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....Bonnie, my rescue lab, has been settling in well so far, but this afternoon we have had a few hours that haven't gone so well, and I just wanted to ask some opinions, advice, recommendations, anything you can offer
I feel like when we first brought Bailey home and I just seemed to have no idea, all common sense leaves & I question whether I'm doing things wrong or right
It was when my mum & dad arrived, or more specifically, my dad
He didn't really speak to her when he came in the house, and then started to play with my son, in a kind of play fighting way, and Bonnie barked her head off at him......she never went for him at all but wouldn't let up on the barking at my dad until he stopped playing with my son and went into another room
5 minutes later she walks into the living room and is nuzzling my dad from a stroke, which he did and then she lay at his feet
After dinner my dad went out to his car to get some weeding stuff to do our driveway (aren't dads great
) and brought his stuff through the front door, through the house and then out the back door.....Bonnie then started to bark like mad at the back door.....a kind of 'there's someone there' bark
When we went into the living room, and shut the babygate so the dogs were in the hall (it was a bit busy in the living room with 6 of us), Bonnie barked at us then too
She then barked up the stairs when my mum went up to see the kids in the bath
Now, since my mum and dad have left she has lay down in the hall and gone to sleep......she's not bothered by hearing the kids upstairs or that me and OH are in the living room with the gate closed
Do you think that maybe she's realised who her little family unit are and was a bit surprised by this strange man coming and attacking my son??
Or do you think that it is WAY too soon for that??
My mum has met her a few times at the dog home but it was the first time my dad met her....'nearly had my leg off' he exaggerated :lol:
I am panicking that she will bark when we leave her alone, as the times she barked today were when she was closed behind a gate or door (when my dad went out).....the exception being when she was barking at my dad playing with my son
I did leave her alone today (she was with Bailey still) for 5 mins as I popped something down the road to my friends house.....it literally was 5 mins though, and when I came back she was still lying on her bed
I told her she was 'good girl'....should I have done that or not made a fuss??? Oooooo I can't think straight 8O
And last night, at bedtime she was in the dining room with the doors shut and didn't make a sound.....but I'm thinking maybe it was just luck
Oh my word, I just want to 'get it right' and make sure she feels safe & secure in her home......
Has anyone got any suggestions, do I sound like I'm making a hash of things??
I wanted to shut the babygate on the living room a few times a day, as there will be times when the kids want to play with train track etc and the dogs will need to be out, so thought that doing this from day 1 with Bonnie will get her used to it??
Really appreciate some advice (if you've read this far :lol: :lol: Sorry for going on a bit
)
I feel like when we first brought Bailey home and I just seemed to have no idea, all common sense leaves & I question whether I'm doing things wrong or right
It was when my mum & dad arrived, or more specifically, my dad
He didn't really speak to her when he came in the house, and then started to play with my son, in a kind of play fighting way, and Bonnie barked her head off at him......she never went for him at all but wouldn't let up on the barking at my dad until he stopped playing with my son and went into another room
5 minutes later she walks into the living room and is nuzzling my dad from a stroke, which he did and then she lay at his feet
After dinner my dad went out to his car to get some weeding stuff to do our driveway (aren't dads great
When we went into the living room, and shut the babygate so the dogs were in the hall (it was a bit busy in the living room with 6 of us), Bonnie barked at us then too
She then barked up the stairs when my mum went up to see the kids in the bath
Now, since my mum and dad have left she has lay down in the hall and gone to sleep......she's not bothered by hearing the kids upstairs or that me and OH are in the living room with the gate closed
Do you think that maybe she's realised who her little family unit are and was a bit surprised by this strange man coming and attacking my son??
Or do you think that it is WAY too soon for that??
My mum has met her a few times at the dog home but it was the first time my dad met her....'nearly had my leg off' he exaggerated :lol:
I am panicking that she will bark when we leave her alone, as the times she barked today were when she was closed behind a gate or door (when my dad went out).....the exception being when she was barking at my dad playing with my son
I did leave her alone today (she was with Bailey still) for 5 mins as I popped something down the road to my friends house.....it literally was 5 mins though, and when I came back she was still lying on her bed
I told her she was 'good girl'....should I have done that or not made a fuss??? Oooooo I can't think straight 8O
And last night, at bedtime she was in the dining room with the doors shut and didn't make a sound.....but I'm thinking maybe it was just luck
Oh my word, I just want to 'get it right' and make sure she feels safe & secure in her home......
Has anyone got any suggestions, do I sound like I'm making a hash of things??
I wanted to shut the babygate on the living room a few times a day, as there will be times when the kids want to play with train track etc and the dogs will need to be out, so thought that doing this from day 1 with Bonnie will get her used to it??
Really appreciate some advice (if you've read this far :lol: :lol: Sorry for going on a bit