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Adopted Dog's Personality
I am a first time pet owner! My husband and I adopted a 2-year-old pug/boxer mix about a month ago.
She has some separation anxiety, but she's potty and crate trained, rarely barks, and is always up for playing with a tennis ball. I hope she gets more comfortable home alone, but she had been abandoned on the side of the road, so I think that we will have to be patient.
I had a friend who said that her dog, an english pointer, was the same way for the first 3 or 4 months, and then once she became comfortable at home, she really became naughty- barking, tearing up pillows, etc.
I'm hoping that this dog stays as sweet as she is. But I'd love to hear from those of you who adopted adult dogs - what's the adjustment period? Do they wait until they're comfortable before they reveal their true colors? Or are their personalities clear from day one?
Re: Adopted Dog's Personality
There should be lots of helpful tips in our FAQ about SA if it really is SA. Don't give in and try to comfort the whining/crying etc.
Since adopting our Swiss mix when he was 1 year old, I do not think we will ever adopt a young puppy again. We never had a single accident in the house and complelty skipped the puppy chewing phase. Since he was almost full grown we could start going hiking with him and attending obediance classes immediatly. The exercise and obediance classes really helped set a routine and lay down the law from the beginning. He was an abandoned puppy too so we had a few problems in the beginning; anytime we'd go for a hike or let him off leash he would "velcro," himself to me like he was afraid we'd leave him. It was so sad! It took a few months but he now runs around off leash, though he never lets me get out of sight, not that I'm going to complain about that!
His personality has really stayed about the same since we adopted him. Establishing the rules on the first day and staying consistent with them I think really helped. Dogs are usaully more comfortable with routine, and a tired dog is usaully a good dog. I don't know much about your friends dog but english pointers are high energy breeds and the behavior problems sounds like they could possibly be an effect from the dog not getting quite enough exercise. Boxers aren't quite as high energy, but every dog needs some exercise. Of course, just like people, his personality may change a bit, but not as drastically as your friends dog did! If behavior problems start to appear, nip them in the bud right away with training and exercise.
A Boxer/pug mix sounds adorable. Pictures? Good luck to you! Sounds like you got a real sweetheart.