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Did I make the wrong choice or is this normal?

10K views 20 replies 17 participants last post by  Bear2010 
First, thanks for adopting!

The first few days are always hard. This little guy has been through a lot, and he's scared and not himself. Often it takes months for rescue dogs' true personalities to shine through, but things should settle down day by day as he gets used to his new situation.

Have you been giving him enough exercise? I would start there. Lack of exercise can be a gateway to anxiety - he needs to get that nervous energy out. He's a 10 month old poodle mix and is going to have energy to burn! Assuming he's up to it (i.e. wasn't neutered recently, no medical issues), I recommend making a point of tiring out the dog. Don't take him anywhere off leash yet (new rescues are serious flight risks, and you don't know his personality around strange dogs well enough), and don't take him running (too young), but I would walk him for at least 2 hours a day for now. And you can start training him, to burn mental energy. A tired dog might not have enough energy to freak out, plus it will help you bond with the little guy.

Other than that - google "crate games" for a great game to work on to help convince your pup that crate = awesome fun time. You can leave him with a kong stuffed with peanut butter and frozen.

Other people might be able to give more advice about separation anxiety. If it keeps up, you might consider medication or a Thundershirt. Has he been to a vet?
 
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