DAY ONE
June 2010: We chose Pooh and planned to foster her for a few days since she was recovering from kennel cough. Pooh wouldn't go back into the shelter door so after our outdoor visit we took her directly around the building and convinced her to get into the cab of the pickup. She laid down in the extra cab and rode home politely with us. We even stopped at the Beavers store to buy her a new collar and leash because she had been sent home with a green collar, deemed unacceptable by my husband. We took her home, let her settle in on the couch, and it seemed she was instantly blended into our home. She didn't pee in the house, didn't bark, didn't get into anything, or bother the cats.
THE FIRST WEEKS
The first week with Pooh was easy. We thought we had hit the jackpot in choosing a dog. She laid around while we watched tv, walked politely on a leash for her short potty walks,went back to sleep right after her walks, knew commands to lay down, leave it, clearly understood no, and created barely a ripple in our lives. I did her adoption paperwork with a co-worker after a few days and she was officially a new member of our household. She wasn't cuddly or playful, but we figured she would warm up to us once she got relaxed. We took her to the vet for the visit included in our adoption package and he noted a few concerns right away after talking with us. When I asked how often a dog her size should pee he looked at me oddly. After clarifying he explained that she should pee several times a day, not once, and that we should make getting her to pee more than once a day the first priority or there would be health problems. (Though we let her outside frequently she did not pee in the back yard...only in the field near our house.)
He said that Pooh was very attached to my husband and made it clear that Pooh needed to be left alone for at least 30 minutes a day. As a teacher, my husband had been home consistently with Pooh and our vet was concerned that Pooh was too bonded. He coached us on deferment training and explained that she needed a safe room and should not be allowed to roam in the house if we weren't home. He also talked to us about separation anxiety, the hint of destructive behavior we had seen, and considering medication for Pooh. He instructed us to come back if there were problems, not to let things get out of hand.
(At this point it's important to note that Dr. Erion has been the vet for all of our "kids" for the past 15 years. I've sent numerous referrals to him and he is like a member of our family. He took care of our sweet little doxie right up to the end and knows my husband and me very well. It might also be helpful for you to know that our prior dog ate everything, pottied if left unsupervised in the house so he was gated in bathroom or left outside, and was a food motivated little bundle of happy energy.)
I'm not sure what my husband was thinking when we left the vet's office that day, but I know that I did not fully understand the warning we had just received. I thought it was weird that our long time vet was so concerned with our new dog. Perhaps he was leery just because she was a "shelter dog"?