Glitter the rescue dog

[APColorado]

Yesterday's plan was to look for a bathroom vanity for the basement we are finishing. Didn't end up that way. I was blindsided by my partner. He's been looking for dogs online without my knowledge.

It was weird because he wanted to take my 12 year old dog with us to shop with us. I told him we can't stay long in the store if he's waiting in the car and he said it was perfect because it was rush us to make a decision.

Well we didn't go to the cabinet store ended up at the Humane Society.

Meet Glitter. She's a "rez" dog ", stray dogs living on Indian Reservations living off scraps and foraging for food. They are known to be intelligent, people pleasers, strong gut, and healthy due to the genetic diversity in genes.

She's not house broken, leash trained, etc.... basically a stray dog that never lived indoors. She's already had an accident indoors.

We went from the shelter straight to the groomers...we got all the matts off, her white fur still have yellow stains.....will take some TLC to get her tip top shape

 

[TexasDomer]

I'm hoping you're okay with this surprise? Sounds like it'll be a long, but rewarding, journey for you!

 

[GlamCrab]

For some reason I thought this would be about someone accidentally dropping glitter in a tank.

But this is much better

 

[APColorado]

I'm hoping you're okay with this surprise? Sounds like it'll be a long, but rewarding, journey for you!

I wasn't at first, I was adamant of not having a second dog after losing our 14 year old 6 weeks ago. My partner mentioned that our 12 year old was slipping emotionallyof not wanting to go outside, moaning and whining when he thinks he was alone, scared, etc... and I agreed. I'm keeping an open mind about Glitter. Intellectually I know it is the right decision that we are giving a second chance to a dog that needs it. Definitely a a very ling road ahead.

For some reason I thought this would be about someone accidentally dropping glitter in a tank.

But this is much better

Lol

 

[AngelTheGypsy]

Her eyes are breaking my heart! They are so soft, you can see ... I don't have words! I literally have tears! I'm so sure she will be a great family member! Thank you for adopting her!

 

[APColorado]

It has been a very challenging weekend with Glitter filled with lots of "No"s and steam cleaning activities.

Her eyes are breaking my heart! They are so soft, you can see ... I don't have words! I literally have tears! I'm so sure she will be a great family member! Thank you for adopting her!

We all just need some readjustment. I know she's not my Mattie and I have to keep an open mind.

 

[TexasDomer]

Something that might help with potty training is crate training. Something to consider!

 

[APColorado]

Something that might help with potty training is crate training. Something to consider!

Yeah, that is what we are doing. Just finished our 7 mile walk (yes, 7 miles) making sure she is exercise so she isn't bored at home. I've already stopped her from chewing the corners to the coffee table, couch, carpet, etc...) There are lots of dog toys and chews.

The good news she didn't dedicate/urinate in her crate overnight and did her business outside in the backyard. I was hoping she would urinate on our long walk but nope. All she was doing was sniffing and scavenging for food.

 

[AngelTheGypsy]

How is everyone adjusting?

 

[APColorado]

How is everyone adjusting?

I've only hit 2 days in a row where she hasn't had an accident in the house. One thing I've notice is that she will defecate/urinate after she starts running around the house out of excitement. When we play fetch in the backyard she usually tends to urinate after a couple of throws.

We also thought it was abnormal that she only defecate twice a day while other dog would defecate at least 4x a day whenever we take him out for walks until the Vet assured us that some dogs will only defecate once a day.

She will not urinate/defecate on long walks, only time she does her business is either in the backyard or in the house. Our longest day without an accident is 2 days in a row. Baby steps.

I've signed up for doggy training starting the first week of May.

 

[TexasDomer]

Hopefully formal training will help!

Not sure if you can do this, but it may be helpful to take her out during regular intervals during the day, every 2-3 hours or so, and not come back in with her until after she urinates or defecates. Praise her, then bring her in. It may help her connect with the fact the outside is for bathroom, not inside.

 

[Alhana]

Congrats on your new friend!

I would suggest, just what you are already doing. Treat her the same way you would a new puppy because skill wise she is essentially the same. She hasn't learned a lot of the house habits that most dogs of her age would have. Its great that you are already in tune with some of her tells that guide you on when to take her to the bathroom.

For the walking part, I usually recommend taking her for the walk AFTER she goes to the bathroom instead of during the walk. The reason being is that a lot of times we take a dog on a walk, it goes potty and we go home. The dog then learns if it goes potty the walk is over and suddenly your "I only want to go on a 5 min walk" turns into a half hour walk. If she goes potty first, then gets the walk you can control how long you are walking and you know that the business part is already done. Basically she does what you want first (go potty) then she gets the reward (praise and getting to go for the long walk)

It could also be that she is weird or perhaps territorial about her bathroom habits. My last dog was like that. She would only go to the bathroom in our yard, it was really strange. I noticed it one day when I walked her down the block to a friends house. We were standing around talking and she started getting really weird and agitated. I started walking her home and she was acting really weird the whole time going home then as soon as I put her in the house she raced to the backdoor and did a dance. I opened the door and she almost peed on the patio she had to go so bad!

 

[APColorado]

Hopefully formal training will help!

Not sure if you can do this, but it may be helpful to take her out during regular intervals during the day, every 2-3 hours or so, and not come back in with her until after she urinates or defecates. Praise her, then bring her in. It may help her connect with the fact the outside is for bathroom, not inside.

Since I don't work currently, I do keep her on a schedule, however I do every 3-4 hours and keep a log when she doesn't her business.

I've tried the "not taking her inside" until she does her business but she would be content staying outside for the rest of the day. During the act of relieving herself I would say "Go Potty" once she does I make it a big deal and praise her saying "good glitter" and give her a high value treat "a slice of turkey dog" and that is the only time she gets it. I've read that from a house training blog.

I am hoping that formal dog training will help.

This morning she urinated on her own in the backyard. I open her crate and walked away and had her follow me to the backyard. However, she didn't defecate and wanted to go inside so I helped her defecate (Q-tip). After her business we stayed a little longer outside.

After the backyard adventure I took her on a walk with my 12 year old dog (he doesn't use the backyard) and hoping she learns from him.

Congrats on your new friend!

I would suggest, just what you are already doing. Treat her the same way you would a new puppy because skill wise she is essentially the same. She hasn't learned a lot of the house habits that most dogs of her age would have. Its great that you are already in tune with some of her tells that guide you on when to take her to the bathroom.

For the walking part, I usually recommend taking her for the walk AFTER she goes to the bathroom instead of during the walk. The reason being is that a lot of times we take a dog on a walk, it goes potty and we go home. The dog then learns if it goes potty the walk is over and suddenly your "I only want to go on a 5 min walk" turns into a half hour walk. If she goes potty first, then gets the walk you can control how long you are walking and you know that the business part is already done. Basically she does what you want first (go potty) then she gets the reward (praise and getting to go for the long walk)

It could also be that she is weird or perhaps territorial about her bathroom habits. My last dog was like that. She would only go to the bathroom in our yard, it was really strange. I noticed it one day when I walked her down the block to a friends house. We were standing around talking and she started getting really weird and agitated. I started walking her home and she was acting really weird the whole time going home then as soon as I put her in the house she raced to the backdoor and did a dance. I opened the door and she almost peed on the patio she had to go so bad!

I've read not to take her inside after she does her business so we play a bit. She does go on walks with my 12 year old so he can do his business, he doesn't go in the backyard.

She goes on one super long walk a day (4-6 miles) and 4 30 minutes walk with my 12 year old.

 

[Alhana]

Sounds like she is a lucky dog! How is she getting along with your older one?

After the backyard adventure I took her on a walk with my 12 year old dog (he doesn't use the backyard) and hoping she learns from him.

I had to read that twice b/c at first I thought you meant your child = )

 

[APColorado]

Sounds like she is a lucky dog! How is she getting along with your older one?
I had to read that twice b/c at first I thought you meant your child = )

She trys to play with him but when he doesn't want to play he just growls at her to stop and she does. My 12 year old dog (Shadow) is now open to walking longer...when Shadow lost Mattie he stopped wanting to go for long walks.

 

[APColorado]

Update: I took her to the dog park for about 3 hours during her the time she usually urinate....she started to claw, nudge, get my attention at the end so I we walked back home and went straight to the backyard and she urinated. The only reason I was at the dog park for 3 hours was that I was waiting for her urinate.

 

[APColorado]

Glitter is slowing growing on Shadow. Glitter tries to lay next to him and the first time Shadow hasn't walked away.

Shadow use to lay next Mattie when she was alive

 

[DoubleDutch]

awww great.

 

[bubblegum-heart]

adorable!

 

[APColorado]

I don't want to jinx myself, but we are at Day 31 without accidents in the house. We made a bargain that Glitter will get more privileges once she reach Day 60 she will be allowed on the couch with supervision. We still crate her overnight and when we leave the house. One day she will have full privileges like Shadow.

 

[TexasDomer]

Yay! Glad it's going well!

We did the same thing with mine. They slept in their crates and were crated when we left the house for their first few years, and now we never use them because they have our full trust.

 

[DioAquatics]

Crate training is honestly the best way to go! I trained both of my dogs like that and both of them have learned not to use the bathroom in the house. My current dog, Bindi, will knock on the door when she wants to go outside and when she wants to come back in the house. She learned that on her own though haha

 

[APColorado]

Starting over.....Day 1 lol. After 35 days she had an accident last night

 

[Geoff]

Starting over.....Day 1 lol. After 35 days she had an accident last night

Still great progress, though! Hope it wasn't too awful messy.

 

[APColorado]

Still great progress, though! Hope it wasn't too awful messy.

Just urination. Not sure if its the fireworks she heard or the sedative that she is on for the firework season. She went out 3 hours before

 

[Geoff]

Ohh yeah that could be. Independence Day definitely isn't a good time for some dogs.

 

[APColorado]

Update:

Hired a private dog trainer who's background was a former navy handler (trained dogs to be bomb sniffers) now works as a civilian dog trainer and has a working dog who sniffs for bombs at Coors stadium. He comes to our house to train us on how to train Glitter

In this picture Glitter is practicing the sit and stay command. I can leave the room and she will stay in that position until I come back.

 

[James17]

She's very cute, the tank looks good also.

 

[Geoff]

Good girl, Glitter!

 

[APColorado]

She's very cute, the tank looks good also.

She's gained 8 pounds since the day we got her, I guess you can say she's happy.

Good girl, Glitter!

Took a while, this week training session is the heel command (super excited about this one)

 

[DioAquatics]

She's so cute! Glad to hear she's listening to the training and stuff

 

[Cherie G]

She is adorable and it sounds like you are doing all the right things to get her trained. It can really be challenging but they are so worth it. Thanks for taking in a dog that really needed a home and some love. So sorry for the loss of your dog Mattie.

 

[APColorado]

This is Glitter's first swim in a lake in Boulder. We knew she loves the water, but when we take to the lake/river/creek she just walks in and run around but never full on swim like this. Yesterday, she saw a dog swim out to retrieve a ball and she just took off into the water and started following the dog.

As we continued our walk around the lake she wanted to play fetch in the lake (with a stick) and here's a video. At the end of the video you see a stroller and that is Shadow's stroller. He walks as much as he can and when he gets tired I just plop him in.

She's so cute! Glad to hear she's listening to the training and stuff

Finally, very frustrating process

She is adorable and it sounds like you are doing all the right things to get her trained. It can really be challenging but they are so worth it. Thanks for taking in a dog that really needed a home and some love. So sorry for the loss of your dog Mattie.

Thank you. Mattie was an awesome and loyal dog.

 

[Lucy]

What a great video. So glad she's doing well.