# Help with Romanian Rescue



## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

So we have adopted a 4/5 month old Romanian puppy, we’ve had him 2 weeks and in those two week, it has been difficult, especially the first week when he was learning the boundaries, but on the whole he’s been fine…

Until today, took him for his first walk, which he was fine with, just down the road and back, and when we got back home he was crying, barking and lunging at the door to get back out and would not settle. 

I am at a loss of what to do, it’s horrible seeing him in distress, I will be talking to the rescue as well and asking them but has anyone had this problem?


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## Ian246 (Oct 27, 2018)

Do you know where the dog actually came from? Many Romanian rescues are former street dogs, so if that's the case, living in a house will be completely new to him - it's natural for him to want to be outside. Do not underestimate how long it takes these dogs to adjust - you are talking months to fully settle in, rather than days. The attached chart will give you a rough idea - don't hang too much on the 'three threes' business - every dog will be different, but it does give you a very rough idea. In the meantime, I'd suggest that, if he gets stressed you try and distract him by playing (if he will) or doing some kind of training - something to take his mind off 'the street'. I'd also recommend that you are very careful when you take him out or you let him into the garden - rescues are infamous for escaping in the early days, so it's worth keeping him well under control. If on susbsequent walks he gets all worked up again, I'd leave it for a few days - he will cope with not being walked, but you will need to engage his brain a bit with training, games, etc, in your garden (assuming you have one.) I hope that helps.


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

Don’t know his background completely, was told they were dumped at the shelter/kennels when he was a pup, but who truly knows. 

Tbh I didn’t want a dog in the first place and I warned the family about getting an overseas rescue cuz you don’t know the true background and being older and it’s going to be difficult yadda yadda yadda, but I wasn’t listened to and now we are dealing with this plus other stuff. I did know about the 3’s rule, It’s only been two weeks and although I’m not happy about having a dog I won’t give up on him because this is not his fault.

I’m just at a loss, he has brain toys to keep his brain active, try and play with him but he doesn’t care. He’s only happy when there is food for him, he will come in and look at you to put treats in the games and if you don’t do it he plays up, but I can’t keep doing that all day. He just doesn’t settle and cries to be outside all the time (since we first took him out yesterday)


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## Ian246 (Oct 27, 2018)

Oh, I see - I thought he was getting worked up during the walk - sort of misread your original message. If he’s fine when walking, why not take him out twice a day? It will do him good and it might help him settle down. He probably doesn’t ‘get’ toys - not all dogs do - especially, if he’s not had any before.
The point is you’ve ONLY had him for two weeks and - as you seem to accept - it just takes time. He’s had a massive change to his life, whatever it was before in Romania. You just need to give him time to adjust.


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

This is the problem though, I am happy taking him out more, but not while he is in the state of lunging and crying at the door to go out. He can get himself in such a state and it’s not nice to see, but I don’t want to reward that behaviour by taking him out when he’s like that.


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## Ian246 (Oct 27, 2018)

I wouldn’t say you’re rewarding the behaviour by taking him out - it’s a need that he has. Either way, the only alternative is to keep him in, then. He doesn’t NEED exercise, admittedly, right now (for a short period, at least), but he does need some mental stimulation and you need to forge a bond with this dog. So, you’re going to have to do something. You say you try and play with him but he just doesn’t care. What have you tried? You’re going to have to find something. Do you have a (secure) garden he can go out in? If so, try hiding a few treats around the garden and let him hunt those out - but do it with him; you can point one or two out to him so he starts to learn that the two of you can act as a team, that you’re there to help him, and that will help to build a bond. It’s all about building trust in these early stages.
Eventually (like, in a couple of days) you are going to have to take this dog out, whatever happens.
What did the rescue organisation suggest regarding the lunging at the door you describe?
Also, you said that you didn’t want the family to get a dog - what’s everyone else doing with this dog to try and help him settle into this strange (to him) environment? How are they trying to help him learn to trust them?
I’m guessing this dog is frightened and anxious. He wants to get away and he sees the outside as safe. The answer isn’t to stop him going outside. The answer is to go with him and then, when he’s back in the house, to show him that it’s a good place - friendly people who will protect him, food, play, treats, etc. If you’re not going to do that, what do you intend to do?


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## Isolette (Jul 5, 2021)

It reminds me of gypsies when faced with living indoors. Stir crazy.. Would an outside run/pen be feasible? Or even tethered outside?


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

I try and give him plenty of mental stimulation, I try and do sniff work with him but he doesn’t use his nose for anything. Like i said he has plenty of different brain games so he’s not doing the same one all the time, I play with him in the garden but nothing seems to work. 

I was hoping that once he started walks everything would get easier but it’s just gotten worse.


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## Isolette (Jul 5, 2021)

ajrimmer said:


> I try and give him plenty of mental stimulation, I try and do sniff work with him but he doesn't use his nose for anything. Like i said he has plenty of different brain games so he's not doing the same one all the time, I play with him in the garden but nothing seems to work.
> 
> I was hoping that once he started walks everything would get easier but it's just gotten worse.


How long are the walks?


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## Ian246 (Oct 27, 2018)

ajrimmer said:


> I try and give him plenty of mental stimulation, I try and do sniff work with him but he doesn't use his nose for anything. Like i said he has plenty of different brain games so he's not doing the same one all the time, I play with him in the garden but nothing seems to work.
> 
> I was hoping that once he started walks everything would get easier but it's just gotten worse.


I'm sort of losing the thread here. Your previous post had suggested you were refusing to take him out because he's lunging at the door, etc. Your last line suggests you ARE taking him out (as I think you should). I guess that's not the case? How long do you intend to keep him inside? If he's getting stressed at being inside, keeping him inside is not going to allow him to release that stress. He's just going to feel trapped and he may 'up' his efforts to get out.
I'm worried that you seem intent on not taking him out until he miraculously calms down and I don't think that's going to happen. In fact, what may happen is that he just gives in (like someone kept in a prison cell 24 hours per day) - I wouldn't want a dog who's spirit has been broken and it's certainly no way to 'train' him to behave; his mind is not going to work like that. He's never going to work out that if ge stops wanting to get out he'll be allowed out. How can he? 
Right now, from what you've said, he's happy enough when he's out of the house. So, give the dog a break and take him out - let him relax for a spell. I feel sure that he will begin to relax. I feel equally sure your method is just going to make him feel increasingly trapped. There is no silver bullet here - but you need to show this dog he's in a good place and that he can trust you. Refusing to allow him outside is not going to do that in my opinion.
And, as I asked, what are the rest of the family doing with this dog?


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

I’m doing what I have been told to do by behaviourist, even before getting him. Because he is a rescue I was told to keep him in for two weeks. This is his 3rd week so started taking him out, not for long walks as I’ve been told to not overstimulate him as doing things to quickly can cause the dogs to shit down and bring on other issues. 

It’s not that I don’t want to take him out, I’m just trying to follow advice I have been given from trainers. 

All I was searching for was seeing if anyone has had this problem and what they did to help the dog. Not looking to be judged, I am trying my best with him and as said before following instructions I have been given by behaviourists.


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

And yes I will talk to trainers about this issue too, but if anyone had been through it would be nice to be able to talk about it see what they did


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## Ian246 (Oct 27, 2018)

Oh, okay - if you’ve had behaviourist advice, crack on. I think you just have to ride it out. As I say, I’d be taking him out now. Good luck with him, anyway.


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

I've got 2 Rommies but neither has had this specific issue but I think he's still decompressing- the '3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months' are guidelines as opposed to an exact tick list, & he may still be at the stage of decompressing.

There's a good, Rommie focused website that may be of help to you:

https://thedogspov.com/


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

Thank you, hopefully that’s what it is, he just gets himself into such a stressed state, it’s not nice for anyone, let alone him, the poor boy. 

Thank you, will take a look at this


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

ajrimmer said:


> Don't know his background completely, was told they were dumped at the shelter/kennels when he was a pup, but who truly knows.
> 
> Tbh I didn't want a dog in the first place and I warned the family about getting an overseas rescue cuz you don't know the true background and being older and it's going to be difficult yadda yadda yadda, but I wasn't listened to and now we are dealing with this plus other stuff. I did know about the 3's rule, It's only been two weeks and although I'm not happy about having a dog I won't give up on him because this is not his fault.
> 
> I'm just at a loss, he has brain toys to keep his brain active, try and play with him but he doesn't care. He's only happy when there is food for him, he will come in and look at you to put treats in the games and if you don't do it he plays up, but I can't keep doing that all day. He just doesn't settle and cries to be outside all the time (since we first took him out yesterday)


It sounds like your poor dog is really stressed.I have a beautiful Rommie rescue,and although I didn't encounter the specific problem you are describing,it took lots of time and patience for him to settle and grow into the wonderful dog he has become.If your dog was in a shelter from an early age,he almost certainly wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn to play.Food is likely to have been scarce,at least it is in many of the shelters.Outside space was probably not available and he certainly wouldn't have had any experience of domestic living,so TV, washing machine,people walking close to him etc etc are probably all alien and quite scary.It will take time and really does need to be done at his pace,any short cuts will backfire.Can I ask if the behaviourist or trainer who advised you was experienced with Rommie dogs?Can the rescue he came from offer you any advice?A lot of the 'rules' around training are different with these dogs,whose baseline is off the scale of most domestic dogs.My advice would be to drop any expectations you have about how things should be and take how they are as a starting point.It really does sound like you've been thrown in at the deep end.My experience with my Rommie rescue has been a real journey,a bit bumpy at times but very rewarding and so worth all the effort.Good luck and please let us know how you are getting on.


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

Hey thanks for your reply.

yeah I quite understand all that, but sounds and everything he is fantastic, took things slow in the first few weeks and noise doesn’t seem to bother him (though I have read up on stacking so I haven’t been overdoing the stimulation) yes I agree with you he is stressed, all he has known is being with hundreds of other dogs in kennels and now he is somewhere completely new, with boundaries he has never had before. 

I just really don’t like seeing him distressed and pacing around, wanting to go out.

I’m going to start putting him on a strict routine now, so wake up at certain time, go for walk, feed etc everything at a time until he realises he will get walks. 

if anyone has any ideas than please feel free to say. 

I have messaged the rescue but waiting for a reply


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

I thought he had arrived with you very recently from your post on Monday (2weeks?).That really is very, very early days.He may appear to be more ok than he actually is because basically he's still in shock,shut down.So all the familiarising with noises/life style etc that has happened in that time doesn't really count for much.On the contrary, exposure to more than he could have coped with had he not been in that state can actually be detrimental once he 'comes round'.That is why I would always advise people to take things really slowly,even when it doesn't look like it's necessary.That's what I did with my dog,we really didn't see his true character for some time.He was far 'easier' initially until he found his paws! Fortunately,I had been really careful not to expose him to things that I absolutely didn't have to.For example,he was walked early am and late pm when it was very quiet.It took a long time to expand his comfort zone but,by going at his pace,he has grown into the dog I think he was born to be.
Do you have a safe garden that your dog can spent time in and maybe have a bit of his 'own space' in? Be aware of how good these dogs can be at escaping though,even when it doesn't look possible.I kept my dog on a long line and sat quietly out with him, while not interacting with him unless he approached me and asked for it.On occasions he would lie under a bush just 'being'.
I hope you get a constructive response from the rescue.I know it takes time but what you do now will pay dividends for the life span of your dog.


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

Thanks for the advice. We have been taking it slowly, he hasn’t been forced to go out or do anything he doesn’t want to. 

I have been ignoring him jumping up at the door now, I’ve moved anything that he can pull down and/or hurt himself on. And ignoring it seems to help, he doesn’t get as stressed if we don’t rise to it and tell him off and he eventually settles. This seems to be working. Yes it is early days that’s why I won’t give up on him, none of this is his fault, just want to try and make his transition/decomposition as stress free as possible for him


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## bunnygeek (Jul 24, 2018)

ajrimmer said:


> Thanks for the advice. We have been taking it slowly, he hasn't been forced to go out or do anything he doesn't want to.
> 
> I have been ignoring him jumping up at the door now, I've moved anything that he can pull down and/or hurt himself on. And ignoring it seems to help, he doesn't get as stressed if we don't rise to it and tell him off and he eventually settles. This seems to be working. Yes it is early days that's why I won't give up on him, none of this is his fault, just want to try and make his transition/decomposition as stress free as possible for him


That's a good bit of progress, make sure you give him a gentle reward when he is calm, even if it's just a soft "good boy", it doesn't have to be snacks. Reward the behaviour you want


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## Miss Marmite (Aug 4, 2021)

Hello i am very new to this forum, in fact i've only just joined. I live in uk and started doing dog rescue first in Uk but it was completely unbearable and i could not cope with the amount of drama and stress and competition, involved. I had a wonderful mentor who was so organised and on the ball i was in complete awe of this woman and i still am. She kept her group off face book and as she rescued many years, most of her friends are owners of some of the bigger ngo rescues in Uk. She has a wonderful reputation amongst all of them and it's clear why. She knew Uk rescue wouldn't hold me for long and she was right. I started looking into international rescue and i so wish i hadn't in a way as now i know it's happening i can't walk away. I have done all sorts of rescue mainly Romanian not massive amounts of dogs, in fact bringing to uk one at a time to private adopter within the Uk but backed by the registered orgs in uk as needed. I have a lifetime of experience with dogs as i've always doted on them and had a good connection. I fostered the big dogs or the dogs with behavioural issues. This was my ace understanding and getting to the bottom of issues with dogs surrounding behavioural, anxieties etc things that make your dog stand out from your average. I am happy to offer training tips and ideas that i've used on Romanian dogs with issues such as these mentioned and you know this is not the first time that i have seen dogs do these related actions when exercise becomes a routine part of their day. And i would like to say... wow..... i think you are the only adopter that i have know myself that have stuck to the advise from the rescue about not taking the dog out for a week or better 2. Exceptions could be made for bigger more energetic dogs if there was somewhere very close to take them and you only had a tiny garden and we would advice nighttime whent there is less to stimulate the dogs mind. But only as a desperate measure really and certainly not before a week of settling. I see you are making progress and wouldn't want to in anyway interfer with this by giving you my tips and advice which may not tally in with the behaviourists. If you feel the progress is no longer being made or other issues have come to light, which is not uncommon, so don't panic, please let me know and we can discuss this further. I will need more information though as in the dogs size breed or breeds if poss it would be more chit chat then working with the dog if i'm honest till we get the root, it doesn't take long when your nattering about day to day things or your partner coming in from work knackered etc and stressed not saying this is so sometimes it could be something as stupid as your next door neighbour lets his cats out at a certain time etc etc etc. but these problems are often quickly oozled out and the the solutions are unbelievably simple and easy.I'm hoping the rescue is paying for the behaviorist you are using or at least contributing. I probably know the rescuer or rescue you got the dog from to be honest. Hope it was one thats offering lots of advice and support to you. Can i just stress one thing that i hold of the utmost importance here in this issue and really would like you to take on board and remember. You are obviously one of the good people who don't throw the dog back at the rescue the first sign of any problems you have obviously gone out of your way yourself and by researching and asking for help which is exactly right and i respect this so much. I can see you are extremely attached to this pup already and you want nothing more then to make this work. You have said the dog is getting itself into a state maybe not so much now but mentioned that the state was upsetting to see etc. its not always easy, i struggle myself but dogs run on esp which is extra sensory perception they are extremely sensitive to your feelings and emotions . i think this only intensifies over time too. My dogs have told me when i'm going to get a kidney infection and this is handy as i only running on one so i get chance to flush it before its settles which means no drugs needed. Dogs are used now to detect fits in human being and they know when a person is going to fit enabling them to prepare etc. when your dog is upset it stands to reason as you do if your kids are upset that you will be. Sometimes with kids they might do something wrong like swear out of turn and you have to correct them as it's not appriate language or they said something out of turn and need to be corrected but all you really want to do is roll on the floor laughing because it sounded so funny coming out of there mouth you know what i mean, so you put on you serious face but laughing inside enough to burst. Well when your dog is getting stressed and into a state and you are worrying and upset because of this you are just feeding each others stress and anxieties without even realising. Just try to remember if it happens again to try and act as if you are unaffected by it, ignoring is good if its not tearing your home up or at risk but to a degree certian behaviours should not be excused in this instant even if its in favour or seeing the back of this issue because theres a risk of replacing this issue with another. The dog needs to thing you can carry on pottering around may be humming to yourself etc and are not in on the same level at all as he is. This will confuse a little i think. Call the buggers bluff. I am Tracey L Woolley on facebook i do have a page but i have a friend revamping it for me at the moment and it's a mess. if you need any help a chat or anything i would be happy to help if i can. Send my a message here or a request on facebook and i will certainly offer any help and if i can't personally help you i will see to it you do get some good support to help you regardless. Be patient though because the rewards will be more the worth it. these dogs are another level once they have settled and know their place. they love so intensely and they are so eager to please. i don't know how most of them come to keep giving us humans the chances and forgiveness they do. Well done for holding your own. You should be very proud of yourself you are one of a few these days. Good Luck And thankyou for saving this wonderful soul. x


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## Miss Marmite (Aug 4, 2021)

to write an essay like this and then realise the post in nearly a decade old lol this is just sooooooooooooo typical of my luck. lol please delete best i get off here before i start doing seances or something for owner and dogs so old they passed already grrr lol


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## Linda Weasel (Mar 5, 2014)

Miss Marmite said:


> to write an essay like this and then realise the post in nearly a decade old lol this is just sooooooooooooo typical of my luck. lol please delete best i get off here before i start doing seances or something for owner and dogs so old they passed already grrr lol


Still useful for someone who might come 'browsing'.


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

Thanks for your help everyone!
Turns out he was quite ill 
He had giardia, now we have that under control he is a lot better. 

Just got to work on the resource guarding and counter/table surfing now


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

ajrimmer said:


> Thanks for your help everyone!
> Turns out he was quite ill
> He had giardia, now we have that under control he is a lot better.
> 
> Just got to work on the resource guarding and counter/table surfing now


Good to hear that things are moving in the right direction health wise.
Thanks for the update and good luck with dealing with the behaviours.


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## ajrimmer (Aug 11, 2013)

Silverpaw said:


> Good to hear that things are moving in the right direction health wise.
> Thanks for the update and good luck with dealing with the behaviours.


Thank you 
He is much better than he was with the guarding and counter surfing, so we are getting there. He's a very clever boy and now we are able to take him over the park and other places it helps


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## Silverpaw (May 8, 2019)

ajrimmer said:


> Thank you
> He is much better than he was with the guarding and counter surfing, so we are getting there. He's a very clever boy and now we are able to take him over the park and other places it helps


Sounds like great progress, well done to all.


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