Brian and I adopted our rescue dog Watson from PAWS about a year and a half ago. I've grown up with dogs my entire life, but adopting our own adult dog still surprised me in many ways, haha. Here are some of the things we've learned so far:
1. Fur. SO much fur. Watson seriously sheds a new dog every day. Invest in a pet vacuum of good quality. You'll need it daily.
2. Old dogs can learn new tricks, if they want to. Watson came to us knowing "sit" and the basic "NOSTOPEATINGTHAT"-type commands. He has since learned shake, down, paws up, go lie down, it's bedtime!, outside, and go get in the car. He's super eager to please, but does he grasp "stop begging!"? He knows what it means but he chooses to disobey. Stubborn old man :)
3. Trusting a shelter dog is important. I mean, don't be stupid and let him run loose throughout your neighborhood the same day your bring him home. When we first got Watson, I questioned everything he did. He barked at another dog? He's probably going to attack a dog and eat it and I'll get sued and everyone will hate us and, and, and...You get where I'm going :) The thing is, he could sense my distrust and tension and it made him nervous! Once I realized I just needed to let go and get to know him, our relationship grew so quickly!
4. Expect the unexpected. Having a dog since puppyhood has the advantage of knowing (generally) what to expect about how he will react to certain stimuli, etc. Our first shocker was Watson's severe separation anxiety. I wish I had prepped myself for the possibility of this, because it was very emotionally draining!
5. Remember that they have been let down by their people, and they need to be reminded we're not all going to do that. Our poor boy lived with the same people from puppyhood until he was 7, when his family dropped him off at PAWS one weekend. I can't imagine the fear, confusion, and sadness Watson was feeling at this time. His heart was broken, and no wonder he has separation anxiety! We try to reassure him as much as we can because we want him to know we're not going to abandon him.
6. Trust your gut. When Watson had minor surgery, he was acting "funny" the day after. I couldn't put my finger on it, but he couldn't keep food down and was acting like he was feeling crappy. The vet said this may happen because of the anesthesia but I knew something else was going on so I persisted. Turns out, his esophagus had closed during the surgery, and he needed to be fed a certain way to open it back up. I was so glad that we found this out the day after instead of a week later!
7. Everyone knows everything about your dog (but they don't). I was asking SO many people for advice when we got Watson and some of his issues started surfacing, and I'm incredibly thankful for my fellow dog owners' support! I had to keep in mind that every dog is different, and googling "separation anxiety cures" will yield dozens of options, only some of which will work for you! Trust your gut, learn your dog's cues, and then look for the best solution for him :) Some people may hate the fact that Watson has a bark collar for his separation anxiety, but I promise you, it's very humane, and he is happier with it!
8. Have patience, and then have more patience. After weeks of working with him, we thought his anxiety had finally calmed down, only for it to come back with a vengeance. It was frustrating but I felt so bad for him at the same time. It took about 9 months for him to really be okay with us leaving him, but all the time we spent training him and reassuring him actually helped us bond!
9. You'll learn that you're his world. I have to remind myself that I have so much going on in my life - school, Brian, friends, the baby, etc. For Watson, we are his only "thing" - he has his people and that's basically it! I try to spend one-on-one time with him as often as I can and I never regret it :)
10. You will fall in love with this mess of fur, anxiety, and slobber. Watson has brought us so much joy despite our many challenges. Watching him grow into the confident boy he is now (even though he can still be a stubborn old man) has been so wonderful and made me appreciate him for the awesome dog he is!
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