OP, a dog that trembles, shakes, and is that skittish is either poorly bred or has been abused in the past. Chances are, that will never get any better. I'm sorry you are going through this, I used to have dogs but when my last one died of old age, I got a taste of freedom and decided I was over the constant day and night grind. I'm a super happy cat lady now. Sorry, but you have about 10 more years before you can get your life back. |
I was not a “dog person” before we got our little gal. But 5 years later, I am so glad we have her especially now that the kids are all grown and left the nest. I think getting her when the kids are high school age was the right decision. They helped out a lot with caring for her and walking her. DH is the alpha and the food person. I am her playmate and she keeps me company on the couch when I am winding down in the evening.
She is definitely a dog whose sole purpose is to be cute. |
We have one of those tray systems with a grass mat. I put a fabric pee pad under the grass mat. I have a ton of grass mats and just wash them with dawn power soap after each pee and the pee pads every so often with bleach and laundry soap. You can get sample size grass mats online at Lowe’s or on Amazon. I started with them huge and now cut them much smaller so easy to wash. I also soak the grass mats weekly in dawn and vinegar. You could use disposable pee pads. We had a bunch around the house and now just in two spots as she got older. It’s helped a lot. |
Our dog calmed down around 2.5 and acts very differently for me vs my husband. The first few years are hard. They are little and need a lot. |
Op, they make giant washable pee pads on Amazon. When our puppy was little we bought a bunch, yes it was pricy, to cover the carpets and floors to catch accidents. |
Aww…I love my “living stuffed animal” dog. He has lots of jobs. He has to get my grumpy teens/tweens out of bed in the morning and into a good mood. He makes sure that I get my exercise every day. He is always happy and excited to see my autistic teen who doesn’t have any friends and often has a pretty rough day at school. He also makes said teen regulate his emotions. The dog doesn’t like any shouting in the house, and no one wants to upset that sweet little fuzzball. He’s also helped us meet our neighbors. My parents take him occasionally, and he’s helped my dad get out of the house and meet his neighbors too. He is a favorite toy when my 10 year old’s friends come over. He makes backyard games of football and soccer a lot more entertaining. For a dog with no job, he is very busy! |
You don't have the gene for loving dogs.
https://www.livescience.com/65537-dog-affinity-dna.html If you can't love her, you should return her. Or have an honest conversation with the family that someone else needs to step up because you don't love her. |
Do not give your dog to a stranger. Go through a reputable shelter. People online troll for unwanted pets then torture them to death. |
OP I'm glad that things are going better but you need to invest heavily in training. Now, not later. Find a very good trainer to work with. The trainer will be teaching you skills that you don't currently have. |
Crate train her. Put her in a crate while you get your alone time. Give her a frozen kong stuffed with peanut butter, cream cheese, treats. That will keep her busy. |
OP here back with another update. She has had zero accidents in a month. I am so excited. I think it had a lot to do with being comfortable with us and us knowing when she has to use the bathroom. The kids can now notice when she has to go and it’s so helpful. I do the long morning and afternoon walk with her. I let the family do the other walks. It gives me a break and they need to bond with her too. She is horrific on a leash. I bought a prong, harness, collar, and nothing helps her walking. She will literally pull while walking on two legs. Yes, I need more training than her on how do walk her. I think a person on here thought I chain her to the backyard for long periods of time but I don’t. It’s for ten minutes at a time for the periods where I have to grab something from the car, take the trash to the curb, check the mail at the end of the driveway. She did amazing with the older bigger dog. Realized she does great one on one with dogs but does not like a big crowd of dogs. That is fine with me. She sleeps through the night and usually sleeps with one kid in their bed. She gets to decide which bed each night and it’s pretty cute watching her decide. Sleeping with me is a no go, sorry. If she sleeps in my room, she sleeps in the crate. She never chooses my room….. I appreciate the kind help and encouraging words and compassion. I also appreciate people telling me I am horrible and should have never gotten a dog. Nope I am not a dog person. I don’t think I need to utter the words I love you to her. I treat her with so much care and compassion. She follows me around still. She whines when I leave out the door. I get I am her go to person and that she is clingy to me. Yes I still get annoyed sometimes and need a break. The only thing I need to work on is the leash walking. I am also unsure about what to do regarding the fireworks. Fireworks went off for Juneteenth and she barked and was scared. We plan on seeing the fireworks with the kids. What can I do for her? |