AdventureSheepies t1_j0h4xj1 wrote on December 16, 2022 at 4:34 PM

OMG that poor baby. WTF is wrong with people? So glad he's safe now.

Both of my dogs are rescues. Phae was almost 5 when we adopted her a couple years ago, and she came from a home that kept her outside chained to a couch. We adopted Auri in June and was told she was injured in a car accident, and chewed her own tail off when she didn't get vet care. Both are 7 now and loving life.

The Humane Society in VT and other people/organizations do such an amazing job.

rivunel t1_j0h7ap3 wrote on December 16, 2022 at 4:50 PM

As a note to anyone who doesn't know this.

Local humane societies are amazing places and can always use your help and resources they will always do their best to properly use funds to save animals.

THE NATIONAL humane society of the United States is a trash organization that does everything they can to fight to make it illegal to have pets of any kind.

Never donate to HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES. Always donate to local shelters

AdventureSheepies t1_j0hddi6 wrote on December 16, 2022 at 5:29 PM

>Local humane societies are amazing places and can always use your help and resources they will always do their best to properly use funds to save animals.

Yes, this. Phae came from the Humane Society in Windham county, Auri from the Monadnock Humane society over in NH. My kid's cat was adopted from the HS in Springfield, VT. They do really great work, and their websites always have a wish list of items they need if you don't want to donate money.

https://www.windhamcountyhumane.org/inkind-gifts

https://www.spfldhumane.org/wish-list

https://monadnockhumanesociety.org/wish-list/

Jebodiah77 t1_j0hhw02 wrote on December 16, 2022 at 5:58 PM

Do you have any behavioral issues with your dog who was tied to a couch? I rescued my dog with a similar story and he has a few issues but nothing that we can’t work on.

AdventureSheepies t1_j0hnbf5 wrote on December 16, 2022 at 6:33 PM

We did have some issues right when we adopted her:

She used to think all furniture was fair game, and would jump up on anything she could reach if she felt like it, including tables. She doesn't really do it in a way that is inappropriate anymore though. We allow the dogs on the beds and couches, and she thinks she's a lap dog.
She didn't know ANY commands, not even sit. We did a few classes with Bill at Ultimate Companions, and once she figured it out, training her was really easy. She is really smart.
She didn't know what to do with toys at all. She just wouldn't interact with them. She eventually figured out that the toys are for her and that they are really fun. She tosses her own toys up in the air and catches them, and loves to fetch.
She had some minor food aggression when we first brought her home. Not towards people, but towards other animals if they got close to her food. I think just getting used to not being hungry helped her work that out herself, because it's not an issue anymore. She does resource guard a little in general, and that includes toys and people. She isn't aggressive, but she's vocal. We are working on it.
She is absolutely terrified of thunderstorms, and we haven't really seen any improvement there at all. She also really hates the noise big trucks make when they pass us on the road. She will aggressively bark at the windows at home and in the car. We have anti-anxiety medication for her when she needs it.

Personality-wise, she is the biggest sweetheart I have ever met. She loves belly rubs and cuddling, and she is really good at providing support to her people. Like she instinctively does DPT with my kid that suffers from severe depression and anxiety. She is good with other dogs, but more interested in people.

DilliciousPickles OP t1_j0i7f7o wrote on December 16, 2022 at 8:49 PM

Window film over windows does wonders for reactivity somtimes, not sure if it'll help you.

Some resource guarding is learned, but generally it's a biological function that can only be managed. (It sucks, I feel bad for pups dealing with it, I have one - we've done loads of training though and my pup has a great life. The most important aspect is management.)

Not sure if this will help in the car, but for my reactivity training I did a lot of treat tosses as soon as the trigger came into view. (And treats go away when the trigger does.)

This way you're counter-conditioning that trigger equals treats, and over time it can really help. I have one pup who whines at me for treats as soon as they see a strange dog. Because they're a glutton they do it even for familiar dogs, like, "Hey! I saw this dog! I'm checking in! TREATS!" and it's pretty adorable so I do sometimes treat at that moment or use praise.

Thanks for rescuing. We need more people like you but I'm glad to know your home exists.