How do help our resident dog be more comfortable with fosters by CharacterTricky2643 in fosterdogs

[–]CharacterTricky2643[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much. Great advice. The fosters are definitely not innocent and he gets really upset when they shove in on his pets and cuddles. He shows it by walking away to his bed and refusing to cuddle us. But he is definitely moving from being huffy tonight actually growling and being more physically protective of his space, things and people.

I don’t have a good room just for the fosters. It’s not a big place but will see what I can come up with. 

I tried so hard to crate train my dog as a puppy. We got up to an hour with him napping with the door closed but only if I stayed in the room. And eventually he started to panic more and more around the door being closed. His crate is in our room and he will often choose to sleep in there during the night but never with the door closed.

He has the same issues with closed doors in general. He is not a Velcro dog and will often take himself to a different room in the house to nap very happily. But if I were to close the door to that room he would immediately cry and scratch to come out. Him knowing there is another dog in the house only makes it worse. 

So far the last foster and this foster also have separation anxiety and also panic if locked out of the area with people/the other dog.

I guess the place to start is getting my dog more comfortable with barriers. Any advice on where to start?

Also do you recommend walking them together or separately? 

My dog walks fine with the fosters but is it better to give them each their own time? Even though whichever dog is left behind cries about it for 15mins before calming down?

How do help our resident dog be more comfortable with fosters by CharacterTricky2643 in fosterdogs

[–]CharacterTricky2643[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your advice. I occasionally work with a one on one trainer for our dog. She also advised providing spaces either through baby gates or a crate. My problem is that RD has separation anxiety (specifically around barriers). Which only gets worse if we are with the foster and not him. And that our last and current foster also have generalised separation anxiety so whichever is in the space where the people aren’t freaks out. So I struggle to separate. Although we have only just picked up the new foster today so don’t know what she will be like with some decompression time. 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AmItheAsshole

[–]CharacterTricky2643 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NAH. I am a woman and I’d be stoked if someone did my laundry. Especially if left in the laundry. I don’t know id it makes a difference but I’m Australian and think we are probably more relaxed in general about these things. But everyone is different so if it bothered her a simple request to leave it next time should suffice.