New dog in the house!

Hi all.

Hoping someone out there could offer me some advice. It's a bit of a long story, full of should have's and should not have's. Hindsight as they say is a wonderful thing.

So some of you may remember me as the person who very reluctantly gave in to her partners demands to get a dog that I wanted nothing to do with. And subsequently ended up loving the dog to the moon and back.... well, he has converted me to a dog person so a while back I started thinking about getting him a playmate and another furbaby for me!! I decided that I would go down the rescue route first. Since I had Bob from a puppy, I thought I would try do my bit for the homeless dog population. I was very dissapointed to find that in most cases (rescues local to me), they are not willing to rehome a staffy in house with children under 13. I have 2 kids under 13. I then decided I would look to rehome privately. I started looking for the perfect playmate for Bob. I admit I was very picky so it took about 2 months, but last wednesday I saw a dog I liked the sound and look of.

After a conversation with the owner, we arranged to see and in my heart, fetch the dog. My first should have I know, was to take Bob with. Thing is, my pickiness to find the perfect dog meant that see was located 3 hours away, so we didn't take Bob. I fell in love with her the minute I clapped eyes on her and we bought her home. We did the introductions, Bob and the newly renamed Marley got along fabulously. She was absolutely everything I imagined she would be.

The first hint of trouble showed itself yesterday when I went to pet Bob. She went for him. When I told her off, she snarled at me and started barking. We then took the two dogs for a walk in the fields. In the distance a couple was coming towards us walking a jack russell, that was off the lead. Both mine were on a lead. I had stepped off the path to let them pass. They made no attempt to put their dog on a lead and I literally had to sit on Marley as she was hell bent on getting that jack russell.

Today, I bathed her. My next should have, should have been to abandon that idea at the first sign of trouble. I picked her up to put her in the bath and she was petrified. She tried to snap at me but she was facing away from me. I got her in the bath and she fine. She stood there really nicely while I washed her, constantly reassuring her and giving her kisses on the head. I usually let the water out the bath then drape a towel over the dog and pick them up and rough them up with towel to dry them off. She jumped out the bath before it was empty and when I attempted to put a towel over her she went for me, very aggressively. I put the towel down and I was able to touch her with my hands. I tried with the towel again, and again she went for me. Needless to say I was pretty nervous after that and let her run downstairs soaking wet. I managed to bribe her into a crate in an attempt to calm her down and dry off since I wasn't able to dry her at all.

She is 13 months old and spade. The background info I got from the guy was that it was his mother in laws dog. His mother in law is disabled, lives in a bungalow with no garden and is unable to walk the dog. He thought it would be best for the dog to rehome her. I have since contacted him about her aggressive and jealous behavior but he has said that she was not like that at all. Of course I only have his word for it.

I'm a bit worried now about how to progress. For the most part she is lovely. Well behaved and very affectionate. My biggest concern is I have 3 children, 14, 8 and 6. I am concerned that one of them does something she doesn't like and she goes for them.

I am hoping this behaviour is because of the new environment, and maybe some stress. She has also eaten very little since arriving. Today is the first day she made an attempt to eat anything. On the other hand I am worried that this is her general nature and I am going to be forever wary of her.

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated  

Tbh I think that this little girl has gone through a lot in the last few days. She was whisked away from the place she knew and people she loved, and found herself in a new strange place with people (and a dog) she didn't know at all. And then she got a bath, which lots of dogs hate anyway.

I have not had experience of rehoming a dog (apart from little puppies) but I would advise that you give her a chance to find her feet in her new home and get to know to you all calmly. (and for you to get to know her).

as Lynda has said she has had a lot to deal with in a short space of time really,just make sure of the obvious things like if you go out dont leave her and bob alone together either shut one in a room away or crate one of them,goes the same for the kids too,make sure their not left alone with her,all you have is the previous owners word on her,much better to be safe then have some thing bad happen,good luck with her i hope she settles in well  

I have to agree with Lynda and say this is a very unsettling experience and you need to let her find her feet , stinky dog or no stinky dog. Sounds like no issues between them both which is great but you have to be aware they will both generally develop a protective instinct over each other , this is natural for 2 closely bonded dogs. Try taking her out on her own for a bit just to get her used to you , she has to do this or you end up having problems with separation etc ( my boy is a nightmare to take out alone * he has only ever known his big sister and will constantly look back to see where she is )
I don't want to sound rude but it sounds like you are expecting way too much too fast , you get to know her , let her get to know you and let the dogs get to know each other . Never leave them both together , I would even say when you go out try cages in separate rooms for the moment and let time take its course.

Thanks for the replies guys! I was leaning towards it all being down to stress of the new situation because she is a honey in every other way and apart from those moments, there has been no aggression at all. I have never taken on an adult dog before and while I did do some research before I got it, I dont think any amount can prepare you for what you actually get.

Not rude at all Dave and perhaps you are right. Maybe I was so convinced that she would have a fantastic life here with us that I'm finding it somewhat upsetting to have to believe that at this very moment in time she is not - if you know what I mean.

I know she needs time to adjust before her true nature while shine through. I will take on board all your advice, do's and dont's and hopefully in time she will be having that fantastic life I want to give her.

I guess deep down all I wanted was for someone else to tell me it was an adjustment period and not that I had a vicious dog on my hands

Thanks!!

And a pic. Bob on the left, Marley on the right. Chill time on the sofa!!