Hiya-
For both Rhett (he got home at about 12 weeks) and Scarlett (she got home around 10 weeks) they both bonded with me instantly.
For Rhett he cried the whole way home from the airport but once he got home he was great, he just ran around and sniffed EVERYTHING. He soon got a bath and a bunch of pictures taken of him. He got home really late at night so we went right to bed. He wasn't too hip with the kennel and it required 2 days of me sleeping on the floor next to him.
After those first 2 days I would have to occasionally lay down next to him for a couple of minutes and let him see me climb on the bed and I would be good until potty time.
I took a week off of work when I got him and he instantly latched on (too much) he has separation anxiety but I would consider it minor to moderate at the time. He would whine when I would leave to work and bark pretty loud and would do the same when I got home. I was a pretty bad daddy by going right to him when I got home to only reinforce the behavior.
Rhett was a pain to potty train (my fault as well) as after that first initial week of being home with him I had to start going back to work and I lived alone at the time. He was baby gated int the kitchen and had plenty of room but just to young to hold it. I eventually put in a doggie door in the kitchen to the back yard and ever since then he has never had an accident inside. Since that day he has had free range of the house when I'm home or away until Scarlett and her quest to be trained. Rhett also gets to be on the bed at night.
When I picked up Scarlett I had my roommate with me. I was driving and asked that he let her be in her kennel in the back seat. It was important to me that I was the first person to interact with. Of coarse he didn't listen and was playing with her most of the ride home (I never get angry but boy was I ticked)
I brought her home and kicked him out for the afternoon and me, Rhett and Scarlett ran around the back yard forever. Again I had an instantly bonded dog. I also took the first week off with her as well and all was well. She pretty much did the same thing as Rhett about the whole crate at night thing but her high pitched barks made it easy for me to wake up at night and let her out. She has never had an accident in her kennel (Rhett had them nightly for a week)
I would say Scarlett is now 98% trained but I still have to keep an eye on her. If she gets distracted on the way to the door then she will forget and end up in the living room. When she gets up I always wait for the sound of the doggie door to open and if it doesn't I'm up in a flash.
Scarlett doesn't really have seperation anxiety but she will bark when I get home but it's only because Rhetty is and she thinks that is what she is supposed to do.
The pups are back in the kitchen now though while I'm at work until I know for sure that Scarlett is on her best behavior but after that I'm sure they will all have free reign again. They do get to go anywhere if I'm just out shopping though and she does fine with that.
She is just over 6 months old now and she still gets the kennel treatment at night. I may start to give her free range at the new year at night, I just haven't decided yet.
They are both semi fine with being crated when guests are over but they will get a little but hurt about it.
For both Rhett (he got home at about 12 weeks) and Scarlett (she got home around 10 weeks) they both bonded with me instantly.
For Rhett he cried the whole way home from the airport but once he got home he was great, he just ran around and sniffed EVERYTHING. He soon got a bath and a bunch of pictures taken of him. He got home really late at night so we went right to bed. He wasn't too hip with the kennel and it required 2 days of me sleeping on the floor next to him.
After those first 2 days I would have to occasionally lay down next to him for a couple of minutes and let him see me climb on the bed and I would be good until potty time.
I took a week off of work when I got him and he instantly latched on (too much) he has separation anxiety but I would consider it minor to moderate at the time. He would whine when I would leave to work and bark pretty loud and would do the same when I got home. I was a pretty bad daddy by going right to him when I got home to only reinforce the behavior.
Rhett was a pain to potty train (my fault as well) as after that first initial week of being home with him I had to start going back to work and I lived alone at the time. He was baby gated int the kitchen and had plenty of room but just to young to hold it. I eventually put in a doggie door in the kitchen to the back yard and ever since then he has never had an accident inside. Since that day he has had free range of the house when I'm home or away until Scarlett and her quest to be trained. Rhett also gets to be on the bed at night.
When I picked up Scarlett I had my roommate with me. I was driving and asked that he let her be in her kennel in the back seat. It was important to me that I was the first person to interact with. Of coarse he didn't listen and was playing with her most of the ride home (I never get angry but boy was I ticked)
I brought her home and kicked him out for the afternoon and me, Rhett and Scarlett ran around the back yard forever. Again I had an instantly bonded dog. I also took the first week off with her as well and all was well. She pretty much did the same thing as Rhett about the whole crate at night thing but her high pitched barks made it easy for me to wake up at night and let her out. She has never had an accident in her kennel (Rhett had them nightly for a week)
I would say Scarlett is now 98% trained but I still have to keep an eye on her. If she gets distracted on the way to the door then she will forget and end up in the living room. When she gets up I always wait for the sound of the doggie door to open and if it doesn't I'm up in a flash.
Scarlett doesn't really have seperation anxiety but she will bark when I get home but it's only because Rhetty is and she thinks that is what she is supposed to do.
The pups are back in the kitchen now though while I'm at work until I know for sure that Scarlett is on her best behavior but after that I'm sure they will all have free reign again. They do get to go anywhere if I'm just out shopping though and she does fine with that.
She is just over 6 months old now and she still gets the kennel treatment at night. I may start to give her free range at the new year at night, I just haven't decided yet.
They are both semi fine with being crated when guests are over but they will get a little but hurt about it.
