Anxiety over new adopted dog

[armygirl29]

I have never had a dog before but my dh grew up with them. My dh and I have been trying for a baby for almost 2 years and decided to adopt a dog. This wasn't an overnight decision but when we found her, it seemed like it became that way.

The dog we adoped (from an owner, not a place) is a 5 year old Shitzu - chawa (sorry can't spell). She is crate and command trained. So she basically lives in crate. I work from home and when I am home, I keep her in the main floor, while I work upstairs and have a gate up. She sleeps in a crate at night. Anyways, I am having a lot of anxiety. She whines a lot through out the day and when we put her to bed and seems like she never gets enough attention. My dh loves her but I am finding it really hard to adjust. I am basically crying as I write this.  

What should I do? It has only been 4 days and the mornings I seem fine but at night I am a wreck. My dh says it will get easier but so far hasn't. Should I give her a full month? 

Please help!

[armygirl29]

anyone? 

[travelmumma]

Oh i can relate.

My DH and I adopted our dog (Rupert) over a year ago... He took about a month to get settled in.

I may have misunderstood your post, but it sounds like s/he spends a lot of time in the crate??

At first we didn't spend a lot of time with our dog to be honest... But the more we learnt about his personality (extremely affectionate) the more we all adjusted.

We learned that he likes to sit at our feet quietly if we are on the computer, likes to be inside when we are, likes to follow us around in the yard. He also likes to sleep where he can hear us...

Do you think things like this would help him/her calm down? Just let her be around you :)

[travelmumma]

ps - remember they are pack animals :)

[armygirl29]

thanks, I appreciate it. I also just had a good talk with my dh. He is going to take responsibility of her at night and on the weekends, which will hopefully decrease my anxiety! I guess I was mainly feeling like I had the whole world on my shoulders, now that I know I don't it makes things easier. She is doing better each day! One day at a time!

[Shantimama]

I am going to move this thread into our Pets forum as you will likely find some more helpful ideas about how to help both you and your new dog make this adjustment.

[cristina47454]

Coming to this thread very late, but wanted to know how things are going? Are you feeling anxious because you feel like the dog is your sole responsibility since you are the one at home? Guess I'm just a little confused by your post. I know it feels like a dog is a lot of work, esp. if you are new to being a dog owner, but once you get used to each other she's just another member of the family and you'll find she's very good company :) Also not sure why she is basically living in the crate? Our dog was crate trained for awhile, bcs he wasn't quite housebroken and we didn't know if he'd be destructive...but that was mostly when we were away from the house and at night. Turns out even that didn't last long.  He'd cry so pathetically at night and we finally realized he just wanted to be with us. Yes, they are pack animals. A five-year old dog isn't likely to need as much attention as a puppy. You might be surprised to find that she's just lonely and wants to be in the same part of the house as you :) It's an adjustment for her too. Good luck!

[Mama Soltera]

I just wanted to emphasize too that the dog will be picking up on all your anxiety and uncertainty and it will lead to the dog feeling anxious and uncertain. It's a good thing to always have in mind that dogs want a calm, confident leader. It truly puts them at ease. Even if you aren't feeling that way, you can fake it till you make it. :) 

Too, it's really important to not treat the dog as you would a human baby (which a lot of people accidentally do when they're wanting a baby and adopt a dog). It can be really helpful to look into dog psychology so you can relate to the dog in a way she understands and that is beneifical to her and can help her assimilate to your home and lifestyle.

Too, how much exercise is the dog getting? They need to be walked a least a couple of miles every day to drain their energy. A tired dog is a good dog. It really is true.

Good luck and congratulations on your new dog!

*Just wanted to add: Have you tried to tethering her (by her leash) to your desk or wherever you're working or even to yourself?