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Dora the rescue cavalier

Noelle

Noelle

Well-known member
Hi All,

We recently added Dora the 2yr old rescue dog that Sallymum had fostered to our family.Dora is a lovely little thing,but it is very obvious that she has suffered cruelty at human hands as she is terrified of people,she physically shrinks or runs away into her safe corner.
Her current hobbies include sleeping and eating,she will take food from my hand,she shows great talent at these hobbies:pMy pup (9mths) Brinkley has not adjusted to her yet and continues to bark at her,he wants to play and she is busy sleeping alday.He also isnt keen on her getting hugs from his mum.
Dora is not lead trained or fully toilet trained, as she will not let me pick her up or approach her, i can not take her out to a designated spot in the garden, when she goes to the toilet in doors.:confused:
If anyone has any training suggestions on toileting her and gaining her trust i would welcome them. She will also bolt for the door and prefers to be outside rather than inside.
Dora is the first rescue I have had and i would love to hear the tips and stories of others.
I have added a picture of Dora,she is the small cavalier to my album if anyone is interested.:paw:

Thanks
 
Hi Noelle, it's great that Dora has found a loving home. She is adorable :lotsaluv: I'm afraid I cant offer much advice but I am sure there are lots of people here who have had similar situations. I'm sure in time she will learn to trust you. She is probably just nervous because of her past. Keep up the good work and keep us posted on your progress :)
 
Noelle, there are a lot of good sites listed here http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=10308

Rescues need time to regain trust-if they ever had it and a lot of patience is a basic ingredient. Time tables don't exist for progress but you'll often get a little mental nudge that you can push a little in a certain growth. They're all the same in one way-they want your love :).
 
Also, maybe set aside worrying too much about toilet training if you can for a week or so and focus on getting her to use a collar/harness and lead. I know you are starting this work a step at a time! :) I don;t think it will take too long to get her to use the lead, then you can really begin to focus on housetraining. I'd try to achieve anything you want with getting her to you, by luring with really high value food treats so that she is coming voluntarily. The problem with her at the moment is, if you pursue her to catch her and take her out for toiletting, she will only remain fearful or grow more so. Maybe a better approach is to let her be outside for a period and then inside for a period, after she has done her business, so she is less likely to have inside accidents. Then lure her to you to bring her back and leave her outside again. Keep working on having the collar on for periods, then take it off again. Also after a couple of days, try a lightweight lead walking her inside or in the run outside. Try a harness if she isn't comfortable with a collar. This is safer for her if she pulls or tries to bolt, as well.
 
Congratulations on your new family member :).

The best advice I can give is to let Dora have time. She'll be watching and taking notice of what's happening in the home - she just doesn't understand it all yet.

Time will make all the difference in the world. 3 of mine were from horrid backgrounds and have learned to live in a home and getting totally spoilt ;).
 
Hi ,
My advice is just lots of love and patience . We also did a training course with our Rescue boy Rua . We didnt have a problem with toilet training , he just copied our other 2 .
Once Dora gets used to her lead bring her out to the designated place in the garden on a regular basis if you can . We introduced a word command for going to the toilet as well , and the Girls and Rua know when we bring them out and say the word they do their business . ( It should be a word you do not use frequently just in case of saying it inside )
Our Rua is now doing sit , down , giving the paw and asking for biscuits , but it has been a long road . He still has his moments , he can be a bit of a barker but worth all the effort .
Dora is a lucky girl to have found her forever home .
Mimi
 
Hi Noelle, congrats on your new furry addition! Im sure with time Dora will settle right in and very soon her and Brinkley will be great pals. Its all just a matter of time and patience. Two of mine were bolters up until the age of about 2, so I just had to be really careful when opening the front door or side gate. I still always make sure that the dogs are in a closed room before opening the front door - just incase they get the urge to run!
Best of luck and enjoy the fun :flwr:
 
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