Is this too Good to be true?
 

I just found the dog for us. I had been looking for over 3 months and I found her! We took her home from the City on Friday. She is a small yellow lab mix breed. (5 yr old spay female). I knew she was the one the moment I saw her. Maybe because we need each other but we bonded right away.

She is house trained (so far anyway), goes to her bed when asked, very gentle with my kids and extremely affectionate.

She has come down with kennel cough (not suprised) and is going into see our vet today. My only concern is she is very submissive (not urinating) and I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on building her confidence? She isn't a puppy and is not hyper. Also, at 5 is 2 hour walks too much? Feedback would be great!
Thanks,
Happy dog

No 2 hours is not to much as long as it is not too hot out, your dog is lucky most don't go out for that long. It will also help her to bond with you. Remember this is a new situation and is probably a little scary for her. It will take time for her to trust you. I have found that I always talk to my rescues a lot calling them by there name, always praising them when they do what they are told. Just sitting and patting her will help her to relax and start to feel more comfortable. Once she bonds and trusts you, you will find that they will do anything to please you.

Oh she sounds just perfect! :D

With lots of love she will overcome her shyness and become your best friend.
We adopted 2 shepXlab sisters and the one that looks more like the lab was very timid when we got her but she has overcome this and is the biggest baby I have ever seen, she still hides behind her sister when people come to visit or when there is a loud noise but she comes around very quickley and loves to get pets from everyone. Just be paitent with her and she will repay you with lots of love and kisses.

Congrats
 

I just wanted to say Congratulations on finding your new "baby"...i hope i find mine soon too :)

Congrats. :) I would take her for short walks at first to see how much walking she does. Mine was 18 mo. and never on long walks. I think she was only walked to the car and back. Climatize her to how much you walk. And give her time to come out of her shell slowly.

Congrats!!:) Your new dog sounds just lovely.

I have found that obedience training is a wonderful way to build confidence in a dog. Being successful does wonders for their confidence level.

Keep sessions very short and always end on a positive note, and with tons of praise.

Another helpful thing is a strict schedule - walks, feeding, playtime at the same time every day. Shelter dogs dont' know what will happen to them next, so if they can count on certain things happening at the same time, this also increases confidence.

You've only had this dog a few days. It takes time for them to become comfortable and at ease in a new home.