I have placed a 2 year old female with a wonderful family but she is having issues that we cant figure out, hoping some of you might be able to help.

She was born and raised here, she has been to shows and taken locally to nursing homes. Wonderful temperament, loves everyone and all animals. well behaved and well mannered and in excellent health, loves to play fetch, she is ball happy lab. I never thought she would have any issues with being rehomed.

She was spayed 3 weeks ago due to a borderline hip, last week after stitches she was placed with a family that came highly recommended from another family that has two of my dogs. She flew from Florida to Colorado via Continental Air, she arrived in good shape but a bit nervous as I expected she may be.

She seems to be doing OK in the house, staying close by the wife.
but having issues outside. They live in a very nice neighborhood, in a big house with a nice yard on a cul de sac road with a dog park few blocks away. They have one other dog a 3 year old male dachshund the two dogs get along fine.
I have been in contact with the family daily but worry about this girl. It is not the issue of her coming back I already told them I would pay to ship her back, they really want to make it work but dont know what to do?

*********FROM OWNER TODAY***********
I know it's only been just over a week, but as each day goes by it seems that Ruby is ever more fearful to go outside. She is wary of all people she encounters outside on our walks, she is extremely fearful of ALL dogs, large or small, whether they are at a distance or across the street. An example would be at the park, one of our friends had their 9 month old puppy who wanted to play with Ruby and she ran off and actually crossed the street and hid in a cul-de-sac... she wouldn't come when I called to her. She still has no interest in playing fetch either. She doesn't seem to want to be outside in our backyard even with Chip to even be curious and sniff around the backyard or to just enjoy the fresh air and enjoy the sounds of the birds and the daily activities.

thank you for any suggestions you might have.

In my opinion, surgery, flight, rehoming, and all this change is very stressful to her. I know that folks will say that labs should be able to "take it", but not every dog has the capacity to adjust so easily. I tell my owners of "rehomed" dogs to go slow. Give the dog a month to adjust to home life. Don't introduce so much change and new things. They need to bond and develop trust. I just think it's overwhelming for your girl.

Have worked with dogs who have developed post traumatic stress disorder after flying. It is difficult to treat. Please have them contact a behaviorist in their area who works with stress reactions in dogs.

Sounds like she was traumatized. But why are they taking her places off-leash? She's crossing streets by herself! These people need to give her better boundaries, including being on leash, and not forcing her to interact with strange dogs in her current condition.

Janet,
Sounds to me like she was traumatized--maybe left on a tarmac with a lot of loud motors and other barking dogs?

I saw this once with a Lab flown to Germany. It took him about 3 months to come out from under the coffee table and socialize. Would not look in anyone's eyes.

I agree that building her confidence is going to take awhile, but I am not sure about isolating her. I would have the owners make plans to try to walk her on lead with a neighbor's dog also on lead and see if she does not loosen up. Certainly should not be running the street without lead!!


I hope it works out. What a shame.

Betty

Sounds to me like the dog was a kennel dog and never properly socialized. Shame on whoever for not separating her from her kennel mates and seeing how she responded to a new enviornment BEFORE completly uprooting her and sending her off. Very sad.

No she was not a "kennel dog" she is very well behaved in the house, even in the new owners house.
and does well with their other dog in the house.

She also has been very socialized her entire life away from our home dog shows, art and craft shows, oh yeah visiting the local nursing home just to name a few.

yes she stays in the kennel yard during the day with the gang while we are away from the house. big inside kennel area that leads to the 3 acre outside yard. I prefer this to leaving them in crates all day.

you are more than welcome to come visit my home and dogs before you make assumptions.

Wow.. this poor girl has had too much too soon, starting w/ the flying, after leaving the only world she's ever known. Doesn't matter the age of a dog when it goes into another home, it is a must, IMO, to allow them to first feel secure in their new home/environment, getting used to that/new routine, etc. They need to get the total bond/trust going mutually. Then introduce something else new one thing at a time. She is way overwhelmed.

Just have them give her the quiet comfort of her new home and its surroundings until she settles in well...Then start w/ short walks. They also need to keep her on a leash until she's totally reliable and trusts them.

Tell them to lose the dog park..I think they(dog parks) are accidents waiting to happen.

Good luck

JMO - give it time pls. I tell new owners of older dogs that it can take anywhere from a month to six months to "settle in" - some take longer. I second the notion of NOT letting her off leash for a while. Until & unless they are 100% sure she'll come when called, keep a leash on her when they're outside the yard. As she's better in the house with her new people....perhaps they could go outside with her (and their other dog) so she'll gain more confidence that these new people won't "disappear" on her??? I've seen similar reactions from rehomed dogs that bond quickly to one family member and don't want to let them out of their sight. Go slow, don't expect too much, don't overwhelm her & establish a routine that she can get used to which will hopefully help her relax. I'm glad they're keeping in touch with you and consulting a behaviorist isn't a bad idea but don't try to do too much all at once or jump to conclusions. Again...JMO. Good luck!

Was she recently introduced to electronic collar by her new owners? A dog not used to one in the hands of a novice, after all she has been through in 3 weeks, might develop a fear of outside and an electronic fence or training collar. She is also no longer with Labs. My guess is that the Dachshund is dominant over her, just by being a Doxie, and the Doxie may be acting territorial, which may be confusing and frightening to her. Also, a 9 mo old big dog puppy may be too wild and unruly for her, for she is still recovering from the spay, although she is mostly healed on the outside.

I agree with some others: Owners need to slow it down and give this dog time and security. She is not a new toy to be paraded all over town. Certainly not to be off lead, electornic fence or not!

Good luck with her. It is good that you are keeping in touch. Do you have any mutual contact who can visit and see this for themselves, reporting back to you?

Another thought: wasn't the weather wild, with huge trees crashing down in parts of Colorado recently? Could that have spooked her?

She is also no longer in humid low altitude but in higher altitude, whether in plains or foothills or mountains there. I found it very hard to adjust in a week to just Boulder's altitude when I was in my early 20s.

Sadly, I had this happen to me too.

Placed a 2 year old male and flew him across the country to a seemingly perfect home.
I normally do not fly dogs to ANYONE, but I made an exception

This dog was my buddy. He went everywhere with me and was a perfect companion. It was hard to let him go but I thought he'd be better off with a family because he wasn't going to work out for showing.

Fast forward. Got one call from family when he arrived, said he was great. An email with pics, all is fine.
Didn't hear back for a few weeks so I email.
Nothing.

Months go by, no responses to phone calls or emails.

Finally he responded, almost a YEAR LATER. Told me the dog was aggressive and untrustworthy. Said his vet told hm to put the dog down!!!!! After I freak out on him, he then tells me he didn't but did give the dog away to a nice family with a farm. Yeah....right.

I told him he should have called me, I would have taken this dog back on the 1st flight in and refunded 100%!!
I told him he violated my contract and I wanted the name of the people who have the dog. Didn't get an answer.

Now he no longer responds and I don't know if my dog is dead or alive. It breaks my heart and there is not a darn thing I can do about it.

I am quite sure this loveable boy had some sort PTSS from the flight. He certainly was not the way the man described him when he left here.

I wish I could have closure and know what happened to him but sadly, I doubt I ever will.

no electric fence or collar is involved, not sure where that came from ....that is not the issue.

I also do not believe the doxie is dominate, she states they get along just fine even cleaning each others ears and sleep together.

I think the dog park with out of control dogs has disturbed her, to soon for this. She is a very trusting dog and has not figured out who will be protecting her yet.

I have passed on the suggestions of keeping her at home for a bit until she bonds with family more and to keep her on leash at all times when outside.

she has been to the vets up there and he feels it is not a health issue although I wondered about hormonal adjustments.

But thank you for the altitude idea, that is possibly messing with her as well.

Just a word of caution about a behaviorist...not all behaviorists are alike, just as all therapists are not alike for humans.
A behaviorist who uses any psychological or physical force on this dog will further traumatize her, and not help her at all.
My inclination would be to keep the dog in a peaceful, structured environment, establish a routine that is easy and pleasant for the dog, keep a leash on her when outside, accompany her outside and stay with her in the yard to help her develop confidence. Take her in the car for short rides to get ice cream or something quiet (NOT a trip to Petsmart!). Do something special and low key with her every single day. That will help her to trust her new family. Don't isolate her from the family or others, but I also agree about dog parks. Some dogs do fine there, but some dogs are unpredictable and she doesn't need to be stressed about anything right now.
If she comes back to you, Pet Airways flies from Denver. That might be a better option than cargo for her. I hope she gets better soon. She just needs to recover and "find herself" again. With time and lots of patience, she will be okay.
PTS, I am so very sorry about the experience you had with your boy. I am wondering if he was microchipped and if you were listed as a contact? could you possibly find him that way?

This is why I won't place a dog anywhere but locally where I can keep tabs on them. What a nightmare for you!

Most likely traumatized by flying. Just imagine being put in baggage with strange, loud, unfamilar, scary noises. It's scary enough for people to fly...turbulence, the racket the wheels make going up and down, sounds we aren't accustom to, etc. Then after a terrifying trip she is met by people she doesn't know, a new home, another dog, strange smells. This is a no brainer. We expect alot from our dogs.

I have received a few adult dogs via air over the years and they were just fine.

could be she is just missing home and Janet.
She will be fine give her time.

Have you read the list of issues she has? If she wasn't exhibiting these problems before she was flown from FL to CO, I would say something triggered the problems. Let's hope she will be OK, but just because you had two that adjusted doesn't mean these new owners will not have problems for months or maybe indefinitely. She may never get over the fear. I hope that is not the case.

It takes time to develop security and confidence in a new place. She needs to feel protected and be kept close to the family. I'd have the whole family well stocked with pocketfuls of treats, too. She also needs regular quiet time in a secure place, like a kennel or crate. The dog park put her in a spot where she felt on her own and unprotected. I would wait for her confidence to build before going that route again.

also, adult dogs often don't "get it" when puppies invade their space (as at the dog park).

I would try taking her outside several times a day, not just to walk, but also I would just find a spot at the curb or in the grass to sit quietly with her (and feed treats)so that she can get used to the surroundings without traveling anywhere. This might enable her to take in the sounds and sights and become comfortable rather than feeling that she must be on the lookout for something. I would keep these outdoor visits brief, returning home immediately after each time.

We got a dog at 19 months old and it took him a good six months to become a "normal" lab in our home. It just took time, him getting to know and trust us, and space for him to learn to get used to daily life at our place. He followed us all over and we made sure not to give him too much attention when he was overwhelmed by something as we did not want to reinforce the discomfort he was feeling. He eventually adjusted and is now a great member of the family. I would not give up on your girl. I think she needs time and all will work out in the end.

owner is taking suggestions and stayed home tonight, just sitting on the front porch and walking around the yard.
This is a good family and she is a good dog, I hope it works.
but if not she comes back home.

thanks to all the public and private emails, will update you how she does

.......I hope it works.
but if not she comes back home.......

I hope not the same way she got there.

That was my thought too.

OMG people - I highly doubt that would even be considered given the circumstances!

I don't think it was the flight as she was fine and happy at pick up and for two days after arriving.

Then it went downhill from there, we have seem to pin point stress when the leash goes on, which was to go to the dog park.

Although she has always had plenty of socialization publicly I would never have gone somewhere that the dogs run wild so she would not have been use to that. Different story at home since she grew up with those and knew where she was on the pecking order.

Owner is staying at home, with treats in the pocket and quiet walks
around their personal yard with her buddy Chip.

That's good to know and it's a starting point for where things may have gone off the rails a bit. It sure sounds like a wonderful family who wants to do what's best. Pls send updates when you can.

Just too much too soon. Personally, I would have waited 12 weeks for the hormones to settle in before placing her. That was major surgery she needed to get over.
Second- she probably had a traumatic flight. She needs quiet bonding time with her new owner if you are to salvage this. She doesn't need to be in a dog park or meeting the neighborhood- the new owners need to reel it in a bit, let her recuperate, then get her back out in a non threatening situation. She is telling them she is frightened- they need to listen. Find a good homeopath or at least get some St John's Wort in her for a month or two. The poor thing needs to rebuild the trust that was shattered.

This girl was sent on a long flight entirely too early after a recent spay and all the other things you mentioned.

I agree with your post except for dispensing St. John's wort without a vet's approval.

Any supplement, prescription or not should be vet approved first.

We have a couple of self proclaimed experts in homeopathic supplements of all types on here. I do not mean this poster but others that think they know it all. They give lots of medical advice and shouldn't be unless always advising vet approval of their advice.

From wiki,

Adverse effects and drug interactions

St John's wort is generally well tolerated, with an adverse effect profile similar to placebo. The most common adverse effects reported are gastrointestinal symptoms, dizziness, confusion, tiredness and sedation.

St John's wort may rarely cause photosensitivity. This can lead to visual sensitivity to light and to sunburns in situations that would not normally cause them.[16] Related to this, recent studies concluded that the extract reacts with light, both visible and ultraviolet, to produce free radicals, molecules that can damage the cells of the body. These can react with vital proteins in the eye which, if damaged, precipitate out causing cataracts


Pharmacokinetic interactions

St John's wort has been shown to cause multiple drug interactions mainly through induction of the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP3A4, but also CYP2C9. This results in the increased metabolism of those drugs, resulting in decreased concentration and clinical effect. The principal constituent thought to be responsible is hyperforin.

do posters not read before they post?
all of what the last two posters said was stated at the beginning and the OP answered most of those questions.
it is like a broken record, read the thread before you post!


by the way waiting 12 weeks to place after a spay would be great but defiantly NOT necessary.

I placed a 2 yo bitch with a young couple. They had another young male lab at the time. The first year I got an endless stream of gushing emails about how wonderful she was. Fast forward 3 years and 2 children later. One day an email came to say she was aggressive and lunged at people and other dogs if they tried to walk in the neighborhood. They have taken her to the vet & she is on anti-anxiety meds. She has to be confined when anyone comes to visit and relatives refuse to come to their home. I tell them that I will come to pick her up the very next day.

When I arrive, the husband and the bitch have gone to the vet to pick up her records. When they come through the front door, she spots me and barks. In less than a minute, she is fine. I ask where the other dog is, to find he has been shut up in a bedroom. I ask to see him & he jets around like a crazy dog.

Back at my house, the bitch is fine with all my dogs. I put her on lead and walk her through a large development where people and dogs are everywhere. Not once does she lunge. People greet us and she does nothing. Next I took her to the business district of a small town with scores of shoppers on the sidewalks. Most people ignored us. A few acknowledged us. She does not respond at all.

So what do you think? Was she genuinely aggressive and threatening in that environment? Maybe a little boy, an infant and 2 dogs were just too much for the couple.

She stayed with me for nearly one month before I placed her in a home with a family that had gotten 2 dogs from me. Their older dog had recently died and they missed having 2 dogs. They were told about the bitch's situation and wanted to try anyway. She has been there for several years now without any sign of aggressiveness.

My take on this and your problem is, you may never know what is causing the problem. For all we know, there may really be no problem. Just get the dog back. It is a shame this is happening, but all you can do is deal with it and get her out of there. I wish you the very best of luck.

Lol! Either it's MG or someone imitating her.

I think before jumping to any conclusions, I would have a full workup done by a local, trusted vet. She could be experiencing some pain, she might have a low grade infection, or who knows what else - could be totally unrelated to the move. Let us know how it works out!