Still Spending 95% Of Her Time In Her Room. Normal?

[Guest KatyC]

It's been 2 weeks today and although Peggy is doing well, she is still spending a lot of time in her room even when we are at home. She occasionally will wander into the lounge for a stroke but then she will go back to lay down in her room. she doesn't seem to want to lay with us in the lounge. We are quite happy for her to do this until she is ready to lay with us. We are just a little bit concerned that she might never want to lay with us in the lounge

 

She loves it when we go into her room and fuss her or lay with her. We give her treats when she comes into the lounge and yesterday we tried shutting the gate on her room for a few minutes to see if she would lay down in the lounge with us instead, but she just paced for a while, lay down then got up and then stood by the gate and cried as she wanted to go back in her room. So we just let her go back.

 

Is this normal behaviour still? Or should she be being a bit more sociable by now? Is there anything we can do to help with this, or shall we just let hyer get on with like we have been doing?

 

We would even let her on the sofa, but she wont get up on it and isn't really interested in staying in the room with us unless we are fussing her.

 

Thanks in advance

[Greydawg]

I think she is still adjusting to her new life. Keep doing what you are doing, and she'll come around when she is ready. The dog you know today will likely be a different dog in a few months - and what a wonderful thing to watch. Enjoy the journey!

 

 

[Guest KatyC]

Ok thank you

We keep thinking that for 4 years she has lived her life in a kennel, so she probably just thinks that room is where she is supposed to be, like her kennel. Hopefully she will gradually relaise the whole house is hers

[JohnF]

>> The dog you know today will likely be a different dog in a few months >>

 

That was very true of our Peggy... she took about 6 months before she wanted to be wherever we were unless really tired.

I reckon if I emailed you the blog/diary I kept of her first few months here you'd be amazed with all the similarities!

 

Try giving special treats in the lounge and always make sure the 'exit' path out of it is not blocked by the challenge of a human 'sentry'.

[Guest PhillyPups]

I have to laugh (not at you). Over 6 years ago, when my AnnaBanana joined us, she stayed on a dogbed in the kitchen. She ate well, did all her business outside, just when not eating or outside she was on the big round bed. When she was with me almost 2 months, I was thinking of contacting her breeder (se is a racer that came from her breeder after a litter of pups) to see about re-homing her as I thought she was miserable. Just when I decided I was going to make the call the next day, she strolled into the living room and put her head in my lap for rubs. She now is my bedbuddy, having to touch me all night long with her nose or paw or tail. Their whole world is new, some take longer to "check things out".

 

Anna is a cautious girl, not scared of a thing, just cautious. She rules the home, and I think she wants to make sure everything is safe for those in her care.

 

Give Peggy time. Do you have a soft bed in the lounge for her? Could you try bringing her "room" bed into the lounge in the evening when you are sitting there? How about a few treats in the lounge?

 

She will come around, they usually do, but on their own time frame.

Edited January 21, 2013 by PhillyPups

[Guest KatyC]

She does have a bed in the lounge, but maybe we will try and bring one of her many room beds into the lounge. She has a big soft bed, a duvet and a couple of blankets which she sort of nests in in the corner

 

Thanks for the advice

That's what I keep thinking.... I hope that she is happy being with us. We will just have to be patient and see what happens over the next few months.

Like yours she is very cautious and very curious too. She is getting better with noises but she still jumps and freaks out at certain bumps and knocks when she hears them.

 

[Guest june]

What a beautiful girlie! Give her time and I suspect she will become your shadow. Love the look in her eyes; that girl has spunk hidden away!

[greytpups]

2 weeks may seem like a long time but it really isn't...she has a safe place and feels comfortable there. Our first grey was extremely timid and would always go into her crate. after a while we did the same thing, closed the door to her for shorts amount of time. but we put a nice pillow in a corner because that's where she'd always go to lay down (on the carpet. I think we started this after a couple of months though, not weeks.

 

You're on the right track though, she just needs time to settle in and it will happen...and it will be a pleasant surprise.

[Guest KatyC]

Thanks for your advice everybody.

 

She definately has some silliness hiding in there as sometimes some cheekiness will pop out - usually to do with food or toys are playing in the garden. Her eyes are brilliant, I love them! She wags her tail quite a lot now, so I guess that is a good thing. Like when I come home, or go over to her or give her a treat.

 

We will just leave her to get on with it for a month or so then and see how she is then.

[Guest IrskasMom]

Time is all you need and Peggy to. It's all to new for her . Some take longer to adjust and some less. Again Time is what she needs .

[Rustyroo]

Franny will be with us three years next month and she acts the same way, but for her she hangs out in our bedroom. It's just her personality. She is always very happy to see us when we get home from somewhere and always comes out when called and for dinner etc, but she is just very happy to snooze away the day on her bed in our room. I was concerned when we first got her since the boys were so needy and different, but I came to understand that this is who she is.

[krissy]

Summit has been with us 2.5 years and off the track for 5. Most of the time he chooses to sleep on our bed instead of on a dog bed out in the living room with us. Why sleep on a dog bed when you can sleep on THE bed? He easily spends 95% of his time on our bed and not with us. If we shut our bedroom door he'll stay with us, but why bother? He's happy in the bedroom. Some of them never get over it, but it doesn't mean they're not happy.

[NeylasMom]

Like everyone else has said, she just needs time. I would not try to force the issue by shutting her out of her room. What you could do, depending on your set up is bring one of the beds from her room out and place it somewhere close to her room, in b/w there and the lounge. She may be interested in being near you, but not ready to leave the safety of her room yet and being able to lay close to it so she can make a quick retreat may help her expand her comfort zone. But honestly I might not even bother with that, she'll come around eventually. Giving her treats and attention like you are when she does come out and letting her retreat when she wants to is the best thing you can do.

[claudiav]

My Leyla has always been an independent alpha girl. She never slept with me, but after 2 yrs, she's decided it's quite nice to sleep with Remy & I... she will decide in time what she likes best... don't worry about it... you can entice her by bringing her bed in the lviing room and feeding her treats there...

Edited January 21, 2013 by claudiav

[Guest karilynn]

Aww! Peggy is so cute. I have a little cowdoggy, too!

 

I've had Bullet for going on a year in March and he still prefers his crate - which is technically his "room" He loves it in there and I leave the crate door open all the time. Sometimes he will come visit me while I am on the sofa and want some pets, but mostly he sleeps in his crate. I don't think he's depressed or withdrawn, we do plenty of stuff together and he has lots of doggy friends and human friends that love him, I just think he likes his own space and enjoys doing his own thing. He's definitely an independent dog, as much as he is attached to me and loves me.

 

Like everybody else has said, it takes time for the majority of these lovely dogs to come out of their shells. I think Bullet is pretty much de-shelled at this point and just likes his alone time. lol

[a_daerr]

I definitely wouldn't block access to her space if she feels comfortable and wants to retreat there. If she comes out to visit you, praise and treat. Otherwise, leave her be. It sounds like she still needs some time. Unfortunately, there aren't very many benchmarks where you can say, "By X number of weeks, she should be doing A, B, and C." Every dog is unique. It sounds like she has already made some progress though. Keep up the good work!

[msjpk]

2 weeks, she is just getting use to our world. Continue to provide her with a calm, warm atmosphere pretty soon you will be wondering why you let her on the furniture!!!

[Guest KatyC]

Thanks, we will just let her do what she wants then, she came out for quite a play yesterdday and every time I went to cuddle her in her room and then left she came after me so I fussed her in the lounge, she just wouldn't lay down to be fussed. She just stands and then goes back to the room when I've finished. But if she is happy with doing it that way then that is fine

 

Does anyone have any tips on getting her to jump into the boot of the car? At the moment my boyfriend has to pick her up in one go and put her in!! It would be good if she would jump in herself. We have tried giving her treats and things but she isn't interested. Anyone got any ideas?

 

Thanks

[JohnF]

Does anyone have any tips on getting her to jump into the boot of the car? At the moment my boyfriend has to pick her up in one go and put her in!! It would be good if she would jump in herself. We have tried giving her treats and things but she isn't interested. Anyone got any ideas?

 

She probably knows this one already: "Kennel UP!". Toss in a tasty treat and train her to that.

Try it with you aready in the back seat of of the car offering a treat too.

You may get a better result with a piece of carpet draped over the back bumper/fender. I had to do that with our Honda Estate else there is a gap.

[Guest greytone]

Two weeks isn't that long to be in your home. And honestly, it sounds like she is just fine. I always tell people that how you see a dog at the kennel isn't how they are going to be. A hyper dog will settle dog and a quiet dog will become more active.

[KickReturn]

I know I sound like a broken record but the best bonding will occur on long walks together. In the house you may be nothing to her right now. But out on an adventure you are her leader, her teacher, her security. Demonstrate calm, confident, competent leadership and she will become a part of you.

[rschultz]

She will come around. It took Lexie 3 months to come near us It also took her 4 years to want to snuggle with us She will surprise you. You will enjoy the progress she makes.

[Guest KatyC]

Thanks all. Yesterday she seemed really waggy and we found her roaching again for the 2nd time so we gave her belly rubs which she really liked. She is starting to enjoy her walks now.

[Guest KatyC]

 

She loves a cuddle

[Guest FreeholdHound]

I had to hoist Harry's large butt (85 lbs) into the hatch for about a month, then one day he just did it himself. When we go out now he jumps right in but when it's time to go home he refuses every time. Grrr. I walk him in circles leading him to the bumper several times before he'll load. He's not that treat happy but I will probably start carrying some special treats to see if he'll cooperate a bit quicker