How long did it take for your dog to feel at home?

[Susan, Zeke. Lily & Jasper]

Lily came to live with us Dec. 12th 2008. She was very skittish of our front steps, hoarded her food, and barked at every little noise or movement. She bonded very soon with Zeke, our 9 month old, also with my husband and me. It only took her a few times going out to potty to get used to the steps, good thing as this is the main exit. As to the food issue, she is very observant and soon realized that she and Zeke were getting food at the same time, so no need to guard or gobble. The barking is an ongoing work obedience. Zeke has never been much of a barker but has picked it up a bit since Lily does it so often. She is making progress but very slowly. Sometimes she tries so hard that she makes little huffing sounds-so funny! Overall she has become comfortable in a very short time (1 month ) and is a delightful addition to our home!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is such an interesting topic for all of us with rescued doodles. It's great that Lily took such a short time to become comfortable with your family. I would be interested to know how old she was, and what her previous home was like; I think those things have a bearing on it.
Jackdoodle took forever to seem to be "at home" here, or anywhere else, for that matter. He was owner-relinquished to a shelter @ 14 months old, they had bought him as a puppy from a pet store. I know he had lived in a home, because he was solidly housebroken and had exceptionally good house manners, but other than that, it's hard to figure out what the heck they did with him. He was afraid of everything, acted like he had never been outdoors before, jumped & cowered over every little sound or movement. He didn't seem to know how to play at all (except for very obsessive retrieving behavior). We spent the first 6 months working hard on socialization. I would have to say it took about a year for him to seem really "at home" here, or maybe just for me to feel like he completely trusted me & knew he was home. Yesterday was the third anniversary of his adoption.

[Susan, Zeke. Lily & Jasper]

Lily was 7 months old when we adopted her from Atlanta Pet Rescue. She had been in a home with an older woman who had to go to assisted living and could not take her dog. She had apparently been loved but not much else. Some potty training, no obedience, not spayed and not current on her puppy shots. I had been looking on several sites for a rescue and had even had one adoption fall through when I found her on Atlanta Pet Rescue's site. I knew right away she was the one for us and contacted them immediately. The process of working with this shelter was very positive, you can tell upon entering that the dogs are loved and well cared for. They make sure the animals in their care are well matched with their adoptive families. We couldn't be more happy with the decision to adopt Lily, and I think Zeke is happiest of all. Karen, It's so good to hear that Jack has responded to your love and care and we wish you many anniversary celebrations!

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

Susan...We were all so ecstatically happy for you when you adopted Lily!....We remember the day we posted her to Doodles In Need ( No picture included in her Petfinder listing) and I think within literally a day you had her home with you!. and WHAT A BEAUTY SHE TURNED OUT TO BE!!!...I am thrilled that she has adjusted to her new home and family!....

I think it took Blake one complete day to feel like he was "home".....but he came from a puppy mill situation and had only known life in a cage previous to my adopting him.....The trauma of his past is quite different from those experienced by a dog who actually HAD a family...and HAD a loving home....only to be dumped at a shelter.....Karen has said many times ...and I quote

" The emotions and resulting trauma these dogs are feeling are exactly the same emotions that a 5 year old child would feel if you woke up one day and just dumped them at an orphanage with NO explanation...NO goodbyes...NO promise of return........."

There are feelings of Abandonment..."Where is my mommy/Daddy?..Where is my family?"...confusion " What did I do?..I must have been bad.."....."When do I get to go home to the only home that I have ever known?"

So we know that adjustment period for a dog from that kind of a situation can be longer than that of dog who has never known wjat a home and family are like....

Do you have info on Lily's past?

[Deena Womack]

Cali has been with us a little over 3 months and although I feel we have a ways to go, she has come a long way. I remember when she wouldn't come up the stairs as she was afraid of them. Although she would stand at the bottom and bark if she got left alone when everyone would be upstairs. Now she runs up and down them like a pro. She doesn't always have to be exactly where we are like when she first came home. She comes and checks on us and if everything seems ok, she will wander away by herself. She now barks when the doorbell rings instead of being frightened as she was before. She lets us know her needs instead of us trying to guess (because of course we were mostly wrong in our guesses). She seems to be so much more comfortable and not as skittish. We are so proud of her.

[Susan, Zeke. Lily & Jasper]

Oh Deena, Your Cali is just gorgeous! I peeked on your page and discovered she was a gift. Those people must love you lots! Just like people, I guess dogs take their own time settling in. You should be very proud of Cali, she has come a long way in conquering her fears in just 3 months! Love goes a long way does'nt it?

[Deena Womack]

Yes lots of love, hugs and patience. But it has all been very much worth it.

[Doris]

Bodi wasn't afraid of anything but had some bad habits. He jumped up on everyone. He was a bit hyper, but it wasn't his fault. It only took about 6 weeks for Bodi to figure out how to respond to people and play without being crazy. He was also finally fixed (at age 2) which really helped a lot. Now it seems like he has lived with us forever.

[Susan, Zeke. Lily & Jasper]

I know what you mean about it feeling like Bodi has been with you forever. It's hard to remember life before Lily. She fit with our family so well and adds a totally diffferent personality than Zeke. She is a little goofy and very vocal where he is very serious and quiet. They really compliment each other.

[donna]

My rescued labradoodle Rosie came from a shelter in NC. I saw her poomix rescue and after filling out an adoption app. and many phone calls back and forth with the shelter I decided to adopt her. I had her flown from NC to MA. It took at least six months for her to really adjust. When I picked her up at the airport she was everything I hoped for. However she spent the hour ride home on the floor of the car shaking. When we got home within an hour she had escaped through the gate of my fenced yard right in front of me ( she was so fast) and my neighbors and I spent some anxious time chasing her down the street. She really didn't know how to walk on a leash and pulled really hard on our walks. At bedtime she slept at the foot of my bed and didn't move an inch all night. I was able to stay home with her the first week and I thought all was fine I was thrilled that she was house trained. However when I went back to work things sure changed. I thought it was safe to let her have full acess of the house and I had a neighbor who was checking on her and letting her out to potty and she had lots of toys to keep her happy. She pulled down the window blinds, brackets and screws too, ate wicker baskets, knocked over house plants and ripped her toys and bed to shreds. She obviously had separation anxiety issues. I confined her to the kitchen and dining room to keep down the damage using gates. She plowed through them. I tried using a crate(the largest one I could find). She cried so hard and stuck out all four legs to avoid going in so putting her in it was heart breaking. I ended up buying a section of fencing and put up brackets so I could drop the fence into the brackets and keep her in the kitchen. She was fine when I was home with her. On our walks she was afraid of loud noises, small children and small barking dogs. She loved adults, dogs her size or bigger and cats(they didn't like her very much). We went to obedience classes and I considered some private classes. She no longer has to be confined when I am not home. She is much better on our walks. She really is a sweet smart dog and just needed time to feel secure and adjust. I have had Rosie for 2.5 years. Everyone just loves her she is the neighborhood clown.

[Susan, Zeke. Lily & Jasper]

Your Rosie is just adorable! Those upside down doodle smiles are the cutest aren't they?

[Jennifer]

We've had Zoobie for 10 days, and he seems pretty comfortable being here, but is still learning what it is like to be in a home. I'm not sure given his young age (11 weeks) how different he is than a puppy coming from a reputable breeder. The first few days he treated my 14 month old son like another puppy, so we had to be really careful with that. He still gets a little too excited, and will still go after any food the kids have without hesitation (that will be my next step in training, LOL), but he is being much more gentle. He was pretty thrilled the moment he saw our dog, but she is an old grouch to other dogs (and the cutest, sweetest thing on earth to people), so she told him right off and he listened, and has had to turn his affections to the cat. The cat doesn't want to play as much as he does yet, but the cat will snuggle up for a nap. One strange thing is that he doesn't want to go for a walk without the other dog. When he figures out she isn't with us he pulls to go back home, I'm not sure if it is fear or not because he doesn't seem scared, but I guess he sees himself as a pack with her even though she doesn't! I want to know about his previous life, but I just get bits and pieces from the rescue. I'm not sure they really know as he was transported from Southern California to Northern CA, with a few rescues involved. The rescue I worked with to get him is really, really wonderful. They did a home visit, brought me a harness for him, gave me tips, and have really followed through. They are doing great work!