Adopting a former stray dog: Scout is home!

[MissusS]

We have been a 2-dog family for 11 years. In February we laid our old girl to rest after 14 years together. She was my very best girl and while I know it was the right thing to do after some rapid health issues that meant we could no longer leave her alone, my heart still breaks from missing her.

Our other dog, an 11 year old male black lab, had a puppy-personality until she passed on, and he then turned into an old man pretty much over night. He had a companion with him his entire life and he was very bonded. He couldn’t even go out to pee if she wasn’t outside with him - he would just wait outside by the door until she came out as well.

Over the past few months we have broadened his horizons a bit. I bring him to the farm with me (where there are some great dogs around all the time!), I take him to my friend’s pet store for visits, baths, treats, and socialization (she always has one or two of her dogs at work), and I recently have started taking him to “Being Brave” classes with a friend who is a trainer and has a boarding centre.

I have been watching and waiting for the next right dog to add to our family. I’ve met a bunch at adoption days but none have really met the mark for me. A week ago a new dog popped up on one of the local rescue pages and she caught my eye right away. We set up an initial meet and greet (at the training centre before class - for neutral territory) and it was uneventful in a good way. Two anxious/nervous dogs who politely sniffed each other, gave each other a LOT of space, but also eagerly accepted treats in close proximity to each other with no agitation. We took both dogs out for a walk around the block together, then spent some more time off leash in the yard. Near the end of the visit my dog initiated play, the other dog said “no thank you” by going back to her human, and that was that. No fireworks, no love-at-first-sight, no red flags.

Today we’re meeting up again to go for a longer walk. I expect it will go similarly. If so, we will likely make arrangements to bring the new dog home next week.

She is approximately 1 year old and came from an area about 450KM (280 miles) north of here. She has been spayed and has been with the foster home since early May, living with 3 large breed dogs. She has NOT been kennel trained with the foster and the foster home has a doggie door which she learned very quickly and has never had a mess in the house.

Hit me with your recommendations - what should I know/consider if this pup joins our household? She is a shepherd cross. I had a shepherd cross as a kid (she was “my” dog) that I got from the local SPCA as a 10-month old. But that was a few decades ago, and she was an absolute wonderful dog who learned quickly and only wanted to please me.

My old gal who just passed was a lab/shepherd cross but I got her as a 8 week old puppy from the SPCA. My current old guy I got as a 3-month old pup from a local rescue. I have always kennel trained and know how to deal with high energy working dogs.

Pictures for those who made it this far:
My old guy is the black lab, the black and tan is my old girl who recently passed:

And here’s the gal who may be joining our family:

[NancyM]

Every decision like this is a leap of faith. The future is unknown. But she looks like a nice dog, and is looking like she is easy for your current dog to get along with, and she needs a home that loves her. The future is unknowable for sure, but it all starts with a leap of faith. Good luck! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[Mango20]

My only reservation is that it sounds like both dogs are anxious/nervous. Having one myself, I don’t think I’d want to have two. I do have two dogs, but my other one is pretty steady and outgoing, so I only have to manage one closely out in public, and the confident dog probably gives the nervous dog some support. Otherwise, it’s up to you if you think you can handle whatever her issues are. As far as playing with your dog, I’m sure that will come eventually, once she’s more relaxed around him.

[MissusS]

Thanks for the replies

My old gal was the steady one. I was looking for an older dog who would have the confidence and savvy to give my old guy a sense of security. It’s easier for him to relax when he has someone telling him what to do lol

I do have a notion in the back of my head that this new gal might find some confidence and swagger once she is settled in and fully decompressed. If not, my old guy has a solid enough foundation and a decent enough head on his shoulders that he is what I would consider mildly borderline nervous and anxious. I don’t have to actively manage him but I always try to be sensitive to his boundaries.

I’m not concerned about the lack of playing at the first meeting - I know that will come. I was pleased as punch that he initiated play, it told me he felt comfortable enough around her relatively quickly. And I was happy that her immediate reaction was not to snap or put him in his place right away. These are things I can work with!

[NaturallyHappy]

I am no expert. I think she’s adorable w a great face. The GSD I have now I got as a 4 year old who was passed around like a box of crackerjacks. My SO has a stray who adopted him💗. They get along famously even though they aren’t together that much. They even eat side by side on the kitchen rug.

[S1969]

@MissusS

I recently have started taking him to “Being Brave” classes with a friend who is a trainer and has a boarding centre.

What does this trainer think? That’s the person I would trust more than us, since they know your dog and we don’t.

It sounds like you’ve made up your mind; I’m hoping your asking here isn’t because you’re hoping for encouragement after people who know your dog have discouraged it.

[MissusS]

The first meet up was at the training centre so the trainer could see the dynamic. Trainer is on board and encouraging. I also have worked out a plan with them to bring a new dog into day training with them, based on the dog’s needs.

Thanks for asking! I am posting here for any advice and real-world experiences because I know this board is a treasure-trove of folks who have been in similar situations and also won’t hesitate to offer their own wisdom.

[S1969]

That’s great. That’s the opinion I would really trust.

I agree that there is always a leap of faith. You never really know how it will work out, even with intentionally bred dogs obtained as puppies.

I think the best advice is to expect it to be challenging and prepare for that - if it’s not, it will be a pleasant surprise. And by challenging, I mean that the dogs may need to be separated until they are comfortable, and/or may need separate things like eating and sleeping spaces, separate time with your, etc. they might not - but being ready for it makes it easier for you.

I have a kennel and crates - not sure which you mean by “kennel trained”. But definitely need crate training for the new one and I always feed in crates so that each dog has their space and time to eat. (Most of the time I done really need this - but I do it anyway as it’s great for crate training.) my elderly dog is a slower eater than my other two now, so he gets locked in to keep the others from rushing him out of his crate.

I think the brave dog training for both sounds like a perfect way to set them both up for success.

[MissusS]

I’m definitely expecting some challenges and am orchestrating plans to give them separate spaces and separate time together with me and my husband. I expect the new dog will need to have firm rules and boundaries, and will have to earn a place a trust in the household. I fully expect this will take at least a year, if not more. My old guy took until he was about 4 or 5. My recently departed girl was able to gain that trust by the time she was 1.5 years old. This new dog is coming to us as a 1-year old.

Kennel trained = crate trained in my vocabulary. I strongly feel that crate training is a life skill that all dogs benefit from. Thank you for the tip about feeding in the crate. I have always made the kennel/crate a happy place by giving things like frozen stuffed kongs in there, but I hadn’t considered feeding dinner in there. I have a spot in the kitchen with a boot tray under it that is where we have always fed our two dogs, but I think I’m going to strongly consider feeding the new dog in the kennel. I love this advice!

edit to add: any advice on practicalities of separate spaces is appreciated!! I am hopeful that crate training will go smoothly for new dog and that will be her special space. I also plan to put up the baby gate to block physically between rooms so there can be some room to lounge/move around in separated areas. Sometimes I will likely send one dog outside by themselves while the other is inside, but this will only work through the summer in the morning/evening. Once we hit dead of winter it will be much too cold for anyone to stay outside for much more than a quick pee break.

I’ll also do separate walks. My current plan, IF they are good walking together, is to walk the old dog together with the new gal for a while, then drop him off at home and keep walking the younger dog, so she gets extra exercise as well.

[SharonA1]

We have adopted quite a few dogs and introduced th newcomer to the “in house” dog. We found that a dog with a known history of people aggression/people-biting history was unlikely to be able to change. However, the ones without known aggression were entirely trainable and a delight. They needed some basic training and clear rules, and then never looked back. Also, in one case, a senior dog trained to fight and with known dog aggression, with dog-biting/attacking (but adored people of all ages), did rehab and eventually became an exemplary suburban family dog, though we never let him in the dog park without a muzzle (though he would groan and sigh as if to say, “I don’t need that anymore… I got it. I understand it all now. Jeez.” (Just our experience, and with terriers, FWIW.)

[OnAMission]

She’s a gorgeous dog and leaning hard on the Shepherd side, it appears! If she’s anything like our GSD she will be very happy to take the driver’s seat as soon as she figures out he likes to be the passenger. She is likely to have some random quirks but they all do. My quirkiest dog was born on the streets and picked up at 8 weeks old, I got him when he was about 10 weeks old. He’s had nothing but consistent supportive days since then but he’s a total head case and I adore him.

I think you sound well prepared, have a good team around you, and she is likely to be a super smart dog that will do well in your care. Sounds like you are ready to support your lab and keep an eye on his comfort level, ect. For temporary separation we have a baby gate that we just lean in doorways and move around as we go; to keep all dogs in their dog room we have a fence, basically, based on the indoor dog fences on amazon but we were able to build out of materials we had here. It has a swing gate and works perfectly for all five of ours.

[MissusS]

@SharonA1

We found that a dog with a known history of people aggression/people-biting history was unlikely to be able to change. However, the ones without known aggression were entirely trainable and a delight. They needed some basic training and clear rules, and then never looked back.

She has been in a foster home since early May with 3 resident large breed dogs and there has been no reported issues. When we were out walking near my house (unfamiliar territory for her) a dog in a house barked and she spun and squirted away to the end of her leash to get away from the surprise. For our second meet-up we walked near her house and she was all wags and curiously trying to greet most of the dogs we encountered (a LOT!).

@OnAMission Thank you for the words of encouragement and advice!

[SuzieQNutter]

My 2 cents.

I scrolled down and saw her picture and my mind said, YES.

[MissusS]

Scout came home yesterday! Our first day together was uneventful in a very good way. She is smart and sensitive. There are a few “bad habits” in there that we will work on but she has a great foundation. I will post more perhaps this weekend, but here are a few photos of our new girl (and a couple of her and Rowdy chilling like they’ve always been a pair on their first walk together with just one human).

Note on the crate/kennel photo: it took about 5 minutes to introduce her to going into the kennel. We did a few 5 minute, then 15 minute, then 20 minutes stays in the kennel and she whined once (and maybe it was a combo yawn/whine). I did leave the harness on (which is a no-no, I know) the first time where she just went into the kennel with the door closed, then was let out after she laid down… less than 5 minutes and I was just around the corner to make sure she didn’t get into a pickle. She slept all night in the crate without a single peep last night.

[Marla_000]

Oh Happy Day!!!
Scout is a Beauty.
Bet Rowdy will be thrilled to have a buddy.
Remind yourself, good manners
And she is Wayyyy smarter than you think. Use memory words.
Talk to her like to a toddler.
My 2nd stray, rescue GSD. Is a
Wonderful girl. Pure Joy.

[OnAMission]

Looks like things are off to a good start! Congrats, she really is pretty and adaptable (and adoptable)!

[MissusS]

Poor girl has serious itchies! She has shed out some of her wiry malnourished coat but still has a long way to go.

I’ve started giving her an omega supplement (which I give to all my dogs daily, they love it as a treat), and am slllloooooowly transitioning her off the lower quality food she had for the last few weeks in foster care. I feed a raw diet generally, but I am going to ultimately have her a combo of raw and high quality kibble (at least for the next few months) because she needs the calories.

She has been settling in so nicely and takes everything in stride. Yesterday I brought her to daycare for the morning while I had to go in to the office for work. She was very good about the car ride and going into a strange building. When I returned my friend who owns the daycare/training/boarding facility was SO pleased to show me how Scout was doing. My friend also sent me a message yesterday evening saying “I wanted to reiterate that I freaking love Scout!”

July 1 is a stat holiday (Canada) so Scout will start day training on July 2, working on basics and just having some exposure to various things.

In the mean time, I think this weekend I’m going to bring her to my other friend’s pet store and give her a bath with a nice skin calming shampoo. I typically wouldn’t consider this really so early in her time with us, but she has settled in so well that I am willing to give it a try.

Here’s Scout waking up from a nap… she was having such a nice snooze that I crouched to take a photo and she immediately woke up with a smile and seemed to say, “oh, would you like to give me snuggles?” Those airplane ears will never get old!

Rowdy has started to accept her, although you can tell he’s working on his “what an annoying little sister, I’m so superior” face lol

[sophie]

Congratulations! Scout is a beauty and sounds like a great dog. I love shepherds, they are so smart and faithful and love training.

[Kyrabee]

What a lovely girl. She looks so thankful for a good home.

Susan

[MissusS]

Scout got a bath yesterday with some special anti-itch shampoo. She was very good but did shut down for some of the bath - perfectly still, sitting with her head down. I wasn’t going to do her head but when I rubbed her forehead she started to perk up so I decided to give it a go (it was the end of the bath anyway) and she perked back up. Her coat looks much better but it is still going to take a lot of work.

While it seemed to have taken some of the edge off, she still is itchy. I’m likely going to call my vet clinic next week to see what they say. My old gal, Sophie, would get itchy and we got her a shot that helped calm down the allergic reactions a couple times a year, but I don’t know if this is allergies or something else for Scout. I’m inclined to think it’s “just” poor skin and coat quality. She was treated for parasites when she was brought in initially (early May).

We are slowly transitioning Scout onto a higher quality kibble and have been adding a bit of raw as a topper. I’ve also added Omega 3 to her diet. I am trying to balance doing a few things that will help her with over doing it and introducing too much, too soon.

If anyone has suggestions please let me know!

In other news, Scout loves loves loves stuffies. We have them all over the house and she has been slowly discovering them and bringing them into the livingroom to play with. She seems to love squeakers and soft plushie toys. Her best favourite is the kong wubba (blue squeaky squidlike toy) but also loves the crinkley monkey and the stuffed bear that grunts instead of squeaking lol