My firewall must be blocking it, because I don't even see a pic.

So yeah... link please!

The main reason I do not use Photobucket is that is it blocked here at work. The link here is from one of my woodworking forums, she is my shop security system

Misty

Thanks! I'll delete the other one.

Ok, I need some help here.

Misty loves being in her crate, loves it way too much. She is not happy about the television so she is rather cautious in the living room when the tv is off but when it is on she barks at the tv from a distance. She was cautious of the stairs at first but has learned to navigate them now. My big concern is she has no drive. She is perfectly content on being in her crate all day long, maybe it is because she gets treats when she first goes in there when I ask her to go in there that is. Sometimes she acts scared of me, I would never do anything to harm her. It is difficult when she sits in her crate and acts afraid to come out and be with me. She does love treats, kong filled with cream cheese does great for her.

We go for two walks a day and she does great. She does not whine, only barks at the television (and some dogs if they bark or act aggressive first). She is a very sweet girl when she is not acting scared (or maybe cautious). My girlfriend has a little dog (bichon), last weekend they got along great (Misty kind of ignores the little thing) they went on walks together. Then the little bichon growled at Misty, Misty immediately put the little thing in its place and we seperated the two. Misty seems great around other dogs until the other dog shows aggression.

I don't know if it is weak nerves or she is just taking some time to adapt to the new environment. One other thing, she gets car sick (wish I would have remember that before I took her for a ride last night ) Misty was great at the kennel, chased a ball, was friendly.

Any advise?

Hi Kacey,

I would still give it more time.... You have had her for a week and a half and this is a big change for her. A lot of dogs go through a transition period when they change homes. The crate can be like a security blanket. It is her den and she probably feels comfortable in there. Many moons ago I got a 2 year old ACD from her breeder. She had been a kennel dog primarily before coming to my house. At first, she spent a lot of time in her crate. I just ignored it and eventually she felt more comfortable hanging out in the house. She is going to be 11 next month and now enjoys snoozing on the couch :-)

As for drives, what did you get her for? Is she a companion dog or did you get her for sport/protection? It sounds like she was placed because she lacked the drive for K9 work. Did you speak with the previous owner more specifically about what she lacked? The transition issue is likely part of what is going on but I would also be curious if the lack of drive that you are seeing is partially the reason she was rehomed in the first place. She sure is a nice looking dog :-)

I got her for a companion. I lost my 4yr old GSD due to divorce. I would like Misty to be a bit more out going though and that will probably come with time. My previous GSD was nuts about playing fetch, as soon as you mention play she was up and ready to go even if you said it on the phone. I am not looking for Misty to be that "nuts" but it would be nice if she would show some interest in playing. Sometimes I see that she does have it in her, like when we get ready for our daily walks she is excited and playfull. This morning when going out for a walk she jumped up as I was bending down and popped me in the nose with her head, it hurt but I laughed at her hard noggin.

She did not have a previous owner (at least that is how I understood it), she was at the kennel the entire time. The breeder said she was the weakest in bite work of the 3 he kept from her litter.

I guess I am just looking for advice, and other experiences people like me may have had. She is very sweet and I do not want to over react to the situation.

Should I just let her be, she will venture out of the crate as she pleases? I have a cream cheese filled kong in the freezer, maybe I should give it to her in the living room tonight (TV off for now). I bought a tug for her, but so far very little interest. Maybe a ball to roll across the floor?

I can tell you right now. You are expecting too much too soon with this dog. You have only had her a week and a half!

Remember, she has lost the only home and family she has ever known. She is grieving and lost. She does not know what has happened, she does not know you, and she does not know her environment. Also remember that she does not speak English and you cannot explain the transition to her.

Imagine taking in a 13 year old child from a foreign country who has no idea why he was sent here, what is going on, who you are, and can't understand the language.

This kind of transition does not happen overnight. With our rescue dogs, we tell adopters 6-10 months, at least, before the adult dog can be considered fully adjusted.

She is going to be a wonderful companion but you really need to give her more time to learn her place in this new life. She is probably overwhelmed.

I would continue as you are doing, to show her you are fun. Play with her outside for now (I assume that is where she is most comfortable). Encourage her with a ball or tug. She likes treats, so do some short upbeat obedience sessions (2 or 3 minutes) and leave her wanting more. Hand feed her all her meals so she learns to trust you and that all good things come from you. Do not expect her to be perfect, and give her time to herself if she wants it. I have dogs who hide in their crates the first few months and afterward never go in it again (unless asked).

I have one dog who would not eat or play outside his crate for months. Now he is ball crazy and very food motivated.

Do not push her by asking her to socialize with strange dogs and people for the first few weeks, until she is comfortable with YOU and trusts YOU.

I'm sorry for the disorganized post! I hope this helps some.

Apparently my Misty must be reading these forums during the day while I am at work. Last night she hung out with me the entire night. Layed next to me on the couch while I did some work on the laptop for a couple hours. I did not turn the tv on but worked on the laptop the entire time. She even helped me type some stuff although we have to work on her spelling

She even slept on the doggie bed next to my bed most of the night, she got a bit restless at 1am and started tearing up some garbage from the nearby can so I put her in the crate.

She was a complete different dog last night than this past weekend. I am sure it is part of the process and she may act cautious at times in the future, but we did make some progress.