Charly is finally home!

[chastity]

Hello all!! i finally picked Charly up from the airport about 2 hours ago and must say i am more than happy with her!!! she's a little shy i'm sure this has alot to do with the fact that she is an older pup and i am a total stranger to her.. so under those circumstances i must say she is doing ok! the only thing is that she hasn't gone to the bathroom since i've had her. i just took her crate out of my car and took out the stuff she was laying in and it was moist so it looks like she used the bathroom in there.. idk, maybe nerves or scared and plus she was in there for a few hours. i've taken her out a few times and she just seems more interested in everything around, and not wanting to sniff around in the grass. should i just keep taking her out and trying? i really would hate for her to have an accident in my apt. i would feel so bad like it was my fault... any suggestions??

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Congratulations, Chastity! The first days are the best. Keep taking her out and spend lots of time with her so you both can bond. Her nervousness will pass quickly and she will grow so fast, that you will miss the first days. Take lots of pictures and post them so we can see how beautiful Charly is. How old is she? Share, share, share...

[chastity]

thank you lynn! she's 8mths... so she's an older pup... she licks my hand softly when i go to pet her.. so i think she's picking up on my love :) she was never trained to be on leash so i wonder if thats holding her up from going too... but she is walking ok on it.. a little hesitant but she goes when i tell her "come on"

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

My Ginger was 5-6 months old and was a rescue from a puppy mill. She was scared of me, the car, grass, my house, the leash, quick movements and loud noises. Little by little she came out of her shell and now I have had her for two years and she is sweet and loveable. You have to show her everything she doesn't know about. Keep reaching out to her and she will reach out to you. Shout if you need to talk.

[Janie]

Congratulations on bringing Charly home...be persistant and patient he will come around.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Congratulations. Charly is probably already able to hold her bladder for longer than you think because she is older. The leash probably is inhibiting her. We have an RV and take our dogs with us. There is a big difference between when we have to leash potty walk and when they can be set free in a dog run. The less the dog is used to leash potty walks the harder it is for them to go. They do learn. We are still working with Ned to go when he is leashed and we have had him for 6 months ( the first two were traveling in our RV). I just kept taking him out = about every 30 minutes until he actually went.

[Lake Girl, Lizette]

We got our Molly at 9 weeks old...lots of potty breaks. Our Nestle we have had for two weeks and she is 6 months old. I took her out consistently every hour until she learned where we wanted her to go. She has only had one accident and that was our fault on New Year's day. Congrats with your new puppy from Molly, Nestle, and Lizette in TX.

[Beth and Gang]

After she eats and drinks a little now that she is HOME she will go outside. Enjoy your new baby...it doesn't get much better then that does it!!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Yay Chaz!.....Congrats!....Lynne is right ......Take her out often and spend plenty of time with her.....You may want to confine her to a certain area at night until she is used to her new home.....As far as accidents go?....Expect a few...no big deal....and if there are none?....great!......Do you know if she has had any training?........

[Barbara Burrows]

Congratulations, Chasity....Molly wasn't used to going out on a leash either. We took her out at regular times to the same spot. She got used to a routine after a few days. She sleeps in her crate at night, we have it in our bedroom. There are so many places, sounds, smells and people for them to get used to.. Have a wonderful time with Charly!!!!!!!

[chastity]

thank you everyone for such great advice and for sharing your own personal experiences. so its been 8 hours that she has been home.. everything is okay so far.. still hasn't really eaten.. has had a few treats when i ask her to sit but has been drinking water. so she finally went to the bathroom about 45 minutes ago.. i had to walk a little bit with her because the leash isnt't her fave. she doesnt fight it but just stops occasionally and looks at me like "I don't like this leash and collar thing." but she goes with it. big issue i'm having is that she doesn't know how to come up and down the stairs and doesn't like the elevator door. i'm on the 2nd floor so carrying her down isn't the easiest thing and i don't want her to get used to it. i tried getting her to come up and down the stairs with a treat but she doesn't even want to try... thats the only time she will pull back and come to a complete stop on the leash. i will keep being persistent, i know she has never been exposed to an elevator and i guess neither stairs! hopefully it will just be a matter of time for her to just get used to the surroundings and noises.. but i know.. patience patience..i'm not frustrated.. just a little worried i guess.. i feel kind of bad that she is a little scared..

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Give her a little time. She just got there. As the days go on she'll get used to everything. Be patient and loving and she will be fine.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Lynne is right.....Just keep reassuring her and praising her......Maintain calm....They pick up on your stress so it's important to be calm.....You're her "safe place" and her mommy now....Praise praise praise....Love love love.....She'll get the hang of it and you'll be amazed how quickly she'll respond to positive reinforcement.....