Behavior issues with an abused, rescued Greyhound puppy mix

[PhilNY]

I see that there are a lot of threads but the issues are overlapping and I am getting frustrated, not at her of course. We have had Chloe for exactly one month. She is now 11 months old. I am not sure how much of a mix she is but she is definitely more Greyhound than anything else. We were told that she is only skittish from when she was transported from one rescue to another but it is clearly more than that. 

There are a few issues. She still pees and poops in the house at times. I first want to know if this is normal for an abused dog to take this long. We go for four or five walks a day and she is always scared to one, go on the walk, and is still shaking at the beginning of the walk. If she does not want to go somewhere she digs in and has to be dragged. When it is bad there is a pond that I take her to where she is more calm and actually sniffs. Some days she does her business. Other days she will not go, maybe pee but not poop for at least a day. This is not when she has the accidents. She has improved and does go outside. Today for example we went out for our afternoon walk and she did both. We come home, an hour home and she is playing with her toys and then she poops. She didn't eat or anything else. This is the main issue, get her housebroken and then I will take more time for the other stuff. 

She hates the crate and when we left her alone for an hour and a half she moved it and got her mouth under the bars and chewed on the rug. My bed is her safe haven and that is where she stays. She will not play with us yet or come out. She is also not treat motivated. Deathly afraid of garbage cans and most any noise, some she is getting used to. She has chewed on some things, the remote control for example and a flag hanging on the wall. However, she stops when told and drops things when told. She is also the biggest cuddler when we sleep. Glued to my side. 

I am working on getting a trainer from Paws of War but any help until then would be appreciated. I am heartbroken that she is still so scared and want to give her the best life possible. 

[macoduck]

I think you are forcing too much on her too quickly.  She is experiencing sensory overload.

Rather than long walks, can you just walk her around your yard on leash? 

What is her abuse history? Is this your adoption group? https://www.pawsofwar.org/

Are you using a martingale collar? A standard buckle collar might slip off her headifshe has a greyhound-shaped head. Keep her leash short so she is beside your hip.

Others will chime in here, although weekends tend to be slower.

[PhilNY]

Thank you macoduck. I do adjust the walks according to how she is at that moment. The pond is not far so that is where we go, if she is feeling good and no scared then we go for longer ones. I keep her by my side and I use a harness. She came to me from a rescue - not through Paws of War - with a collar and she was doing the same things, she is doing better in the harness but still has moments. Also, she did get out of the collar, she did not run away but it took a while to get her leashed up again. Her rescue record I question. She came from Florida. Her, her littermates and her mom were rescued down there before she was two months. The story went that she came up here to NY to avoid the hurricane and that her fears were due to the transport. She was only in the rescue up here for one week. But what is sad is that she was definitely abused and that would mean at the rescue. She was doing fine and then after a week and a half we went to take her to the vet and the car triggered her. Since then she has advanced some and then gone back. I understand all that I just want her to stop pooping in the house. As I said I am in the process of getting a trainer. Thank you though, you made me feel better. I am trying to be patient but I hate seeing her shy away when I go to put the leash on her. 

[1Moregrey]

Remember that all puppies can get stuck in development stages that lead to behavioral issues like fear of noise, separation anxiety, excessive barking.  So as Macoduck says she needs more exposure at her pace on her new word.  So take a few steps back and lower your daily expectations.  As far as the accidents in the house at her tender age if you can take note of when she goes and then take her out at those times things will go better.  Potty training is so dependent on hormones levels, reading the signs that she needs to go out as well as being confident in her environment and feeling safe to assume the vulnerable potty position.  
The more new things she can be exposed to in short sessions the sooner she will gain her confidence.  No need for a formal walk just some time wandering around the yard to get used to new sounds, people, dogs, cats then add in places.  She needs to feel safe and that she is staying with you instead of just another stop on her life’s journey as she most likely is lacking a feeling is security and belonging.  One month is not enough time for all of your expectations to come true.  Slow down and enjoy your time with her she will learn what you want she just needs time, patience, and slow exposure to her new world.

[greysmom]

Some things going on that are overlapping, some things are just time related.

Number 1 - She's a puppy.  Larger breed dogs like greyhounds mature a lot slower than other breeds, so she's right smack in the middle of her teen years, and some developmental phases, so your expectations should be based on *that* level of mental maturity, and not what you see with your eyes of her physical maturity.  Add to that, you don't really know if she's a cross or not, or what she's crossed with if she is, and that part shouldn't really play any part in her training at this point.  Puppies need strict daily schedules for the most part - same time of day - every day - for eating, pottying sleeping, exercise.  Keeping her on a schedule will also help her learn to control her elimination better, and her body should adapt to that schedule after a week or so.  It should also help her with her anxiety - she'll know what's going to happen throughout the day and won't be surprised and anxious about something unexpected.

Number 2 - It's very very very normal for a newly adopted dog to be anxious in their new environment.  The rule of thumb is "Three days, three weeks, three months" for seeing changes in behavior and settling into their new homes.  She's still well within that time frame of getting used to everything that new and scary.  I'd be anxious as well if I was thrown into a new environment practically every 2 months.  So give her some time and patience with all the changes she's undergoing.  Putting her on a strict schedule will help her, as mentioned.  She's basically a feral dog who has spent some time in a controlled though chaotic kennel environment, so a home is even more strange and terrifying.  Add into it that she was likely separated from her siblings and mother abruptly, and before she was completely through her puppy fear stages, and it's a lot for her to deal with.

Number 3 - So.  Let her world be smaller until she's ready and able to handle more.  If you have a yard for pottying let that be it for a while.  Don't worry about walks for exercise and change that activity to playing ball inside the house or food puzzle games.  I can't even tell you how much time I've spent rolling a ball down our hall for a greyhound puppy to chase and get tired (I've had three greyhound puppies!).  If you *have* to walk her for pottying, make it short trips - on schedule - just out and back, and try and do it at quieter times if the schedule allows.  Take some yummy treats with you (everywhere) and make sure to have a little potty party every time she goes outside - praise praise praise and reward reward reward.  Reward the behavior you want, ignore the behavior you don't.  That works for most every aspect of training.  Dogs need to eliminate first thing in the morning, after meals, and *after playing*, so watch her for subtle cues she needs an extra out.

Number 4 - Unless you were directly told and/or witnessed her being beaten or otherwise physically abused, it doesn't really sound to me as if that's in play here.  So it's best to let those words disappear from your head and deal with the reality of the behavior in front of you - feral, anxious, unsocialized, puppy.  Using "abused" as an excuse for behavior you can easily fix makes it seem like it's not your responsibility when it really is.  You adopted her, with all her issues, whatever the cause.  She's not biting or being aggressive, she's just having trouble potty training and understandable anxiety in a new environment.  Completely normal for a young, newly adopted dog.

Good luck!!  And let us know how it's going!!

 

[PhilNY]

Thank you greysmom and 1moregrey. It has all been very helpful, mainly for on how I act. I was thinking last night that my stress and desire for her to hit these expectations are probably affecting her. She is such a sweet dog and while this is my third dog so much is new with her. I am not used to having to get sweaters and things like that. No idea of I should use Mushers Secret or get booties. I guess we are both getting used to things. Do any of you have any faith in the dog DNA testing kits? Online reviews are a mixed bag. My last dog was also from a rescue and they said she was mixed and she ended up being a purebred GSP. I forgot what I used back then and a lot has changed. Thank you all also for taking the time to respond and help and calm me down. 

[palmettobug]

Also, has she had a full fecal panel? Hookworms have been really bad lately, especially coming out of Florida. My youngest, Roman, took forever to clear his hooks, and it really affected his digestion. Sloppy, multiple poops and awful gas.

[PhilNY]

Palmettobug: she did have hook worms, she took her med and since then no worms. The big thing is that she is scared and shaking a lot, especially on walks. The poop is good, just in my room.