How to stop matty scratching doors

[mattys mum]

Hi

Just to let you know matty is doing well.  His coat is already looking better.

Our problem is that I start work early in the morning so to try to give the rest of the family a bit more time in bed I get matty out of the kitchen give him a quick fuss and then put nim outside for a wee and then leave him for about 20 mins in the garden which is 150ft long.  but he spends all of the time either whining or scratching at the glass patio door or bifold doors, he hasnt started barking yet.  at the moment i just ignore him but he still stays there and whines or scratches.  

Advice please

[coralee]

He's no doubt still feeling very disorientated and wants to be near you...sounds like he needs his confidence building - so he feels OK with his own company out there. Maybe have your morning cuddles outside in the garden with him...throw a ball, show him it's OK. He obviously doesn't want to be out there alone - but if you need him to be for a little while, why not put his morning feed in a treat ball out there - this'll keep his mind occupied, and as long as you're keeping an eye on him as you're getting ready, will be safe.

Dogs need time - to be nurtured - they are not naturally loners. If you put yourself in his paws, would you want to be left out there on your own when you know someone you want to be with is inside? Especially when you've just woken up and all he can think about is being with you...he just needs a bit of reassurance...and time...

[Karma]

Absolutely agree - Honey would be absolutely inconsolable to be put out into the garden first thing with no company - it's something we could easily train her to accept, but not something she would be happy with at first.

If this is going to be your routine (and there's no reason why it shouldn't be!!), you need to build up to it, so that Matty realises it's nothing to worry about... the idea of leaving a treat ball is good, but you might need to be out with him for a little while to let him relax enough to be interested in it.   

[maggieann]

I agree with the rest, you need to build up the time that Matty spends in the garden alone. When we got Torin he was scared to go outside on his own, so instead of just putting him out - I left the door open and let him come and go on his own terms. Within a few days he was enjoying spending time in the garden. 

[Ralu A]

I'm glad Matty is doing well. His story impressed me.
I agree with the above. He is still unsure on his own. You need to cuddle him in the garden, play with him,leave the door open. The treat ball idea is great.
You can try a doggie door as well as the other things.

[ejp]

Hi there, lovely to get an update on Matty and so pleased he is coming on.  I am no expert, so I am just going to tell you what we did.  We have a MT's rescue girl, and we always went into the garden with her.  Initally she would stay really close to us, but gradually her confidence grew, and now she is knocking the door down to get out!  Lara will happily run around herself, or with my two boys.  What I also did, was leave the back door open when I was in the kitchen, and she started to go out herself.  I don't think she knew what to do when she was outside, she has now learnt to go for a sniff, annoy the birds at the feeder and peer through the fence at the neighbours    Try going out with Matty and staying with him, just to see how it goes.  So pleased he is doing well.    Good luck. 

[mattys mum]

Thanks for your replies but I am not sure that this helps me yet.  I am ok with staying out with him in the garden most of the time I pop out with him throughout the day so as he can do a wee - which he promptly does everytime we go into the garden as he so wants to please.  we play with him in the garden, if I am at home I will sit out in the garden with my cuppa and he  is great.  If we are doing gardening he is great out in the garden. Its when I am up at 5am because of work and I usually grab a cuppa and a shower and then go so I am trying to get him into the garden first for a wee and then so that the rest of the family arent woke up so early, I dont want yo be cruel but I need to find a way to keep him calmer and quieter as the rest of the family are not so chuffed at waking with matty at 5am - I tried keeping him in with me for a few days but he squeals with delight and patters around on the laminate with excitement!!! ... I will persevere as he is great in all other respects.

Just to update you generally - his skin and fur is already so much shinier and the red sores are now hardening.  he still has loads of bold patches and I realise that he is doing really  really well.  He follows me or my son everywhere whenever we are in.  he pinches our shoes clothes and toys and stores them on his bed - in front of us when we are in.  He has learnt his name, leave when being fed his dinner and 'do a wee' in the garden - although my sons bedroom carpet seems to be a great extension of the garden.  He can go a walk for mins or hours ( although he sits for a lot of it as he is scared of everything except birds which he chases) but not wee until he gets back to our garden.  He loves sniffing everything.

I know it is really early days - but its quite hard trying to look after Matty, get ready for work and not wake the family when I am still half awake myself at 5....

[fizzyntiffy]

Matty sounds  & it's great that you've taken him into your home.

This may not be something you want to hear, but IMO I think that whilst Matty needs to get used to life in your home, your family also need to get used to Matty in your home. It's still early days, and it will take him time to learn how you want him to behave.   Him squealing with delight, sounds delightful    bless him, he obviously loves being with you & part of your family.

It's a personal choice, but I would never leave a doglet outside, unsupervised, for 20 minutes at a time.  Aside from scratching at the door there are many things they could get up to (at my house, within 2 minutes there's eating the flowers, digging big holes, trying to eat stones, burrow under the fence into next door, barking at stuff, etc, etc).

Maybe your family could get used to his morning exhuberance 

[Cockertime Blues]

Hi Mandy, I missed this thread and was just wondering how Matty's doing.  He sounds great - well done you.  Are you all getting more sleep yet?

Our dogs are outside most of the day when it's sunny and even when it's not, unless we're doing something interesting that merits their supervision.  When they're inside, they're sitting in the window seat looking out.  They like to watch the world (and birds) go by.

[mattys mum]

Hello Diane

In just 3 weeks Matty is  a completely different dog.  his confidence is coming.  He has had 2 days now of no accidents in the house.  he gets excited to see the lead.  he squeals with excitement when we get up or when we come home if he has had to stay in.  he leaves his dinner (sort of) when told to leave before eating - he does jump up and down and squeal but he doesnt touch it.

His coat is still patchy but he no longer has a bald head.  he smells nice.  His 'dandruff' is lessening.  He still follows me everywhere.  Yesterday for the first time he let my husband say hello.  he is still afraid of large sticks but will chew up small ones.  he is still scared of noises.

He is still scared of the car - but thats getting better.

He is still waking us up at 4am now!    but I have resorted to telling him no and putting him back into the kitchen and the whining barking was less today.  I realise not everyone will agree with this but taking him out for a wee which he wasnt bothered about was just waking me up more and you havent seen me when im grumpy.

We went to our first training session yesterday we mainly sat  around observing.  we were shown 'heel, sit, stay' towards the end of the two hours so i will practice that

Anyways enough for now.. he is even more gorgeous than three weeks ago and apart from the early mornings he is fitting in a treat.

we are going to try to get to the leicester show on 23rd may is that too far away for you?

Mandy

[Eve]

Lovely to hear he is settlling in with you. Think it might just be a case of giving him a little more time to settle down. I am speaking as someone who has had a golden retriever so through a fire door and a breeze block step!

[mattys mum]

Hi Eve

Thanks for that

Matty was in such a state when we got him, we know we are doing really well with him much better than we could have dreamed this soon - but lack of sleep is really affecting us and we are walking around like zombies.  still as i have said in many of my posts onwards and upwards it will all come out right in the end and it usually takes 6 months for the new dog to settle.  just give us sleep

mandy

[fizzyntiffy]

You're doing really well  with Matty   I've just re-read my post and   sorry, it sounded a bit harsh, didn't mean it to.

The first week we had Tiff she howled and barked all night & chewed big chunks out of my stair bannister, and DD slept through it mostly, but I was like the walking dead.  I was soooo tired that in the end I shoved her in a crate in my bedroom in the vain hope that because she was near us, she'd settle.  Luckily she did although I think she spent the next couple of nights wide awake thinking 'what the..?', and since my dobie passed away she now sleeps on my bed.

We've now had Sasha for two weeks.  Luckily she's crate trained, and sleeps without a peep, but during the day she barks, and barks, and barks   at anything.  Actually getting out of the front door to go for a walk is a work in progress, at the moment, basically, it's a nightmare.

So, I empathise with you, if that's the right word, and know that it will take time.  But we'll both get there I'm sure    Ignoring behaviour you don't want is sooooo hard.

[Cockertime Blues]

HI, glad he's coming on so well and you're managing to still enjoy him except for at 4 a.m.

He is still waking us up at 4am now!   but I have resorted to telling him no and putting him back into the kitchen and the whining barking was less today.  I realise not everyone will agree with this but taking him out for a wee which he wasnt bothered about was just waking me up more and you havent seen me when im grumpy.

we are going to try to get to the leicester show on 23rd may is that too far away for you?

I've no advice.  Seems like giving him a reassuring pet and bunging him back in the kitchen is about all you can do if he doesn't need a wee and he's not allowed in the bedroom.  Think I'd be hoicking a sleeping bag into the kitchen - I can't be doing with being woken up before 8 a.m.  Was he a puppy farm stud dog?  Maybe he was so used to having other dogs for company that being on his own at night is the one thing he's having trouble adjusting to?  Would a crate help?  If he's lived in one for years he might be missing it?

Leicester's too far for me I'm afraid.  I'm a wimp and haven't driven in the south of England for years - it's all too much traffic and scary for me. which is why you met me on the train.  

[mattys mum]

Hi

We dont know much about his past other than he was rescued with 40 other dogs from ireland and as you know he was in a state.  He could be missing dog company or ours or a crate.

I am reluctant to get a crate as I hate to say this but it is more cost if it makes no difference - he has cost one heck of a lot of money the last three weeks - which we are ahppy to pay but didnt expect as much so we have had to find it.  We had saved for a cocker - started looking and when I saw matty my head said no because of the state he was in (thought of the money) and as you know my heart won out.

so if anyone knows where I can get an in expensive one from (could almost do with renting one)  ..

I must say thanks for your support everyone

Matty is doing really well and we have come on miraculously just matty if you are reading this give me some sleep...