Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Personally I wouldn't wait a few weeks for the trainer to come in. You seem overwhelmed and I think having some guidance now may be better.
For your challenges with walking her you could try a gentle leader or easy walk harness. They will give you more control over her and help with her manners.
I return the dog Sorry but little dog wouldn't have a chance if the bigger dog got to rough & on top of that you don't have any control. Bad hips are just going to lead to you having huge vet bills... unless you can handle that just adds to the stress.
I agree. A pit bull by any other name...is still a pitbull. They can be great dogs, but they are big and strong and mouthy and very destructive. Even the sweet ones. You have to be prepared and ready to deal with this kind of dog. And the biggest problem with this type of dog, is that if they do "lose it," the destruction can be severe because of their size and strength. This dog loses it's cool with your Yorkie, and the Yorkie can easily be killed.
This just sounds like a really bad match. So, you gave it a go, and realized it was a mistake. Nothing wrong with that. Your heart was in the right place. But, I think it's okay for you to decide to take the dog back.
Thanks for the advice everybody. I am starting to gain more confidence with walking her which is good. We figured out a way to put her leash on her so she doesn't pull as much, and we are looking into a certain harnace.
I'm just so back & forth on this. Last night I was ready to bring her back, I really was. Thismorning, I got up as my husband was leaving, and she was being crazy again. He said just put her in the crate or out back if she's being too crazy while you're getting ready. Well, while I was in the bathroom, she literally just sat down or laid down with nellie in the hallway right by the door. Then, as I got dressed she just sat in the bedroom. She was an angel. I took them for a walk too. It seems like there is this on & off switch with her. I don't mind her being rambunctious, but when she zero's in on Nellie it's a big problem. I'm going to have a talk with my husband tonight about all of this.
You might have considered that a Boxer/AmStaff mix was very likely to be quite high-energy and muscular and exuberent before you adopted her. And you should have brought your Yorkie along to meet the other dog at the shelter before making the decision to adopt.
Now that you have brought this lively young mixed-breed into your home, you have a choice to make. You can tough it out, work seriously with the dog, find ways for her to regularly release her energy, train her not to jump up, deal with her possible medical issues, or quickly return her to the shelter before she gets used to your home. The worst is that you are nervous around her; most dogs can sense that and take advantage of it. You have to become the one in control, without resorting to physical force or screaming. She sounds like she is acting like a typical enthusiastic young dog around the Yorkie; but the size disparity could result in damage to Nellie if Fawn escalates her play level. I think you're right not to leave them alone together, at least not yet; Fawn might eventually tone it down with Nellie; but in the meantime, use babygates and crates to separate them when you cannot supervise them.
I don't understand why Fawn is possibly dysplastic when the shelter told you she had no health problems. If they were wrong about that, or lied about it, I would wonder what else they exaggerated or omitted or lied about in their estimation of Fawn.
You just might not be a person who is comfortable with a rambunctious, pushy young and very powerful dog. I would never own a Boxer or Staffordshire/Pit Bull type, not because I dislike or fear them, but because they are just too much dog for me. (I'm also quite a bit older than you)
I think you could succeed in molding Fawn into a good companion, but whether you want to invest the considerable time and effort, not to mention the money if she does turn out to be dysplastic, is a choice only you can make. All dogs, whether puppies from responsible breeders, or any rescue/shelter dog, take time and effort; but some take more than others.
Good luck.
This. When you get a dog, it's important that you consider what breed/combination of breeds will be best for you. One of the most important factors to consider is energy level. When I got into Danes, I liked them because they are pretty low energy. They spend most of their time lying on the couch sleeping and they wll be happy with a walk every day and an occasional run. I have had Danes 23 years and apparently the breed and I click
Also, puppies will be chewers, nippers, lickers, poopers, peers, and do all sorts of other annoying things, and you just have to train them to be well behaved friends. That's the way all puppies are. (And because Fawn is rather a large dog, I assume, they develop physically and mentally more slowly, so they are considered to be in the puppy phase longer, up to two years). Because Fawn is a puppy, she will have more energy than she will when she grows up. Any dog can be trained no matter what the age. I think if you give her a chance and give it a little time, you may find her to be a wonderful addition to your family. The dog park can be a great way to run off that puppy energy. Frisbees, Kong toys (which are virtually indestructable), puppy play groups, walks, and crate training will help a great deal. Just keep her mind and body stimulated, and you will have a happy puppy. Every dog needs training to be the best companion for your home, whether you take Fawn back or not.
Oh, and BTW OP, it is very difficult to determine if a dog is dysplastic until age two. If I remember correctly, OFA cannot x-ray hips reliably until that age, but I haven't checked in a while, so that may not be correct today. I do know hip dysplasia CANNOT be diagnosed without an x-ray. Also, there might be something else to consider. Idk how large Fawn is, but Great Danes are considered to be giant breeds. Because of this, they are recommended to be on adult dog food all their lives. The reason is they are prone to a joint disease called osteodystrophy, and puppy food increases the risk of them developing this disease. This disease is painful, but temporary, and can be treated with rest and steroid injections. If you want to keep Fawn, maybe ask your vet about this, because this condition can affect large dogs as well. Good luck with your decision.
Last edited by Scooby Snacks; 11-25-2014 at 09:26 AM..
Dogs' hips can be x-rayed for evidence of hip dysplasia before the age of two, if HD is suspected, but the diagnosis, by OFA or a board-certified veterinary radiologist, is not considered definitive before the dog is two years old. My current dog's sire's hips were graded "OFA-Preliminary" Excellent before he was two; and after his second birthday, he was graded OFA Excellent (my dog was graded Good at four years). My last dog was suspected of having hip dysplasia at around a year; I had her x-rayed by a particularly good board-certified radiologist who judged her to be Severely Dysplastic; and the same grade was given to her at age two by OFA. But I have heard of other cases where there was a difference in the preliminary grade and the definitive hip x-ray/grade after the age of two.
Another week has gone by and things are looking up. Nellie has really warmed up to Fawn and they play constantly. There was only 1 incident this weekend when Fawn got a little too rough with her, which is why they still are never left alone together (I think she accidentally stepped on her). She seems to be adjusting well and is not as 'rough' with me as before (i.e. less jumping, less grabbing my arm with her giant mouth).
I am starting to feel a bit nervous as her hip xrays will be taken on Thursday. I want to be optomistic but there are too many signs of problems (the way she runs, sits, etc). I suspect that she is in fact in pain but she doesn't really show it if she is. I hate to think of her being in pain.
I absolutely hated my first dog after I adopted him, he was 8 months old. I thought..what a horrible mistake. He was crazy, rambunctious..too rough with people and our other dog and cat. By the time he turned about 2 years old he calmed down so much I can't imagine ever giving him up. The change is like night and day. Don't give up! she will calm down quite a bit in the coming months.
I absolutely hated my first dog after I adopted him, he was 8 months old. I thought..what a horrible mistake. He was crazy, rambunctious..too rough with people and our other dog and cat. By the time he turned about 2 years old he calmed down so much I can't imagine ever giving him up. The change is like night and day. Don't give up! she will calm down quite a bit in the coming months.
My Taffy is the same. Couldn't imagine not having her in the family now, couldn't figure out why I adopted her for the first few months!
We adopted a dog last year who was a DREAM - An Australian Shepherd that fit in the with the family immediately and was awesome in every way. This past summer we adopted a second dog (an Australian Cattle Dog/Pit mix) and he was a HOT MESS from day one. Oh my goodness - the separation anxiety, the chewing on stuff, the crate destruction that led to digestive destruction. It was awful.
After a month I decided I needed to return him.
But I couldn't do it. When I got to the rescue group I began crying and turned around and brought him back home. Since then, things have dramatically improved. His separation anxiety is almost completely gone, we've taken steps to keep him from getting access to chewable things, and we no longer even THINK about crating him.
He can get a bit too playful for the other dog - but that's because of age. The first dog is 8-9 years old, and the new one is 2-3 years old. But the first dog is a cranky old man, and puts the younger dog in his place in a heartbeat. The younger dog definitely knows who the bosses in the house are (those would be me and the 16-year-old cat).
It takes time for a dog to adjust to the new expectations in a new home. It sounds like he's learning. It took our dog a good 2-3 months before he finally hit his stride and figured out what we considered to be appropriate behavior.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
