Topic

This is Stormy (some of you may have met him at Culbin last week). He has come through SSHC welfare and was brought up to us last weekend to see how he would get on with our girlies.

We had previously been put off trying a welfare because our Skye came with so many issues and was terrified of other dogs. However over the last 9/10 months or so she has come on leaps and bounds and is sometimes playful with other huskies. After this years Aviemore we decided we really did need another dog, we pondered another puppy but then I saw Stormy on David Dalziel's welfare page. I pretty much fell in love with him then and there and me and Rob decided it would be nice to give another dog with a sad past a home and that an older boy might be good with Skye.

Stormy arrived last Friday evening and seemed to bond quite quickly with me Girls liked him, Kayla was her usual mean self for first 10-15 mins then decided she liked him, Skye was pretty taken with him straight away and Talia yapped away at him (poor lamb is still bit scared of her lol). We all survived being together in the caravan over the Culbin rally and he had a couple of wee runs with Kayla. He did well kept up with her at start and finish flagged a bit in the middle but I think once we get his fitness up they will be a lovely little team, the main thing is even though he wasn't as quick for whole thing is Kayla he was very enthusiastic so at least she didn't tell him off lol.

He is quite the character he is a bit nervous of people (especially men it seems) so he has been a bit clingy with me as we bonded quite quick but he is such an affectionate, loveable funny wee dog. He made himself at home straight away (plonked his backside straight on sofa without being invited). He is getting on with the girls he has had the odd scuffle with Kayla as he tries to push his luck a bit and pretend he is top dog, Skye is very tolerant of him just gives him the odd typical Skye grumble every now and then. Puppy is still a bit much for him but he is sniffing her and not looking as terrified of the little madam.

He is exceptionally naughty! First night back home I crated them all, he has seperation anxiety so he screamed and screamed. I was determined to make him stay in his crate. Well he had other ideas, he destroyed his crate, opened the bedroom door and I found him in the kitchen with Skye trying to empty the dog food bin! For now he is crated in our bedroom at night till he settles. He is very good at opening all doors (I hope he can't unlock them with keys lol) but so far he hasn't pushed his luck to steal food.

The main issue is his seperation anxiety. We told out next door neighbour when he arrive, explained his past and said he may be noisy till we settled him (we left day time contact no's). Well I thought he must be behaving as not a peep from her but on Wednesday she collared Rob and said he was howling non stop for the whole day every day and he would pretty much have to go (she has 3 rescue dogs and worked for a rescue kennel so expected more tolerance from her). Upon speaking to other neighbours he is crying first hour and half and a bit in afternoon. They all say it isn't a problem as long as we are addressing it and that it will be put right. We will spend this weekend practicing kenneling him and telling him off for noise so hopefully things will start to improve next week. I will bury that neighbour under my patio before I send Stormy back.

All in all he is an adorable boy and I am sure that all he needs is time, understanding, stabilty and lots of love

Here is a more recent update on him:

Well yesterday I had cried m heart out for Stormy. I fed him in kennel in morning to try and make him think of it as a positive place. We had to nip to garage to collect the landy so left them all in living room. Got back and heard no howling.

I bought really juicy bone and put him in kennel with that. Managed 10 mins before he started to scream. Did it a few times but what I noticed is he actually seems scared of the kennel. Even if I stood directly beside it he screamed.

We had them out for a run and he was lying in back of car just fine. Later on I was taking him and pup to groomers. I crated them and he screamed whole journey and just seemed terrified of being contained.

When I got back to groomers she said she had done best she could with him but that he pretty much just stood there and peed himself continuously and while she groomed pup he paced round (he was shut in room via a baby gate) and continually peed himself. On journey home again he screamed continuously.

From what I saw yesterday it seems that he is terrified of being shut in anywhere, if he is loose he is fine but due to his naughty habits that isn't an option. I am wondering if cage/kennel was used to punish him in. Last night i fed him in crate and this morning in kennel.

Got really upset over this yesterday and just wonder what has been done to this poor boy. It is a credit to him that he still has lovel temperament and has any trust in people at . Obviously me being upset for him doesn't help him and I could avoid the things that scare him but know that isn't in his best interests and I know I have to tr and just make life normal for him. I am giving him less attention to try and make him less clingy and ignored his greetings when get in etc.

Oh dear hun I feel sorry for both you and Stormy. :frown: It's such an unbearable feeling to see our pets upset and distressed. I wish I could offer advice but not ever having owned a dog I have no idea. All I can say is that he clearly loves you and you love him and that's already a fantastic sign of things to come.

Please keep us updated on Stormy's story.

Human beings have a lot to answer for!

This is it, with homing rescued dogs unfortunately, you never know what the poor mites have suffered through before you get them.

Our latest, Arthur, is very clingy and needs to be next to you, or preferably on top of you!

He is very subservient to Merlin, who is half his size, and we have to feed Arthur in a separate room or Merlin eats his dinner as well as his own.

We did have similar issues with separation and fear of confinement, but we eventually bought a massive cage that all three can fit into, we furnished it with old clothes of ours and even spent time in there with one or other of the dogs. We leave it open most of the time so that they can go in and out of there when they want.

Now we often find one or other of them asleep in the cage. It means that when we need to put them in the cage they go in without problem and all curl up together and go to sleep.

Good luck with Stormy; perseverance, patience and love will win him over in the end:grouphug:

What a stunning looking animal! He is absolutely gorgeous. People who abuse animals (or anything else for that matter) should be strung up by their balls (or somewhere else if they have none!) for all to beat!

I am sure with love and care, and the interaction with your girls, he is bound to get over his worries and get back to being a fun loving and care free animal.

My mum wants to get a dog now after 7 years (our Doby died of old age back then and she hasn't felt like another till now) and I am definitely going to look at a rescue dog and it is great to give an animal a second chance at a loving family!