Problems With A 5 Month Old.

[Tom Walker]

Hi there!

I picked up my 5 month old Samoyed around 5 days ago and have some questions about changing some of the habits he's picked up from the last owners.

1. since I've had him, we have had to try and sleep through howling and crying. Does anyone know how long it will take for him to adjust to living with a different family?

2. He gets upset when everyone is inside and he is out. We let him in at night time until we all go to bed. I think the last owners always had someone at home giving him attention and keeping him indoors a majority of the time. he also had another dog to play with, but here I think he must get very lonely when there is no one to play with him. I take him for an hour walk in the morning and a 1 hour walk with another hour at the doggy park in the afternoon, Is this enough exercise for him? and do you think he will adjust to living outside more?

3. The first day I took him to the doggy park, he was scared of any and every dog that got close to him, he hid in between the bin and the fence and wouldn't move until i put him back on his leash. then as I got him to the middle of the park and let him off the leash again, he stuck like glue to the back of my legs and wouldn't move, too frightened to socialise. After a couple more visits, he is now starting to walk up to other dogs and sniff them out, but he remains extremely cautious and won't act playful towards the other dogs. Do you think that with regular visits and socialising with other dogs he will start to fit in and play?

I may have more questions but those are the main ones I can think of right now, so any help to a first time dog owner would be appreciated.

[poodlefan]

TW:

1. since I've had him, we have had to try and sleep through howling and crying. Does anyone know how long it will take for him to adjust to living with a different family?

Where is he sleeping now? Where did he sleep with the last family? My guess is that he's sleeping outside now and he was inside before? I think this is probably due more to a change of sleeping situation than missing his last family but studies seem to indicate that most dogs bond to a new family in about 3 weeks.

I take him for an hour walk in the morning and a 1 hour walk with another hour at the doggy park in the afternoon, Is this enough exercise for him? and do you think he will adjust to living outside more?

On a 5 month old puppy with growing bones, I'd consider this amount of exercise to be excessive. If you want to tire him out as effectively but with less stress on his body, I'd up the amount of training you do.

After a couple more visits, he is now starting to walk up to other dogs and sniff them out, but he remains extremely cautious and won't act playful towards the other dogs. Do you think that with regular visits and socialising with other dogs he will start to fit in and play?

If he was mobbed by strange dogs who were bigger than him, you did the equivalent of turning a toddler out into the local rugby game. If he meets the wrong dogs his behaviour may get less confident, not more. He is a baby and he needs to be carefully socialised with well mannered dogs who aren't going to over face him. Dog parks can be a very mixed blessing for puppies - he could get monstered, hurt or even attacked - be careful around dogs and owners you don't know. Personally I avoid them like the plague.

I'd suggest you find your nearest dog obedience club and join up. He and you can learn more about dog training and find good buddies for him to mix with.

Edited September 14, 2008 by poodlefan

[Tom Walker]

TW:

Where is he sleeping now? Where did he sleep with the last family? My guess is that he's sleeping outside now and he was inside before? I think this is probably due more to a change of sleeping situation than missing his last family but studies seem to indicate that most dogs bond to a new family in about 3 weeks.

On a 5 month old puppy with growing bones, I'd consider this amount of exercise to be excessive. If you want to tire him out as effectively but with less stress on his body, I'd up the amount of training you do.

If he was mobbed by strange dogs who were bigger than him, you did the equivalent of turning a toddler out into the local rugby game. If he meets the wrong dogs his behaviour may get less confident, not more. He is a baby and he needs to be carefully socialised with well mannered dogs who aren't going to over face him. Dog parks can be a very mixed blessing for puppies - he could get monstered, hurt or even attacked - be careful around dogs and owners you don't know. Personally I avoid them like the plague.

I'd suggest you find your nearest dog obedience club and join up. He and you can learn more about dog training and find good buddies for him to mix with.

Thanks for the detailed response PF

I was wondering also whether he will be alright on his own at nights.

I've heard that Samoyed's and Husky's can get depressed if they are an only dog and left on their own for lengthy periods of time (ie: work). I plan on getting another dog when I move into a house with my girlfriend, but this won't happen until December-January. how do you think he will cope sleeping and spending the middle of the day on his own?

[poodlefan]

I can't answer the breed specific side of your question but if you leave him with some boredom relieving activities and give him plenty of time and attention when you are home, he'll be fine - that's the life most Australian dogs live.

He'll enjoy the company of a second dog when you add one to the family though. However, realistically this is the first time he's been on his own in his short life - he will take some time to adjust to it.