Guess I just needed to vent and hope someone can relate.
It's very normal for a 7 month puppy with a rocky start to not have solid potty training, especially in a brand new place. She may not even be physically at the point where she has full physical and mental control of her bladder yet - the general rule is that most dogs hit this around six months, but this is only a broad average and many pups need more time before they can be expected to be able to handle an adult potty schedule. It might also help to understand that many dogs don't learn "potty inside bad, potty outside good" but rather "potty in this specific indoor space bad, potty outside good" and so often need potty training refreshers when they move homes, or even if they're allowed into new rooms they've never spent time in before - you'd be surprised how common problems like "I started letting my dog into my basement and he goes down there to potty!" crop up.
I'd treat her like a younger puppy for a while. Take her out more often than you think you need to, especially right after sleeping, eating, a big drink, or a play session. If you notice she tends to have accidents at certain times of day or in certain situations (our youngest needed extra reinforcement on rainy days for a while), make sure to be extra vigilant then and plan extra potty trips based on when she has accidents. Always go out with her and stay with her so you can praise and reward her like crazy immediately after she pees so you can reinforce that pottying outside is way better than inside. Clean up any indoor accidents with an enzymatic pet mess cleaner that's designed to break down pee smells so thoroughly that even a dog can't smell the old accidents and think "hmm, this smells like a good potty spot".
In general I'd expect her to eventually settle in, but it may take some time, especially with being bounced around so much at such a young age. I'd expect some of the restlessness and generalized stress to improve in the coming weeks/months, but it'll be a process and you're probably looking at a while of her needing a lot of your care and attention. Adolescent dogs are demanding in the best of circumstances, and she does have some special considerations. You may want to look into some strategies for teaching a dog how to settle on their own, like Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol or Margot Woods' Sit on the Dog, and try some tricks like freezing down portions of her meals into stuffable food toys (like the Kong Classic or Toppl) and offering them to her throughout the day so she has to spend some energy and mental focus licking/chewing at it. Chewing is naturally calming for dogs, so the more you can encourage her to do that on safe, appropriate, dog-safe toys and chews, the better.
In the situation where she just doesn't seem to be improving no matter what you do, consider getting a vet involved. Just like with people, it's possible for dogs to have anxiety conditions that are extremely difficult to manage through training and lifestyle alone. If her mental state is interfering with her quality of life even in a safe space like her home, anti-anxiety medication can be a lifesaver. Some dogs only need this short-term until they learn the world isn't as scary as they thought and they learn strategies for how to calm themselves down and self-soothe, and some dogs need it longer term. I wouldn't jump to it at the moment because she's only been with you such a short time and her stress is understandable, but know that there are options if it truly seems like nothing's working.
Lastly I want to say that it's okay if she's just not the right fit for your home. It's better to give her a chance to find somewhere that's a better fit for her than to make both of you miserable trying to make her fit into your life. I totally agree with trying your best to help her through the transition and going from there, but there absolutely is a point where accepting a dog isn't working for your household is the kindest thing to do for her sake (and yours). I hope it doesn't come to that, but support you whatever you choose is best.
I'd treat her like a younger puppy for a while. Take her out more often than you think you need to, especially right after sleeping, eating, a big drink, or a play session. If you notice she tends to have accidents at certain times of day or in certain situations (our youngest needed extra reinforcement on rainy days for a while), make sure to be extra vigilant then and plan extra potty trips based on when she has accidents. Always go out with her and stay with her so you can praise and reward her like crazy immediately after she pees so you can reinforce that pottying outside is way better than inside. Clean up any indoor accidents with an enzymatic pet mess cleaner that's designed to break down pee smells so thoroughly that even a dog can't smell the old accidents and think "hmm, this smells like a good potty spot".
In general I'd expect her to eventually settle in, but it may take some time, especially with being bounced around so much at such a young age. I'd expect some of the restlessness and generalized stress to improve in the coming weeks/months, but it'll be a process and you're probably looking at a while of her needing a lot of your care and attention. Adolescent dogs are demanding in the best of circumstances, and she does have some special considerations. You may want to look into some strategies for teaching a dog how to settle on their own, like Karen Overall's Relaxation Protocol or Margot Woods' Sit on the Dog, and try some tricks like freezing down portions of her meals into stuffable food toys (like the Kong Classic or Toppl) and offering them to her throughout the day so she has to spend some energy and mental focus licking/chewing at it. Chewing is naturally calming for dogs, so the more you can encourage her to do that on safe, appropriate, dog-safe toys and chews, the better.
In the situation where she just doesn't seem to be improving no matter what you do, consider getting a vet involved. Just like with people, it's possible for dogs to have anxiety conditions that are extremely difficult to manage through training and lifestyle alone. If her mental state is interfering with her quality of life even in a safe space like her home, anti-anxiety medication can be a lifesaver. Some dogs only need this short-term until they learn the world isn't as scary as they thought and they learn strategies for how to calm themselves down and self-soothe, and some dogs need it longer term. I wouldn't jump to it at the moment because she's only been with you such a short time and her stress is understandable, but know that there are options if it truly seems like nothing's working.
Lastly I want to say that it's okay if she's just not the right fit for your home. It's better to give her a chance to find somewhere that's a better fit for her than to make both of you miserable trying to make her fit into your life. I totally agree with trying your best to help her through the transition and going from there, but there absolutely is a point where accepting a dog isn't working for your household is the kindest thing to do for her sake (and yours). I hope it doesn't come to that, but support you whatever you choose is best.
