Something seemed not quite right

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Ruby is a lovely name. It sounds like she is quite adorable. I am so pleased to hear that she is at least 12 weeks old.

May I suggest that you not let her have cat toys, that are small (mice) with wheels on them in her crate. She could easily choke on something. Only give her toys that are made for puppies, or things that can't hurt, like a rolled up, frozen face cloth (flannel) for when she is teething.

Another suggestion, and I really hope you don't mind, is to perhaps not put paper in her crate as it might even encourage her to use it. Put a blanket, or towel, or a wee bed in there that can easily be washed. She'll be more comfortable and will then associate her crate as her safe place and her comfort place.

You had such a long post, that I think each of us feel compelled to answer sections of it rather than all of us try to address the entire post.

Congratulations again! I'm sure you are loving every single second of it.

[anunez51]

Hello, I am new around here and just ran across your post. Before my fiance' and I adopted our little Matilda from the Humane Society we had a few disappointments with rescue organizations. One pup that we really wanted and that I thought was going to be ours was adopted out to someone else after we were told that she had a skin problem and wouldn't be adopted out. It was rather confusing and upsetting. At first I was bummed but then I was glad that in the end TWO puppies found their forever home and it worked out for everyone. A friend of mine also works for a rescue, fosters, AND has a full time job! She gets overwhelmed so I can definitely see how hard it can be.

[mweinstock1]

Hi Everyone, i see i have 5 posts to respond to..WOW..thanks to all .i'll do my best.
First let me welcome Annuxez51, sorry i don't know your name, to the DP..thanks for answering my thread..it is quite difficult as i see you also understand..but i also do understand why just as you explained so well. but like you also said it certainly can be frustrating and upseting to those of us that don't know the ropes. congrats on your adoption of little Matilda.
Deb, i'm ahead of you here..i've already taken away all of the cat toys..caught Ruby shedding the hairs from the mouse..and pulling the plastic turn key that winds it up so it moves off..and that was as they say the end of the mouse adventure for her. that particular one got thrown out. and the others are out on the floor for the cats..and when Ruby is out of her crate for playtime..we are watching extremely closely..as she is one smart puppy..she will take them right back in her crate if we do not watch..she seems to think all toys go in with her in that crate...sort of like a playpen. lol.

i also am beginning to agree with you about the newspapers..at first i was thinking that if she had to go pee in the middle of the night they would be there for her..you know..just in case. but you know what she does..she rips them..only a very few times has she actually peed on them. she 99 percent of the time makes outside..she has never made in the house at all..other than on that newspaper those times i just said pee in the crate..nothing when she is playing in the living room..we make sure to take her out before and after play sessions.
you should see her in that crate..she moves that bed i have for her and sometimes upside down and peeks underneath it. she moves all her toys from one end to the other.enjoys each one in turn..and loves her bones. i do have a sheepskin blanket in with her also. as well as two animals that do not have the stuffing in them that they sell now. she loves those.

i've been taking her outside alot in the backyard for fresh air..after our walk...we go back there..and i play with her..and then i also bought for her one of those things u put in the ground that gives them 10 feet extra length besides their leash..i think i am going to get the 20 feet though..it may not be enough though..and i sit not far a way from her and watch her run around..but it gives her more freedom to run without me holding the leash...as it's staked into the ground...i never leave her at all. i bring several of her toys and a water dish for her too. she has the time of her life out there. she can't seem to run fast enough. i can't wait till after the winter and the ground thaws so we can put up the fencing so she can actually run free with us back there with her. and i want to try to play frisbee with her too as she gets a bit older too. she likes to grab the pinecones on her way from the driveway to the backyard and bring them with her till she drops them. she doesn't eat them or anything..she just carries them along with her to the backyard. and she loves to pick up big leaves too. seems anything she can find. but i'm forever on the watch as when she is doing that i am on the other side of her while she is on the leash , usually i just distract her to something else..and we start runing to someting else.
she is really only exploring what's around her..and that's so natural.i just make sure she doesn't get into something that could hurt her..and we really don;t have anything in the yard that could..but i watch to make sure she just carries these things and doesn't beginn eating any of them.

that idea of putting the cats food in the bathroom is not a bad thought. i have to see if i have some room in our master bagthroom. dog has not been in there yet. hmm. cats sleep in our room so it's not a big stretch. bathroom is right there. can keep the litter boxes where they are..Ruby hasn't messed with those yet ..thankfully. let me check and see if there is room in our bathroom. as we keep the other quest bathroom closed and their is not enough rom in their. not thrilled about putting thable? e food up higher..but will if i have too..no amount of No's is halting her trying to get some of the cat food, she still trys, and then high tails it back to her crate..cause she really knows it is wrong already...ha ha..but she cannot seem to help herself...too tempting. now she takes big gulps so she can get more before we catch her and say no. i really have to laugh...i don't then..but it is kind of funny...she is just like one of my children trying to get away with something they know they are not allowed to do when they know it is wrong..do it as fast as you can and try not to get caught at it in the process. but you know what..she is just too cute to be upset with ..i just have to fix the issue myself..and move that food. only solution .thanks Tracy and Margie on your suggestions with the cat food solutions. and if bathroom has no room it has to go up higher..as u say.

both cats are still keeping distance when Ruby is out on the floor but when Ruby is in the crate they are coming around to get looks at her real good and close. bandit has been up on back top of couch sleeping today..and i was thinking to myself..just u wait sweetheart..it won;t be too long till Ruby gets a bit bigger and learns how to jump right up there to visit you..ha ha. boy won't she get a surprise? i'm hoping by then they;ll long be friends..boy i'm sure hoping. so far what i see is my cats have actually paired up and are closer than ever.



can anyone give me any ideas other than to leave them be and let things take their time...relax...give them tiime to adjust..to help them feel more comfortable?

Lynners, i am keeping in touch with the woman..at my suggestion..just to let her know how Ruby is doing. she did not request it..i just thought maybe she would like to know since she had her and her sister for such a long time that she was doing well, etc and keep her posted from time to time. ..i really appreciate you explaining to me just why things are done as i had no idea.
Ruby takes her vitamins wonderfully and also her medication for her cocicidia from the syringe beautifully as well. no problem at all giving it to her each day. she loves her food.{yes, cats too-when she can get it} i am still giving her the exact food she was on before since i did not want to change her diet and she also was being given either yogurt or cottage cheese on top..just a small amount and i continue to do that as well and she seems to enjoy that. her stools are solid which i'm very happy about..so i'd say she is doing very well. she is quite active..outgoing, and loves to play, and she certainly loves her outside playtime and walks with us. and she sleeps the entire night long too.she is an absolutely a pleasure and i love her so much ,Dave is also having a blast with her and loves her too. he just came in with her from the back deck and let her explore out there with him. other than being down those stairs from the dining room door to go out for a walk with us ,, she had never actually been out on the back deck itself. he said she learned she can not fit thru the slats..lol., she was looking out onto the backyard thru them. he had her on her leash., now i think they are actually going out to the backyard for a bit to play and then take a walk together. i think he misses her while he is at work.

oh, i did have something important i wanted to bring up..the other day we were sweeping the floor in the living room, and kitchen and area around her crate..while she was inside it..and Ruby started crying and jumping all over the place in her crate..not happy like. real upset. -it was the first time i'd seen her like that and the first time we'd ever brought out the broom in front of her at any time. is it possible she had a prior experience somewhere where she'd been hurt with a broom?
it is not one that makes any noise. it is just a regular broom. we put it away and took her out and cuddled her and she was fine. but it concerned me..and i have not had a chance to mention it to the women yet to ask her if she knows of any instance of anything happening to her..how do i go about asking her and exactly what do i say..i don't even know what to say? since she was so young when she got her..could it have been at the humane society or in her home that something occured? or just a puppy thing? and if just a puppy thing how do we get her used to us sweeping without her getting so upset?

well i've got to go, Ruby and Dave are back, have a nice evening, God Bless, hugs, Mindy

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Mindy, it sounds like everything is going very well. She is doing extremely well with the house training. I'm glad you're enjoying her so much. I'm sure she is loving being "at home".

[mweinstock1]

Hi , we are taking Ruby with us this morning to the railroad festival in our town to do a bit of socializing....it is a once a year event..a big one..very hard to find parking so hard to come back home and keep up with schedule we have for Ruby..so bringing her along..and also her food and water dishes..and food and water..extra bottled water too..and when she gets tired of walking on her leash we can carry her..she loves to cuddle and she is a big licker..ha ha..i think it's high time she socialized..it's going to be a beautiful day out..not too hot..not cold..just right to get some fresh air..and i think she will like geting out with us too. we only plan to be there for maybe three hours. they have craft tables, food booths, a train exhibit, music. tonight at 9pm..we'll go back to another place in town..without ruby of course..there will be fireworks..that would scare her.
anyway, during the time we are there today..earlier in the day..at her lunchtime..actually i think we will be giving her her lunch even before we go..it is close to that time soon..we were going to go back to the car and get her bowl and food and feed her then...but..maybe she will just have a snack of a little..maybe the walking will make her hungry..lol. definitely lots of water.
i wanted to measure her from neck to tail so i can get her a sweater..as cooler weather is right around the bend..and also when we take her out in the evening i'm thinking maybe she is cold even now..that's the mommy in me..lol...it is so hard to get her to stay still i'm finding it hard to measure accurately..have to get dave's help on it..he wasn't home when i was trying to do it..lol...her little body was bending this way and that trying to eat the measuring tape..so cute. she wants everything in her mouth..

does anyone know if they make those teething things without the gel..as u know the babies ones that u put in the freezer all have that gel in them..and ruby would chew it and then the gel would come out. maybe petsmart would have it..i have to check there. walmart did not..and she certainly is teething..her molars are coming in..she loves her bones and toys but as u said Deb..a frozen teether is sounding good..but without that gel if at all possible i would think. or would it not freeze if it did not have it inside? hmm that's something i did not think of before.

i emailed the woman just a few minutes ago to update her as i said i would and i also did ask about the broom situation i mentioned in my last post ...whether it's a normal puppy thing or if something had happened to her possibly prior that had scared her.i did mention how we had handled it and then Ruby was fine afterward. so i hope she can shed some light on Ruby's reaction for me.

Ruby is definitely at home with us.and has really become a member of our family already...she has added so much joy..i just cannot even begin to say just how much. she means the world to me.Dave and I love her very much.
she wakes each morning with a big yawn..and that's our clue that she is ready for the day and to be taken out. and we have a system already..one of us takes her while the other fixes her breakfast and water bowl..and cleans up her crate. then when they come back in from her walk it is all ready for her. and so the day begins. she eats and about 10 minutes after that out again. sometimes sooner..i give her a minute or two to see just her reaction..if she begins to play in her crate then i know to wait..that she is not ready to go out just yet...if she doesn't and is at the front she is ready and out she goes with one of us. if dave has gone to work she and i play outside a bit after her walk. we always do that again in the afternoon ...as the nice fresh air and sun out is wonderful..she loves it.
personally i cannot wait to see her runnning in the snow..rolling in it and trying to taste it. those will be some awesome pictures.

well i've got to run and get ready, take ruby out..make her lunch...pack things for the afternoon.
have a great day, God Bless, hugs, Mindy

[Deerie me]

Mindy, you can get fabric teething toys which you wet and put in the freezer or as Deb suggested wet a facecloth, scrunch it up and freeze it.

[Phyrie]

We ended up putting Spyder's dishes on the dryer. She can easily jump that high, but naughty puppies who think cat food is DELISH! can't! LOL!

[princelover]

Better a wet, twisted face cloth frozen than the baby filled teething rings as sharp baby teeth can puncture it quite easily. I never really liked those with human infants as you don't know what liquid they may contain. Also, you can buy hard rubber chew rings in the baby section, but the frozen rag is much cheaper and convenient. It helps to have a variety of chew items on hand.

[mweinstock1]

Thanks so much for all your wonderful suggestions..i think a washcloth is a great idea..and i've got a ton of them.so definitely the easy solution and cheapest and safest..which is most important.

Ruby did a wonderful job at the railroad festival when we took her with us saturday. we had wanted to take her with us as we thought it would be good for her to socialize a bit..and so we took her..carried her most of the day..it was alot of walking..way too much for her..as it was we all including ruby were exhausted that evening. and we carried her 90 percent of the time too..but she is a baby so she was tired..we brought lots of water..bottles and i brought a small measuring cup in my purse so she could drink out of that..and her food too in a baggie to put in the measuring cup so she could eat too. and of course doggie poop bags and paper towel. i was all prepared. boy did we have fun. everyone wanted to pet her and she loved it. she wanted to meet everyone. she also met this big boxer..he was huge..she stood looking up at him..so we picked her up so she could see him better and they kissed one another..it was so cute. then when we were sitting at benches to rest and have a drink..next to us was this couple with a puppy in a stroller..and she took him out and put him down on the ground..so i asked her how old her puppy was..he was also 12 weeks old..well ruby was on the ground..i had her leash on of course..and they met..ruby was so gentle..the other puppy was a bit scared..and ruby sensed that..so she was so careful..she put her little paw on the other puppy's foot..and then nuzzled him..ever so gently..they were just smelling each other..and ruby gave him a small lick..normally ruby is pretty exhuberant...jumping all over..but it was amazing how gentle and calm she was..she knew this puppy was scared acted so nicely. i picked her up then and praised her for her excellent behavior. she was just so sensitive to the other puppy's needs.it was unbelievable..or so it seemed to me.

there were several people there at the festival who actiually said to us if u ever want to get rid of that dog please let us know we will take her..and we said thanks but no thanks. we love this puppy. then they wanted to know where we got her so maybe they could check into geting one also. ruby was a very popular girl..and so well behaved.

so far when we have been taking ruby out of her crate for short playtimes in the living room we have been picking up the cats foods and putting them onthe extra freezer..it is a half freezer so if the cats wanted to really eat at that time they could jump up there. right now i've been spending alot of my time with ruby outside in the backyard as it's been so nice out lately..we are in and out all day long..between walks and playtime. she is a wonderful companion for me..i've needed to get outside but somehow i never seemed to do it...always found something else that needed to be done..u know how that is..but i need the fresh air and exercise....and she keeps me going oh boy..we have alot of fun together. today she helped me water my shrubs that had been replanted...and she had a great time of it too...i found out she lilkes the water...she drank lots of it too...and got herself wet in the process..and then was rolling all over in the grass and then came back for more with the nest shrub. i can't wait to see what she does when we turn on the sprinkler..if she goes under it after awhile or not.

now if u remember, i had emailed that woman about Ruby being afraid of the broom when we were sweeping..barking and crying and jumping all over her crate excitely..like she was beside herself. and today again i swept and she did the exact same thing. well i got the womans responsse today..and she said to me...thanks for your wonderful email..please do keep in touch..here is the pic i took of you with ruby. she completely ignored what i had asked of her..and said nothing else at all. what do u make of that..i specifically had asked for her response to that matter. did she just foget or is she evading the matter entirely? i don't know what to make of it. i had also asked her if i had handled it properly or if she had other suggestions on how to handle it for the future...so she could hardly miss it..it was not one line in the email. what do u all suggest i do now? do u guys have any suggestions on how to make Ruby be reassured and comfortable with us sweeping in the same room she is in. do you feel these reactions are normal or do u feel it is possible something specifically happened to her that caused her to be afraid of a broom at some time in her life .

now let's see if i can attach that pic myself. cross all your fingers.
have a great evening, God Blesss, hugs, Mindy

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Mindy, you and Ruby look blissfully happy together.

[Margie-Rex's Mom]

Hey Ruby! Nice to meet you!

What a sweet face! Enjoy, Mindy.

[lynners]

Hey there, glad to read such positive updates on little Ruby.

In regards to the broom...that is quite strange that the woman didn't answer your question. However if she's anywhere as busy as the people are who are involved with my rescue, I would completely understand how she may have missed it! Perhaps just send a polite reminder e-mail. Hopefully she simply missed it.

I do have a suggestion, though. While Ruby is obviously scared of the broom, DO NOT stop brooming and go and console her. This is rewarding her for her behavior. Essentially, you are encouraging her to act this way, and it only reinforces her that when she whines and puts up a fuss, it's what she's supposed to do.

Instead, pair the presence of the broom with something that she finds irresistible. Small cubes of cheese, turkey hot dogs, rollover, or something equally smelly and delicious. Bring out the broom, toss her a bit of yummy. I wrote out a whole post on desensitizing and counterconditioning to someone who was having a problem with their dog and the vaccuum...I'll see if I can remember to go and dig it up tomorrow!

[princelover]

First, that is a wonderful picture of you and Ruby. You look so happy.

I don't find it strange that Ruby has a fear of the broom as most of the dogs I have ever known are afraid of the broom, vacume, or mop. I think more than fear, it is something they don't understand the purpose for. Like Lynners, I try to associate it with something good or playful and they generally come around in a very short time of seeing it is a commonplace item and not to be feared.

Quite probably, the foster wasn't ignoring your question but merely wasn't anything she had ever paid any attention to and therefore didn't have an answer.

[lynners]

Quoted from the other thread I mentioned. The same principles can be applied to a broom rather than a vaccuum:

What training methods do you use (for example, if she's being "bad", what do you do)?

The ultimate goal of a desensitization and counterconditioning (DSCC) program is to change your dogs emotional response to a stimulus. Unfortunately, she has learned the pre-vaccuuming routine and her anxious/fearful tendancies start then. It's the same thing as a dog with seperation anxiety catching on to his person's leaving the house routine (brushing teeth, putting on a coat, jingling keys, etc).

One of the most important things during a DSCC program is being able to keep your dog below threshold. Meaning, you need to be able to keep your dog from getting stressed out. If that means no actual vaccuuming for a month, don't vaccuum! We advise people with severely leash reactive dogs to not walk their dogs for the duration of their DSCC program, which on average takes about 3 months (note that no walks doesn't mean no exercise...they just have to get creative). Many dogs go through it quicker...some take longer. It usually depends on owner compliance to the program.

I'll start with desensitization. Can you do the pre-vaccuuming routine at random points throughout the day, even if you have no intention of vaccuming? The idea being, she gets so used to these things happening that eventually those events will not elicit a response. Is the vaccuum typically tucked away in a closet or spare room? Bring it out and let it sit somewhere she can see it all the time. Same with brooms or whatever else is scary. You may want to work on one at a time. There is an element of flooding to this, but that's where the counterconditioning comes in.

When you're moving a chair/rug/whatever, flip her a treat (something REALLY yummy...rollover or cheese cubes, for example...only use this treat when you are doing your DSCC program!). Whenever she looks at the inactive vaccuum/broom/mop, flip her a treat. Eventually, she should feel safe enough to approach and sniff these objects. Reward her big time! Keep verbal praise low key, as you don't want to surprise her or over stimulate her. I think it's really important during this time, that you do not move these objects when she is around, however that could just be a hunch.

Once she's essentially ignoring the presence of the objects, and the pre-vaccuuming routine, go stand by the vaccuum/broom/mop. She looks at you, flip her a treat. I still think it would be best to NOT move the object. Eventually you can move to you handling the object. Again, she looks, flip her a treat.

She may not ever be totally comfortable around the vaccuum (because you're right, they are noisy! My own dog goes and hangs out on my bed while I vaccuum), but she should get to the point where she's not fearing for her life. Remember to do things slowly! Only move on to the next step of the program when she's comfortable with the previous step. Be prepared for this to take a long time, if she's ask scared as you've described.

Is she crate trained? If you can't go the duration of the program without vaccuuming/mopping/sweeping, maybe put her in her crate or a seperate room so she doesn't have to be directly exposed to the stimulus.

A book I think you will find tremondously helpful, is The Dog Who Loved Too Much by Nichols Dodman. It is a very easy read, and focuses almost solely on desensitization and counterconditioning...from an anecdotal perspective as opposed to a scientific behavioural perspective.

Sorry this is so lengthy, let me know if you have any questions!

[RubyJeansMom]

Mindy, I have followed this thread, but not posted much.
Everyone else has given you such great advice, I had nothing to add.

First of all, I think Ruby is a wonderful name...LOL!
It's so nice to see you and Ruby obviously so happy together, and it sounds like you're making great progress with her.
I can see from the photo, you are smitten with her...she is just adorable!