Hi All, thought you'd all like an update on our first ratbones foster Chloe. She is now house trained and crate trained, although she goes to great lengths to hide from us when it's time to go in. she no longer soils the crate. Once in a while she will pee in there, but we line the crate with towels and do laundry. She seems to have a nervous bladder, but kept on a regular calm household schedule it calms down and she's successful for four hours or so. She's still learning to come on command. If you have a treat in your hand she will do ANYTHING to get it, sit, lie down, All at once even, and eventualy sit still and wag her tail in spurts. She isn't a lovey dovey dog since she was not socialized young, but she craves attention and praise. We pet her all over, bather her, trim her nails, pick her up and hold her. I even shed combed her the other day, with one warning to like it and shut up. She has learned to trust us. We probably still need to expose her to more new people and younger people and see how she does, and more car rides. I've taken her to the local quilt shop and she lets the ladies pet her, but yet two giggly teenagers on the street she will snap at if they try to pet her. Probably the gasping from their jogging episode that made her apprehensive. She still growls if she does not want to get up out of a bed, or off my bed, or if you try to move her against her will... but we just warn her and get her moving with a leg or foot and show her we are not impressed with the display. I've taken to dragging her off her big bed with the towels I cover it with and flipping her up onto her feet with it. She has gone from discovering slugs and earthworms in the yard to small quarter sized frogs. Very funny to watch as they hop under her nose. In typicla ratty fashion she's relentless about chasing them until you go get her and get her moving to do her thing and get in the house. You have to be stubborn and stern with them, but gentle and they respond well. She's a beauty and very healthy and smart. She loves to chase anything that moves and be challenged. She would be a great agility or activity dog for someone. An older couple with no children or older children would be great for her. She loves to walk and look out the windows at what's going on, and laze around too. We're hoping she will soon have a forever home so she can continue to grow and be loved. With patience she would make a great addition to a quiet home where the new parents have some dog or ratty savy. She might even like the company of another ratty who can handler her. She's a 20 lb 15" high at the shoulder athletic dog.    

sounds like she is growing to be an adjusted little girl. I hope her progress continues in the right direction and she finds her forever home soon.

Yes, fostering and adopting a rescue dog is very rewarding, to watch the ratties change and become happy and more like a real dog. She wags her tail at more things every day, just a little, but she's getting there. However, I don't think we realized going into fostering how long the dog would be with us. She's a sweety and not bad at all. She listens when you correct her. But she and my 12 year old male have issues, so something that should have been a joy has become a trial. We're also unable to let other family members give them a potty break because she is unwilling to go in a crate once in a while and can be a handful to get in there. I'm assuming this will ease up sooner or later with patience and practise. Maybe a stranger she would not give a problem in going in. I might test that with my dad at lunch one day. She goes to sleep once we are gone, it's just the getting her in there that's a problem, so since she's our responsibility, we have to stay close to home to take care of her. We can deal with it for now, but she is ready to go to her new forever home, but the app process seems to take longer than we expected/realized. I guess patience is a virtue.

I wish I knew more about dog training. Two days ago chloe went into the crate when I asked her if she would go in the crate for a chicken treat. I turned around from the counter and she was in there sitting waiting! I couldn't beleive it. Usualy I have to pick her up after fishing her out from under the table and put her in physically. She tries all kinds of tricks to not go in. So I praised her and she got her treat. The next morning she did not give my hubby much trouble either. Just a little coaxing.

But noon of that day she layed in a dog bed on her back and groweled at me, after having been out and walked and treated to a snack. When I tried to touch her she got louder. I tired coaxing and waiting and praising, nothing doing, she wouldn't budge. So I went and got her slip collar and slipped it over her head, just in time to jerk her back from snapping at me. It's been a few months since she has snapped at me and not sure why she did this time. I then unleashed and collared her and put her in and she gave me an evil look.

She seems to have problems in a bed or on furniture when someone is reaching for her, some past trauma I guess. It was very scary. Other than this problem she is a reasonably obedient bidable dog. A little stubborn about the dishwasher and garbage (duh, a dog thing no doubt) and she seems to always be just in front of my legs when I want to walk somewhere, so I take her area as my own and all...

I just don't know how to correct the growling, snapping bed issue correctly without making things worse. Any ideas?

Squirt bottle, Connie.  I think she senses that you are hesitant, or perhaps scared of her and she's trying to get the upper hand over you.  Always carry a squirt bottle and bean her with it when she does that.

Don't allow her on the furniture unless you tell her she can be.  Don't let her take any privileges unless YOU give them to her on your terms.  Make her sit to eat.  Make her sit just to make her sit.  You have to prove to her that YOU are the alpha, not the other way around.

If she growls at you, squirt the crap out of her.  She's becoming possessive.  Don't let her near on or by anything that she shows possession over to you.

Nora, any other advice?

Thanks, NORA!! 

Agree with Sue and Nora! and I would attach a light line to this dog..when she tries this stuff you would have a way to quickly correct her without getting bit. simply let her drag the line around, you need to get control over this before it gets nasty. also she shouldn't be allowed on furniture at all right now ,you need to get some control over her first. and here she would definitely be on the NILIF program.

Well, we've done all you suggested below over the last four months. She dragged a lead around for a day and as I corrected her she got crankier. She does not sleep on our bed, she has her own and is removed when she jumps on mine, which she rarely does. I do not allow her to get away with anything. Today I moved her out of the dog bed with my sneakered foot and when she realized turning over and acting coy and growling and snapping was getting her nowhere she went into the crate and waited for praise and reward. We have used all of these techniques. She is not a bad dog, just a little stubborn and hard headed. I've had dog training, just not to the degree of correcting problems already learned. I just think she needs more time and consistency than a working girl can give her, and I can't trust her with my family who help us out when we need doggy assistance. She has not bitten me and we are on constant alert to correct her. I am not afraid of her, just concerned that using specific corrections may escalate things. Short of getting very heavy handed with her, I think she needs time and more regimented training. Otherwise she just wants to be loved, but maybe also wants to be the top dog, and I'm not giving up the position to any dog in my home. She's probably also bored. We walk her a mile a day, but I'm sure some other acitivity would do her a world of good. I just don't have a large enough yard for full out running or a dog that will give her a run for her money. Mooch is too old to do so and is snarly with her. She is set in her incorrect ways from the original owners and we have been working to correct this. She is on her way to Arizona this weekend. Hopefully someone with more training experience can make her a successful adoption. Regretfully,