Adopted a 5 year old dog from the pound, wat do?

>Is he just sad and adjusting/getting over his illness?
Probably

>Do I just use the same techniques?
Yes

>He barely responds to his name and isn't even that receptive towards treats
You have to teach him his name, and he will begin to respond to treats when he settles in.

It can take a while for puppers to fully settle in. Moving from at least one prior home to the shelter to your home is stressful on a dog. I've had mine for a month and a half and it still doesn't feel like he's settled in. The cough will only exacerbate things. The most important thing is to give him space and time.

Say his name before you feed and while he's eating, as your petting him, before you go out, etc... Just anything nice and he'll become responsive in due time.

How is he with toys and what sort of treats are you giving him?

>>2411063
>How is he with toys and what sort of treats are you giving him?
He pretty much just ignores toys. The only treats he likes are meaty ones or human food. I wonder if he got used to it from eating out of the trash or something.

>>2411073
Could also just be that kennel cough is messing with his appetite, so he's only interested in "high value" treats right now. As long as he's eating, no problem.

>>2411077
Ooh that's smart. Thanks dude. I've never had a dog myself before so I wasn't sure what to expect

>underweight
>lethargic
>lost 5 pounds in a few days, 1/6 of his body weight

Take a fresh poop sample to the vet and have a fecal exam done. It should cost about $50. He probably has worms.

>>2411041
Dogs with KC can get extremely lethargic, he'll be a spastic hell hound in no time when he gets better don't worry. Train just like any other dog however I do recommend the positive reinforcement only meme for the first two weeks; you want to build a good relationship with your dog so you want your dog to think you're just filled with praise, toys and tasty treats for him. I know some dogs come into the shelter with names their previous owner gave them, but sometimes in the chaotic shelter life they will forget their names because people are rarely calling the dog by it's name. Also, the dog may have come in as a stray meaning that the shelter plopped a name on them that they wouldn't know. He is probably not receptive to food because he's very ill, you could try different treats or try something like toys or attention that he may be more interested in, but don't be too surprised if he doesn't do much right now while recovering. The last one was probably a good question to ask the vet. Usually with emaciated animals they advise many small meals throughout the day to avoid the animal puking. But I don't think your guy is that thin, you could probably just feed as normal.

I suggest you check out dog training YouTube channels like ZakGeorge and Kikopup. Avoid trainers that base their training off what wild animals would do, like spitting in mouths and shit.

>>2411593
Chances are the pound weighed the dog when they first got the dog, not the day he left. And OP weighed the dog when he found out it was sick. So it probably wasn't a pound a day, but a fecal test is a good idea regardless for any animal losing weight while still eating.

>>2411593
Already did that actually. Vet says there's nothing.

>>2411732

Give him time to get better, give him lots of cuddles and affection and tasty treats, but don't force yourself upon him. Like, if he isn't super social, then don't force him to be so. Animals in general can grow to hate you if you don't respect their privacy, espeically when they are rehomed and need to find their bearings.

Don't pet him hardly at all, just light scritches and nuzzles and stroke his fur gently.

Have you played with him yet? Is he even in the mood for fun?

>>2411737
Yeah he's okay with being scratched and when I come home he likes to run around the house "chasing" me but otherwise he just lays around with zero interest in toys or chewing. Maybe I just have a preconception of what dogs are like and he's just a weirdo in that regard.

>>2411761

Dogs wary in temperament as much as humans

Also, just look at his gray hairs, he's an old guy, it's not the springtime of youth for him you know?

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>>2411732
wow, good on you OP. I'm surprised. people who come here for advice usually aren't very thorough.

I agree with >>2411737 and would also like to remind you to keep an eye on his liquid intake. touch his gums every so often--if they're tacky or dry, encourage him to drink some water or low-sodium broth. there are other signs of dehydration but that's the easiest way to tell.

I adopted an underweight dog with a belly full of tapes, giardia, and coccidia, plus fleas. sometimes had to resort to squirting a syringe in his mouth to keep him hydrated. got very good at pilling dogs (everyone should!). he's very healthy now, and very spoiled. I wish the same for your dog.

>>2411779
>Also, just look at his gray hairs, he's an old guy
maybe if he was an irish wolfhound. 5 years isn't old for a small/medium dog.

but I agree that dogs vary in temperament. it would be good to have a vague idea of what breeds he's mixed with because that can give you a good idea of what he will enjoy the most (in addition to time spent getting to know him once he's healthy again, of course).

it could just be toys and chews aren't really his thing. he could like swimming, digging, running, agility, puzzles, etc. or he could just be a couch potato.

Don't be surprised if they don't accept treats for awhile. When dogs are nervous they don't eat treats, I can have fresh bacon and in the wrong setting my dog won't even smell it.

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>>2411784
>wow, good on you OP. I'm surprised. people who come here for advice usually aren't very thorough.
Yeah I've seen the /an/ "take it to the vet" banner enough times to get it checked out before asking anything. The visit was free since he's a shelter dog, and the fecal was free too. I'm just glad his only issue is the kennel cough.

>he could like swimming, digging, running, agility, puzzles, etc. or he could just be a couch potato.
He loves being outside and always catches scents and tries to chase small animals/cats. I was just hoping to get him to like chew toys and his kong so I can more easily leave him at home.

>Also, just look at his gray hairs, he's an old guy
He's only 5 though. I know he's no puppy but that's not even old is it?

>it would be good to have a vague idea of what breeds he's mixed with
All I was told was that he's a lab mix, but he looks almost exactly like some Border collie/Lab mixes I've seen on the internet. But otherwise he's a pretty small dog to be a lab or border collie. He's only up to my knee or so. I expect his healthy weight to be just above 30 lbs but I don't know how small or large collies are supposed to be. My friend's girlfriend works at the humane society and says he probably also has some australian shepherd in him.

>>2411761
My dog isn't much of a chewer either. He seems to like digging so I bought a kiddy pool and plan on filling it with sand. Are you planning on crate training him?

You can try food dispenser / puzzle toys when he gets better. It took some time, but my boy really gets into chasing the stuff. We have these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01GP4824A/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1496240315&sr=8-14&keywords=food%2Bdispensing%2Bdog%2Btoy&th=1&psc=1 and http://m.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Chewzie-Dog-Puppy-Toy-Treat-Food-Tube-Feeder-For-Small-Dogs-Slow-Eating-Fun-/162499259512

You'd have to help if it gets stuck, but I think it's worth it.

give him probiotics like live cultured yogurt to offset the negative effects of the antibiotic medicine

>>2411896
>He loves being outside and always catches scents and tries to chase small animals/cats
That sounds a lot like mine. Indoors all he wants to do is snuggle, but outside he loves sniffing and chasing anything.

You just need to learn his personality. He will start coming out of his shell slowly and surely, and you'll learn what makes him happy. He might not be the dog who plays fetch with you or wants to play with toys, but that's okay.

Lots of recipes might not have had a lot of human interaction when they were younger, meaning they may just prefer to make their own fun.

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OP here, didn't want to start an entirely new thread but any guesses on breed? He's allegedly a lab mix and my buddy says he looks part border collie but he's so small that I wonder if he's more terrier than anything. His healthy weight is only about 30 lbs

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>>2413417
He's also looking a lot healthier and happier so thanks for the peace of mind guys

>adopting a middle aged black dog and taking responsible care of it
OP is the real MVP

>>2412131
Yeah I already got him a kong but he doesn't really like it yet. Maybe when his cough clears up he'll have more of an appetite for digging treats out of it. I was going to crate train him soon, I'm just waiting to find a good deal on a crate.

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>>2413425
He went to the pound after his owner didn't take him back because he killed some cats. The local shelter was trying to make room for new dogs coming in after July 4th so I knew he was going to die if I didn't do something. Poor guy is pretty sweet unless he's around vermin/cats so I thought he deserved a second chance.

>>2413417
if someone told me it was a collie/lab I'd believe them. 30 lbs is a little on the small side for a pure collie, though, let alone one mixed with a lab.

that stocky body and that long-ish snout remind me of a cattle dog, though.

of course, you'll get a better idea of his temperament once he's well, and if he has any behaviors that are common with certain breeds, it'll give you a better idea.

>>2413508
Yeah someone told me he very likely is part cattle dog. I haven't seen any herding behavior but he doesn't bark at all and likes to catch scents outside/chase cats. That's all I can say about his personality for now since all he does otherwise is sleep