Allowing non-housebroken dog to move in
Not necessarily an RV situation but could use some advice from pet-minded people. It's probably time to move my 78 year old mother into my home. She currently lives on her own 2 hours away and doe...
Forum Discussion
The dog may not have had the opportunity to go outside as needed. She may do fine with a regimented puppy training - like potty schedule.
True story: We took in my MIL's dog, Rosie, a 7 year old cockapoo, a few years ago. Rosie was AWFUL! She had absolutely no manners, was used to eating only fresh, boiled chicken, and Milk Bones - lots of each. She was OBESE, because my precious MIL had dementia and didn't remember that she'd already fed Rosie, and continued to feed her - often.
Rosie was used to walking on tables and what ever else she wanted to do (really...), begging, barking, and being generally obnoxious. When my MIL was placed in a nursing home, one of the family members wanted to have Rosie put to sleep. I said ABSOLUTELY NOT - I would take her and see what I could do. I told them that I would foster her, rehabiltate her, then find her a perfect furever home. The other family members thought I was crazy.
Rosie came to us as fat as a swollen tick - really, she was AWFUL. She walked across an end table next to the couch the first day at our house. She never did it again... She just needed boundaries and rules.
Rosie refused to eat the premium dog food I offered (Wellness Core Reduced Fat) for three days. At the end of the third day, she decided that it was pretty darn good, and she ate just fine from then on. I substituted no-salt green beens for some of the kibble to get her to lose weight (the vet said she was DOUBLE her ideal weight - 28 pounds vs. 14!). At first, she refused the green beans, but hunger finally won out, and she decided that they were pretty darn good - carrots too (only 2-3 baby carrots for dessert at dinner time - they're high in sugar).
Rosie couldn't walk half a block at first, due to her obesity. As she lost weight, I increased her walks until we were walking 2-3 miles per day, and she LOVED them. She also turned into a fetching machine; she loved to chase toys in the house and outside.
After 6-7 months, Rosie was down to her target weight of 14-15 pounds, and she was ready for her new home. I fostered for a local rescue, and I took her to adoptions one Saturday. We had no more than walked 10 feet in the door and a couple came up to me and said how cute she was. I mentioned that she was available for adoption. Yes, they took her home! They were an older couple who wanted an older dog who wanted to sleep on their bed and ride in their truck (Rosie's FAVORITE things!).
Give the dog a chance. You'll be surprised at what the dog can do, given consistent boundaries and attention.
True story: We took in my MIL's dog, Rosie, a 7 year old cockapoo, a few years ago. Rosie was AWFUL! She had absolutely no manners, was used to eating only fresh, boiled chicken, and Milk Bones - lots of each. She was OBESE, because my precious MIL had dementia and didn't remember that she'd already fed Rosie, and continued to feed her - often.
Rosie was used to walking on tables and what ever else she wanted to do (really...), begging, barking, and being generally obnoxious. When my MIL was placed in a nursing home, one of the family members wanted to have Rosie put to sleep. I said ABSOLUTELY NOT - I would take her and see what I could do. I told them that I would foster her, rehabiltate her, then find her a perfect furever home. The other family members thought I was crazy.
Rosie came to us as fat as a swollen tick - really, she was AWFUL. She walked across an end table next to the couch the first day at our house. She never did it again... She just needed boundaries and rules.
Rosie refused to eat the premium dog food I offered (Wellness Core Reduced Fat) for three days. At the end of the third day, she decided that it was pretty darn good, and she ate just fine from then on. I substituted no-salt green beens for some of the kibble to get her to lose weight (the vet said she was DOUBLE her ideal weight - 28 pounds vs. 14!). At first, she refused the green beans, but hunger finally won out, and she decided that they were pretty darn good - carrots too (only 2-3 baby carrots for dessert at dinner time - they're high in sugar).
Rosie couldn't walk half a block at first, due to her obesity. As she lost weight, I increased her walks until we were walking 2-3 miles per day, and she LOVED them. She also turned into a fetching machine; she loved to chase toys in the house and outside.
After 6-7 months, Rosie was down to her target weight of 14-15 pounds, and she was ready for her new home. I fostered for a local rescue, and I took her to adoptions one Saturday. We had no more than walked 10 feet in the door and a couple came up to me and said how cute she was. I mentioned that she was available for adoption. Yes, they took her home! They were an older couple who wanted an older dog who wanted to sleep on their bed and ride in their truck (Rosie's FAVORITE things!).
Give the dog a chance. You'll be surprised at what the dog can do, given consistent boundaries and attention.
