On Tuesday, Odin will be with us for one month.
It seems like it went by so fast but in the same sense, it seems like Odin has been with us for a lot longer than that.
Odin is my first rescue.
All of the dogs in my life I’ve had since they were puppies.
They grew into fluffy adults right before my eyes.
They were raised with my training and under my roof.
Bringing Odin into our family at 2 1/2 years old was exciting and scary.
One of the main reasons why I chose Odin was because the description of him made it seem like he would ease right into our lives, mostly Leory’s, without much disruption.
I was looking for a dog that wasn’t dominant, didn’t have many anxieties, was healthy, had basic training and needed love.
Odin fits that description perfectly and he still does right now.
The transition has been super easy and he has adjusted well.
I read online that with rescue dogs there’s a 3-3-3 rule.
The First 3 Days:
“Your new dog will be overwhelmed with his new surroundings. He will not be comfortable enough to be himself. Don’t be alarmed if he doesn’t want to eat for the first couple of days, many dogs don’t eat when they are stressed. He may shut down and want to curl up in his crate or under the table. He may be scared and unsure what is going on. Or he may be the opposite and test you to see what he can get away with, kind of like a teenager.”
Odin fit that rule pretty well in the first 3 days. The first night he was in his cage but barked the whole time so the next night he slept on the couch.
He didn’t come upstair for 3 days and then after that, there was no going back.
He had no problem eating and taking treats.
He was very jumpy, always aware of what was going on, avoiding Leroy and he peed twice in the house. As soon as I caught him peeing in the spot that he had picked as his “pee spot”, I told him no and he hasn’t peed there since.
He didn’t want to walk into the yard instead he peed on the patio and ran back inside.
After Week 3
“He’s starting to settle in, feeling more comfortable, and realizing this really maybe his forever home. He has figured out his environment and getting into the routine that you have set. He lets his guard down and may start showing his real personality. Behavior issues may start showing, this is your time to be a strong pack leader and show him what is right and wrong”
Odin fits this rule good too.
He has definitely settled into a routine. He knows when it’s time to eat, when he gets treats, when it’s time to go outside, when its time to go for a walk, when the kids come home from school and he’s picked out his favorite toy.
He doesn’t use his crate. He sleeps upstairs with us on the couch or on the floor behind the couch.
He has almost full reign of the house when we are not home, which isn’t often but so far he’s done well.
The first night that I wasn’t going to be home my son was assigned to dog sit Odin, the second night it was my daughter’s turn and the third time it was Leroy’s turn.
He watches us leave from the front window and waits for us to come home, for now. I’m not sure if that will change in the future.
He howls at us when we get home.
Since he’s intrigued by squirrels, and I’m not sure if it’s in a good or bad way, we do not allow him free access to the rooms where the guinea pigs are.
He hears them and smells them but he hasn’t seen them.
I do think that he might have some minor separation anxiety because my husband says that whenever I’m not home he seems unsettled.
So far it hasn’t manifested into anything more than a little pacing and panting.
He loves to play and his favorite toy right now is the yellow Furballz.
He gets a little crazy with it and it’s hilarious.
He holds it in his paws and rolls on his back and it’s adorable.
He loves his walks and expects them every day and he knows the route.
He has gotten really good at walking by my side and pulls less.
He’s very intrigued by deer and I’m not sure if he wants to eat them or play with them yet.
He can catch! Odin is the first Newfie that I’ve ever had that can catch.
He can catch popcorn, goldfish crackers and toys.
He has a really good reaction time and he’s wickedly fast!
He doesn’t like his front paws touched. He’s fine with the back paws being touched but would prefer if you didn’t touch his front paws.
He doesn’t mind being brushed and he LOVES belly rubs.
He knows basic commands-sit, stay and down. We are working on high five but I’ve been taking it easy on training for right now.
He’s a BIG beggar and he has no shame.
He doesn’t jump anymore except on my son and only when my son tells him that it’s o.k. for him to put his paws on his chest.
He has no problem jumping up on the couch and snuggling with whoever will snuggle with them.
I’m unsure of how Odin feels about car rides.
We’ve gone on 2 and the first one was just to the bank and it took a while for Odin to get in the car.
The next trip was to my parent’s house and it didn’t take him as long to get in the car going there but it took 45 minutes to get him in the car to come home.
Side note-Odin’s trip to my parent’s house brought tears to my Mom’s eyes because a Landseer hasn’t been in their house since our first Newf.
Odin reminds her so much of Thunder!
As far as Odin and Leroy are concerned, that is still a work in progress.
It’s nothing bad and there are no ill feelings between the two that I can see.
It’s just Leroy has been working on getting better and hasn’t been able to show Odin his true self.
They will sit next to each and take treats next to each other but there hasn’t been much interaction, although, Odin, at no fault of his own, peed on Leroy’s head the other day.
It was Leroy’s fault because he stuck his head under Odin’s leg when he was in midstream.
As far as being outside in the backyard, Odin is a little more comfortable but he definitely doesn’t want to be out there for long.
He wants to do his business, do a quick perimeter check and then head inside with the rest of the family.
After 3 Months
“Your dog is now completely comfortable in his home. You have built trust and a true bond with your dog, which gives him a complete sense of security with you. He is set in his routine and will come to expect his dinner at his usual time.”
Even though it’s only been one month, I think Odin is pretty close to this.
I think he still has more to show me and me to show him but I think he knows he’s home and he’s o.k. with that.
I’m looking forward to all the “firsts” that we have coming up this year and we are forming a bond.
Every day he’s a little more comfortable in his forever home.
