# Question for people with rescued dogs



## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

When I have worked with rescued dogs and their forever families over a long course I have generally found that at first the people have called me because of one or two quirky behaviors that they want to manage. Usually those may have taken time to extinguish but we have nearly always gotten them to either disappear entirely or to develop effective management strategies. Then I often find that six to even as long as twelve months after the dog was adopted a whole new set of quirks appear almost out of the blue.

I have always felt that the emergence of these new odd behaviors marked a transition in the dog's perception of his or her place in their new home. That once they realize this place and these people are really theirs and that they aren't in danger of being shuttled off to another new and strange place that they reach a point where it feels safe to them to emit behaviors that they have suppressed to avoid being reprimanded or seeming to be problematic dogs. In other words that they end the honeymoon where they always tried their hardest to be the best they could. The clients have always taken that concept in stride and of course now have seen the dog's behavior be effected in positive ways through training and are deeply attached to the dog. Therefore they have always been willing to persevere through this next transitional phase.

So my question for those of you with dogs who came to you as adults from uncertain beginnings have you had similar experiences? How have you dealt with them? Thanks in advance.


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

I've seen it with some rescue dogs and not with others. I hear of the "honeymoon period" as a common thing, but most rescue dogs I've lived with had an explosion of bad behavior either immediately or after the first month, then gradually calmed down from there. I haven't seen as much of the resurgence effect where a bunch of new behaviors show up after 6 months to a year. 

I actually suspect that it comes from trainer complacency as much as the dog settling in - people tend to put in a lot of effort up-front and then get comfortable. The main example I can think of of bizarre behaviors popping up in a rescue dog was mostly the dog encountering things I'd never seen her around, but which I thought she'd be fine with. Turns out it was just a problem that had always been there, but had never come up. Most other changes I've seen have been pretty gradual.

I don't approach training a rescue dog much differently from training a puppy, to be honest. In both cases you kind of have to roll with the dog that you have, and not assume that they know things they haven't demonstrated yet. So you can approach a sudden change more or less the way you would with a bad teenage phase - take your training back a few steps and keep the faith. It might be settling in instead of hormones, but it's still surmountable.

With my current dogs, it's a little hard to say what changes have been age-related and what's rescue-related since they were both younger than 1 when I got them. Archie was ten months old, and now over a year later, the only thing I've noticed is that he settles better and naps more. But again, he's over 2 now. 

Cleo was around 5 months old when we adopted her in March, and she's been slowly changing and surprising me over the last few months. In the last few weeks, for example, she's suddenly become really affectionate and cuddly. She never used to be interested in cuddling at all, but now she sits on my lap and curls up against me to sleep. She seems to have had a tougher background than Archie, though, and has less of a bounce-back temperament in general, so it makes sense that she'd come out of her shell slowly. 

The last adult rescues I worked with in depth were a lab mix and a cattle dog that my parents adopted a few years back (and which I trained for them as I was living at home at the time while they traveled). They were aged 4 and 6, if memory serves. The lab came in pretty much fully-baked and never needed a lot of work besides learning not to mark indoors, which never came back once it was trained out of him. The cattle dog had to be basically rehabbed as she was destructive, anxious, and had no house manners. I can't imagine that she acted that way before she was adopted or I don't think my parents would have taken her. But the year I spent with her was very training-intensive. Loads of counter-conditioning and general routine-setting. I don't remember anything new suddenly popping up with her, but she was such a work in progress for so long that I might not have noticed.

Anyway, those are my (rambly) thoughts.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

I can't comment on rescued dogs but I can on children and I see very little difference under age 4. Children will have a honeymoon period until they are acclimatized to their new home, then they just become normal boundary bumping kids that can be anxious about separation and like to be part of something. Older kids begin bewildered and hesitantly careful, then start showing erratic learned behavioral traits that worked for them in the past.
Eric


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I have never noticed a change in behavior at 6-12 months after adoption. In my experience, most adopted dogs show their true colors about 3 weeks in their new home. It also takes that long for a bond to form.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Merlin is not a rescue per say but he has so many issues sometimes he's worse than a rescue.

I agree with some behaviors being fixed within the first 6-7 months. Then, also, yes, some new behaviors appear, and they are a lot harder to fix.

Merlin's fesr of the tv appeared about 7 months after we got him. He still is very much afraid of it, and also of the vents on the ceiling. He's generally afraid of just about everything and everyone. He has a pretty severe case Of anxiety I would say. Far from the average dog.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

Mine were not really rescues but from some bad breeders I am speaking of Tara, Bell, Jasmine. they were adults and so scared for a long time, and they were not potty trained, so I had to control them, but not scare them, it took some time. But there is still a difference in a dog that had a good life and one that did not. The house guest may not even notice. It is mainly the fear factor. I think once the attached to me fully, I cannot be out of their site, which ones who lived differently will stay in another room at least for awhile after I leave. I also feel they look for protection from you more than a dog from a different life style


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Thank you all. I was especially thinking of you lisasgirl and zooeysmom when I asked the questions.

I am currently reading about studies done on dogs and other animals where confusing signals resulted in neurotic, anxious and learned helplessness kinds of activities. The work is pretty disturbing to read about, but very thought provoking and made me start thinking about the rescued dogs I have helped train for their forever home families.


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## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

I've only had one dog that I rescued off the streets starving and scared, and my experience with her was much the same as the others. After the first 3 -6 months with us there weren't really any new problems develop, although her insecurity lasted her whole life. Our Gracie had a rough start in life, and went through things we will never know, but she was very loved by us and a happy girl.


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## DeeH (Sep 10, 2016)

Interesting thread!

This probably isn't helpful for you, but this makes me think of what I went through with Mia. 

I was looking for a dog and interested in one I had seen online at a local rescue. I went to visit and wasn't convinced about the original dog, but then I saw Mia. She was outside in a large pen with a bunch of rowdy, jumping Jack Russels. She was so pathetic looking, just cowering towards the back. I was saying hello to the silly Jacks, and she came up, wriggled through the chaos, and licked my finger before scurrying back to where she had been. I felt as if she chose me and eventually took her home after a few more visits. My friends thought I was nuts - this pathetic looking dog... a shaved, heavily tear stained, shaking, terrified liitle mess with horrendous breath was my choice? She was acquired from a raid on a puppy mill and was about 2 1/2 yrs old.

So a lot of work with her for, as you say, the first 6 months or so. Starting with getting over her fear of me, just sitting on the floor with treats and patiently waiting her out. Potty training - went with pee pads at first because outside she would just freeze in place and shake all over. Had to teach her to like her crate, her bed, toys, grooming, outside, leashes, walking.....A lot of work but very rewarding. She initially was hand shy and would run if something was tossed toward her...so sad and can't imagine how she was treated.

She blessedly came a long way, and is a fiesty little thing now. 

The funny thing is she NEVER made a sound. I even had to have my vet reassure me that all was okay physically as I had heard of dogs in mills having the vocal cords intentionally scarred by their breeders so they can't bark. It wasn't until most of above issues were resolved, and about 8 months or so in, that she suddenly began to bark! And what was a joyful emergence soon became another issue, as she barked A LOT. She also developed separation anxiety soon after (my landlord at the time let me know she was suddenly constantly barking and crying while I was gone. So more work to be done lol.

Now she is, while not perfect, the love of my life, and still blossoming. She decided somewhat recently that she likes cuddling with me on the couch, which always made her nervous previously, and figured out on her own that she can jump up on the couch and the bed to be with me (jumping is new too, and now I am getting her to use puppy stairs as the jumping worries me given her size). 

Didn't mean for this to be an essay, but it was fun to reminisce and share :relaxed:


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

Is is not a wonderful feeling when they lean to trust and adore you as there owner. My Sage was not mistreated, but came form a breeder, and very shy, not house broken. She was easy to house break she was 6 yrs old. And within 2 days was and is my shadow. She is starting to go to other house guest but very carefully.


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## Poodlemanic (Jun 27, 2016)

I rescued a little border collie from the spca (via the spca?); she was a sweet little thing, a favorite of the spca too, who just let her roam around the facility loose to socialize with the staff. She was 8 months when I got her, and she still needed to be housetrained at that age. She never was that reliable with housetraining, but oh my goodness she turned out to be a great dog. Protective of our kids, so obedient. I must say it may have been her breed, but although she was incredibly good and loyal, she was never that affectionate. Or maybe demonstrative is the word. Also i can't say she had a behavioral relapse anywhere along the way; for her, it was a case of once she knew what you wanted of her, she just did it that way forevermore. Of course, once again, that may have been her breeding--can't beat those herding breeds for blind obedience.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Thank you for your stories everyone.


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

I've seen new behaviors come out at a year or more, but no major training issues. Although we did have a collie mix years ago from the shelter who was initially friendly with all dogs. As time went on though, she grew to be very possessive of the kids and went after any dog that came near them on our land. 

This was when we lived in the country and there was no leash law- so many of the locals just let their dogs run. Our dogs as well were not leased, but they stayed on our land. Different time, different place.

The vet said it was her herding dog tendencies- that she was herding the kids. So we just kept a good eye out and the kids were old enough to understand they should get us if dogs came on the property, that they should not get between Maggie and the other dog. Then after a few years, the behavior just went away. Maybe it was because the kids got older and were not running around outside anymore?


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## lisasgirl (May 27, 2010)

lily cd re said:


> I am currently reading about studies done on dogs and other animals where confusing signals resulted in neurotic, anxious and learned helplessness kinds of activities. The work is pretty disturbing to read about, but very thought provoking and made me start thinking about the rescued dogs I have helped train for their forever home families.


I see some of that in Cleo. When she's frightened and unsure, she becomes really quiet and clings to me. People who meet her in that state often tell me, "She's so sweet!" and "What a mellow dog!" In reality, once she's comfortable, her real personality comes out and she's all kinds of feisty. Growling when she wants something, bouncing around with her toys, mouthing us, jumping up, harassing Archie, chasing the cat - all of that only comes out when she's at home or in another familiar, comfortable environment. So people who meet her when she's freaked out and unsure tend to misread and think she's just really well-behaved. It's probably some of that "learned helplessness" you're talking about, where at some point she learned that the best way to get through a chaotic or scary situation is to just stand still and wait for it to pass.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

One often sees learned helplessness in performance obedience dogs who are confused about what they are supposed to do, like a utility level dog who just goes to the article pile and stand over it looking stressed. That certainly sounds like Cleo's strategy in those situations that overwhelm her.


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