Help with New Puppy - Updated

Hi there. We just adopgted our 2nd puppy. She came from SC to upstate NY so she is a "country" dog; therefore petrified of noises outside. That makes it impossible for us to walk he to do her business.
We have Wee Wee pads but she just ignores them. I don't know what to do. She does let me know when she has to go because she whines and I try to bring her to the pads but she holds it for a bit longer.

We had no problems training our 1st dog but she was used to city noises.

Any advice or been there done that stories would be appreciated.

And here is a pic of my new little girl, she is a 4 month old lab mix

UPDATE:
Well Basiley has made a lot of improvement. I stated by sitting on the ledge of the door to the roof so she could hear the noicesof the outside but still feel safe since she was inside. Now we are able to bring her downstairs and take her outside for a 5-10 minute walk. She is still scared but she stays with us as we walk and sits in front of us if it's too much. We're then able to get her to walk a little bit more.

We still have to have the wee wee pads inside bc when outside she is just starting to sniff around but is more into the sights and sounds. Once a little more comfortable outside we'll get her to go outside.

And she had her first vet vist and by the end of this week we are able to take her to the park. Minus a slight case of kennel cough she is healthy

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Message edited 9/14/2009 9:19:18 AM.

Re: Help with New Puppy

I think you need to slowly get her used to the noises and going outside. Play loud movies set in the city and sit with her so she relaxes to them and slowly get her outside. Theres no way your gonna be albe to have a full grown lab using a wee wee pad inside its gonna get to be a real hassel and not to mention messy. You can also give her some benadryl to relax/sedate her before bringing her outside so shes not so jittery, or ask you vet for a lowdose tranqulizer just to help her at first. Its very common for dogs to be scared of new things but they'll eventually adjust it will just take time.

Re: Help with New Puppy

I like that idea of the movies. Thank you.

Yeah I figured the wee wee pads will help us just until we can get her outside.

Re: Help with New Puppy

O its no problem let me know if it works!
Im a Veterinary technician so I've been asked pretty much any and every question out there lol if you have any more questions let me know

good luck

Re: Help with New Puppy

Awww, she's adorable!!!

I think the only way to get her used to city noises is to keep exposing her to them by taking walks. Labs are quick learners and I think she'll adjust pretty well if you praise her when she behaves properly.

Re: Help with New Puppy

We had a pretty scared dog and were able to acclimate him to all the 'scary' things like cars, trucks, bicycles, skateboards, plastic bags . Yes, he was afraid of plastic bags. Oh, and his own shadow.

We never let him run away from these situations or avoid them. We would do controlled exposures - 10 minute quiet walk and 5 minute noisy walk on a main road for instance. He learned that he had to be brave and that we were there to support him while he got used to things. We never, ever consoled him while he was upset, because in essence you're reinforcing that it's ok to be in that state.

We soon found out the places that he liked to go and would increase the times he was outside walking. Walking is one of the absolute best things you can do for your dog. At this point, I wouldn't bother with the wee wee pads and get her on a walking schedule instead. Maybe first thing in the morning when it's quieter.

It's just one opinion, but I would not give her sedatives to aid you in this. To me, it's just prolonging the inevitable and it's not really necessary.

I have a lot of experience in this, and we have a Lab too, so I hope I can help you. Some suggestions:

Give her some time to get used to your home and her new surroundings. She doesn't know she's in her forever home, and she's probably pretty scared after what she's been through.

Make sure you have a crate for her. For many months, it was our dog's safe haven. When he grew out of it and didn't need it anymore, we took it away.

Pet her on her chest to give her confidence. Petting on the head is not so great for a submissive dog.

When she is calm and confident, ears forward, playing, etc. make sure you praise the heck out of her. She wants to please you. You can integrate treats into this, but do it sparingly and plan to wean her off of them eventually.

Be what you want her to be. Be confident on your walks, be calm, don't let her reactions to things phase you. She will get used to it, but it will take time. You can help her not by making her think it's ok to be scared, but giving her a role model to strive for.

A great book I read was "The Other End of the Leash" by Dr. Patricia McConnell (here it is on Amazon. It really delves deep into a dog's behavior and how much different it is from the way we perceive things.

If you would prefer to FM me questions, please do. I know what you're dealing with, it's only been a year since we were in your spot, and we've had great success.

Congratulations, she's beautiful!

Re: Help with New Puppy

Posted by greenfreak

We had a pretty scared dog and were able to acclimate him to all the 'scary' things like cars, trucks, bicycles, skateboards, plastic bags . Yes, he was afraid of plastic bags. Oh, and his own shadow.

We never let him run away from these situations or avoid them. We would do controlled exposures - 10 minute quiet walk and 5 minute noisy walk on a main road for instance. He learned that he had to be brave and that we were there to support him while he got used to things. We never, ever consoled him while he was upset, because in essence you're reinforcing that it's ok to be in that state.

We soon found out the places that he liked to go and would increase the times he was outside walking. Walking is one of the absolute best things you can do for your dog. At this point, I wouldn't bother with the wee wee pads and get her on a walking schedule instead. Maybe first thing in the morning when it's quieter.

It's just one opinion, but I would not give her sedatives to aid you in this. To me, it's just prolonging the inevitable and it's not really necessary.

I have a lot of experience in this, and we have a Lab too, so I hope I can help you. Some suggestions:

Give her some time to get used to your home and her new surroundings. She doesn't know she's in her forever home, and she's probably pretty scared after what she's been through.

Make sure you have a crate for her. For many months, it was our dog's safe haven. When he grew out of it and didn't need it anymore, we took it away.

Pet her on her chest to give her confidence. Petting on the head is not so great for a submissive dog.

When she is calm and confident, ears forward, playing, etc. make sure you praise the heck out of her. She wants to please you. You can integrate treats into this, but do it sparingly and plan to wean her off of them eventually.

Be what you want her to be. Be confident on your walks, be calm, don't let her reactions to things phase you. She will get used to it, but it will take time. You can help her not by making her think it's ok to be scared, but giving her a role model to strive for.

A great book I read was "The Other End of the Leash" by Dr. Patricia McConnell (here it is on Amazon. It really delves deep into a dog's behavior and how much different it is from the way we perceive things.

If you would prefer to FM me questions, please do. I know what you're dealing with, it's only been a year since we were in your spot, and we've had great success.

Congratulations, she's beautiful!

Re: Help with New Puppy

Baby steps are the best thing. Does she know any commands? We did that too, outside, to kind of take his mind off everything else. Once he knew a command inside, we had him do it outside and treated him. So he got the association that being outside was good.

What about fetch? Can you enlist some neighbors? That's how I got Brinkley in the elevator at work. Had some of the women who work in the building go in first and call him in. Once he got there, I treated him and they fawned all over him, giving him attention.

Re: Help with New Puppy

I would get her involved in a Puppy Kindergarten class as well to get her acclamated with going in the car, being outside, being with other dogs, etc.