy status stuff!

You arent a dog, you cant be a head dog!

Eating before your dog, not letting him on the sofa, and definitely preventing him sniffing has nothing whatsoever to do with with why he bites you.

Of course, if he ever bit because you got on the sofa with him, that is resource guarding, so you would manage sofa rights in that case.

He will be biting you on th face for an emotional reason, so you need to work out the trigger and change your approach accordingly.
Quite possibly he isn't happy with being cuddled too much or too much of the up close and personal stuff.

Its completely true that rescue dogs have a honeymoon period.
He could have arrived with all sorts of emotional baggage from the rescue and previous home.
Do you have a history?

Preventing him sniffing is like me telling you you cant open your eyes!
Sniffing is the first and main sense of canines. It gives them information about their environment, helps them relax (which is exactly what you want to encourage with troubled rescue dogs), and encourages calming signals between dogs.

Hi OldShep and thanks for your advice - good idea the longer leads......I'll try those, Thanks! Fingers crossed all goes well over the coming weeks.......

Hi Krusewalker and thanks for your advice too - I have had dogs in the past and the small gestures telling him/her I'm in charge have always worked. In terms of the sniffing it's not that I don't let them, our walks always start off with a 5 minute brisk walk to the field on the leads then they have 10 minutes 'sniffing' off the lead then we go for another walk on the lead and so on. This also means we can cover a larger area as if it was entirely up to them, we'd still be on my drive after half an hour cos there's so much to sniff at!

You could be right about Barney simply not wanting too much cuddles and close contact and I'll keep that in mind although he always want to sit on our laps and be stroked but it may be that he just wants to lie next to us rather than up close and personal ! We'll see how it goes.....

We don't have much history I'm afraid, we got them from a rescue lady in London who took them on from an older lady who also got them from a re-homing centre previously. That's about it. Not much to go on...

We'll keep working at it and keep everyone updated but thanks again though and all advice is gratefully received!

do you mean that someone has passed on a rescue centre dog?
usually, that is against contracts and polices of rescue centre.
ie, the dog normally has to go back to the centre to be rehomed or the centre vets the new people the dog is passed onto.
what centre was it?
it might be worth finding out and contacting them.
the centre could have lots of background behaviour info you arent aware of, and the good centres have behavioursts whom can help you.
also, if its a good home, then centre undoubtedly would be happy with this, but you would need to sort out the paperwork so you are all legal.

I must admit, I don't buy into all this hierarchy stuff that's bandied about, either. I do think dogs do well on boundaries, and the advantage of setting them early and sticking to them is that you establish them consistently.

Consider that dogs will repeat behaviour they find rewarding, and give up on behaviour that doesn't. The big challenge of taking on an older dog is that it has probably spent years being rewarded for behaviours you consider inappropriate. If your dogs have spent 6 years jumping up on sofas and being rewarded with a warm and comfy seat, it's going to take a while for them to absorb that it won't happen in your house. We're working on the same thing with Roland at the moment: he was 9 months when we got him about 6 weeks ago. We are making progress, but it's going to take time. He's also discovering that staring at us while we eat doesn't get him any food, but getting into his bed while we eat will get him his favourite chew toy.

It's hard to not be cross when your dog has just trashed your best stuff, but you also have to keep in mind that dogs don't have morals. They don't see a difference between their toys and your "toys". Hopefully they will relax and learn to enjoy their own toys more, but in the meantime, prevent their access to your ornaments when you can't be there to watch them. Bongo (3.5 years, and pretty sensible now) still can't be trusted around teatowels, so they're always kept out of her reach

I agree with most of the others

3 weeks is a really short time - I wouldnt be having them off the lead outside your garden yet, give them time to bond with you and for you to understand them.

I also dont hold with the pack leader stuff, it puts too much pressure on you
Decide what you do and dont want with the dogs, reward what they do that fits into what you want and train different behaviours for the stuff you dont want - and make it rewarding and fun to do the things that you want them to do

My friends dog gets lots of tugs in his hair under his armpits (they dont brush him just shave him when it gets too bad) and he is a friendly thing and loves getting his tummy rubbed but if you go where the tugs are he will snap and then move away
Possibly rememberd pain from being in such a horrible condition

I would not 'force' cuddles on them but let them come to you, give them a little fuss then send them away while they are still enjoying it

but you might still need a behaviourist if he continues to snap without warning for no reason - dont let this become a habbit

Thanks for your recent replies and advice. Just to put posters’ mind at rest, the rescue lady we got them from said the original 'rescue' wouldn't take them back. Our guess is, the original rescue was another sole person simply doing it unofficially out of the kindness of their heart and maybe had too many in her care, didn't do rescue any more or whatever. Not all rescue's have a policy stating the dogs must be returned to them but as we don't know the original rescue, who knows.

All that's important to me is the dogs are loved, warm, safe and happy. We ensure they have that. I don't force anything on them, we don't rule the dogs with an iron fist, and we don't intimidate or bully our dogs.

They are loved beyond belief, have two, sometimes three, long walks over the fields every day whatever the weather, are fed on Hills Science food and have lots of toys and a huge warm, cosy dog’s bed. They also have been, and will go, every 10 weeks to a professional groomer as well as begin dog training classes next month.

I think I would like to end this thread now - I'm finding it a little confrontational and I'll manage but I would like to say thank you to Hali, Lizzy, Old Shep, Alanna and Duboing for your support and kind encouragement - I really appreciated it. Thank you.

Thats fair enough

you got me thinking as you used the phrase 'rescue centre'