1st Time Dog Owner - Nervous

Good morning all,

1st time dog owner...adopted a 12 month old Romanian rescue mongrel...very loving nature, affectionate etc. and other than the odd bark is so well behaved it almost makes you uneasy.

Hoping to make some doggy owner friends on here that we can both help and be helped by as my wife and I try to juggle our lives with the happiness of our new companion.

Half the problem is that although we've read a lot of books on dogs, we've no idea what we're doing and we're always worried that he can't just tell us we're doing something wrong.

For example, Shelby, our dog, is currently sat at the front door whilst I'm in the kitchen and I can't tell if he's really content and sleeping on a comfy mat or if he's feeling sorry for himself and pining?

Look forward to hearing from people on here soon!

Best wishes,
TS

He's sleeping, meaning he's feeling OK about everything. If he was sat bolt upright in a corner then he would be feeling scared and uneasy.

Hi tawneywolf...

...thank you for your quick response!!!

Put my mind at rest straight away....

...it's been embarrassing sometimes over the weekend not knowing what you're doing!

TS

First of all don't rush anything, a dog in a new home may take time to settle down,After all you don't know how Shelby was treated before.
Get into a routine, same feed times-same walk times same play times, infact anything your dog can get to know is going to happen and when. Give something the dog can treat as own, be it soft toy/ball etc and also
somewhere the dog can rest, a bed '/blanket again so the dog knows it won't be disturbed.

Looking at the picture I see your dog is sleeping by the door as there is a mat there. think about getting a doggy bed and blanket may help

Couple of other things
What about insurance? if you dog ran into the road and caused an accident you may well be liable as just one example or even jumps up to greet and tears clothing on a visitor????

Has your vet had a chance to see and check over your dog?
Don't forget annual vaccinations

Thank you tumbleweed...

...Shelby hasn't been interested in any of the toys we bought him until my mother-in-law brought round a little soft toy in the shape of a dog...he instantly took it to his dog bed that's in the utility room and is inseparable from it!

Good news is that we can easily take it from his mouth if he isn't letting go during play.

He's also commandeered the utility room as his little den, has a clear favorite "curl up spot" at the bottom of the stairs and it would appear another favorite spot on the mat in front of the door.

Big question now is: When can we start leaving him alone to pop to the shops or visit friends that have a "no dogs policy" for dinner?

We left him for 30 minutes whilst we went into the lounge yesterday and not a single bark...quite happily in his bed in the utility room right up until we went to get him....just don't want to push our luck - Any experience on this?

TS

Quote "We left him for 30 minutes whilst we went into the lounge yesterday and not a single bark...quite happily in his bed in the utility room right up until we went to get him....just don't want to push our luck - Any experience on this?"

nothing unusual, most dogs will greet on return from shops etc as if you have been away for months. You should see our Border terrier she goes nuts as did all our Afghan Hounds over we had for over 40 years let alone our Dobermann.
AT night our dog sleeps in the kitchen on her own bed and more often than not prefers to sleep there during the day as well

Teazles own kitchen space


Apart from 4 settees -dog bed in lounge- hall steps- landing upstairs

Try popping to the shops for half an hour. He may never have had a toy in his entire life and not know about them. He'll have had a dreadful time where he's come from
Is there a training class you can go to, introducing him and socialising him with other dogs will help you learn how to interact with him and the trainer will be able to give you input as well and help you over any issues that may arise.

This is lovely....look how happy she is!

Really appreciate all your support...sometimes it feels very difficult....but then they melt your heart when they play or just sit with you.

Let him make the running, don't overwhelm him, he has come from an environment where there was no physical or emotional contact given, unless it was not good to put it mildly. He'll gain confidence (and so will you) as time goes on

Shelby looks content! It will take a while of getting to know each other. It is great that your mother-in-law brought a toy that he loves. He will soon understand this is his home and you are his people.
Congratulations on the new member of the family!