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So I'm talking about Stella. I got her February 13, 2019. So it's been almost 15 months. She was a wreck when I got her! She had been given no routines, boundaries, etc, and I am not sure she had ever been told no. I was so patient with her the first 3 days as she played, and barked at me to play with her, for 14 hours a day. On the fourth day I decided it was going to stop. So that day I initiated a break in her play. She fought it and tested and tested me not wanting to give in, and I thought it would never stop. So in lieu of going back into all of that again, by the end of the first 4 weeks, she was a different dog. Not only was taking breaks, but was taking them on her own.
So in talking to a friend yesterday, we realized that some"thing" or whatever had given me the patience to deal with her as I am not at all a patient person. It is very strange how I would lose patience with little things, get it corrected, then lose a little more in another area, and get that corrected. It took a year, bujt there is just nothing left to change. I can't think of a single thing.
I'm really curious to know, especially from those of you who adopted or rescued adult/older dogs, and the types of issues you faced with them. If anybody doesn't know about Stella, I'm happy to go into more detail for you. But most adult and older dogs come to their new owners with issues/baggage. How do you find the patience for it until behaviors can be changed and the true personality brought out? I just don't know how I did it for a year but I would definitely do it again. She is an amazing dog now..... like none I've ever had.
So in talking to a friend yesterday, we realized that some"thing" or whatever had given me the patience to deal with her as I am not at all a patient person. It is very strange how I would lose patience with little things, get it corrected, then lose a little more in another area, and get that corrected. It took a year, bujt there is just nothing left to change. I can't think of a single thing.
I'm really curious to know, especially from those of you who adopted or rescued adult/older dogs, and the types of issues you faced with them. If anybody doesn't know about Stella, I'm happy to go into more detail for you. But most adult and older dogs come to their new owners with issues/baggage. How do you find the patience for it until behaviors can be changed and the true personality brought out? I just don't know how I did it for a year but I would definitely do it again. She is an amazing dog now..... like none I've ever had.