Once you get the dog in your home you may find he doesn't need any rehabilitation.
Give him time to adjust to a new environment, but at the same work with him on house training and obedience.

You obviously did everything right with your first dog and I'm sure you'll do everything right with CJ. Maltese are great little dogs and very intelligent.

Here is a link that might be useful: Info

Before you get the dog home, take it on a leash walk, this establishes you as the leader right away, and can tell you alot about the dog. It is going to take time for you guys to figure each other out...post again and lets us know how it is going. Good luck

Thank you annz for the web site...it is full of great info.
Mazer, thank you for the advice. I don't think that CJ has ever been walked on a leash but that is going to change, he is in for some surprises that will make him a better dog than he is now. LOL
I guess when you have had a dog for so long and she was well behaved and obedient, you forget how we got to that point. I realize I need to re-fresh my knowledge on how to be "pack leader".
Again thank you both.
Murphy

I agree with the above, and also think you are doing a wonderful thing rescuing this creature!

I have rescued 4 dogs, all mutts. The bottom line is, usually you just don't know much about the dogs you get. Your situation is somewhat different.

In a nutshell, you have a one year old dog that knows nothing about how a good dog should act. He really has not had a happy life, and now deserves one. Having a plan always helps. Decide where you want the dog to be in 12 months, and how to get him there.

I would first have him checked by a vet, just to make sure things are O.K. physically. I would then start to treat your dog like a pup about 4 months old, and proceed as you would with a pup. Typically, dogs around 12 months old are house trained, over teething and chewing. Three very important basics that lead to crate weaning and eventual unsupervised freedom. Because your dog does not know much, you will need to teach these things to him.

This may take a while given his background and age. If he is not house trained, he is well past the "prime potty" stage of 3-4 months. Extra patience with his progress is a must, typically, positive behavior is gradually built on other positive behavior, you may find yourself going very slowly when instilling what a good dog should act like.

I would contact anyone who knows the dogs breed and wiring. Rescue groups are a good start, many times they can put you in contact with someone and there is not charge. Research will also help. Anything that will help you know more about the dog, and what to expect.

Finally, my most recent rescue, a Shepard/Hound was "traumatized" before I came along (long sad story). She was four months old when I found her. Over two years later, I am still dealing with what she went through. Typical training techniques do not apply here, and I had to completely re-think how to bring her along. I refer to the process as her taking "ittie bittie baby steps". She is much better, but still has a way to go.

Good luck!

SG

Be firm, loving, consistent, and have lots and lots of patience. I adopted a 1 or 2 year old rescue beagle. (she was a stray, so nobody knew her true age.) I came so close to rehoming her several times - she was a terror, and like you, I was spoiled by my other well trained dogs.

It honestly took about 9 months for me to decide once and for all that I was keeping her. I don't think you'll have such a hard time - beagles are notoriously stubborn and independent - but you will go through some rough patches I'm sure. I'm glad I was patient with Daisy. I would never get another beagle, but she has turned out to be a good dog. (I'm still waiting for "great" ;)

I agree with most of the above post, but not all.

I know very well that when I rescue a dog, I never know what I'm getting myself in to. That's fine, I am all for saving a life.

So, when I do bring a dog home, it's for life. The incredible struggles I've had with my most recent rescue has taught me much. If I had given up just when things were just not going well no matter what I did, the dog probably would not have made it. The rescue group asked me if I wanted to return her more than once, I simply refused.

I do have a wonderful creature that compliments my home and other two dogs. I refer to her as a special needs child. All of her issues really do remind me of this.

SG

Thank you all for the great advice and encouragement. I think CJ is potty trained. When he visited my house last month, he made no mistakes. But the grandmother wanted him crated most of the time....I insisted that he be out when we were all here together. I simply closed off the carpeted areas and he did just fine. Keeping a dog crated all the time, especially when there are two adults and two children (age 11 and 12) to interact with was just cruel to me.
I won't be able to go get him until the end of the month, only a couple of weeks, and in the meantime I will study up on the breed and learn all I can about Maltese and refresh my memory about training an ok dog to be a great dog!

Will keep you posted on our progress.
Thank you again for the suggestions.
Murphy

In addition to all the great information already posted, you may want to consider signing up for a group obedience class. One thing great about the group classes, is that helps socialize the dog, a positive experience to be around other dogs and other people.

(I get the impression that this dog, crated all the time, probably hasn't had much socialization.)

Follow up on CJ. He has been home with me for a week now and he is a sweet little dog. I wanted to post an update and let those of you who answered my request for advice know what is going on with him. Got him home last Monday and he has made only one potty mistake in the house. He pooped on the carpet, I picked it up and him and took him outside to show him where he is to go potty. The accident happened within the first hour of being home and I gave him that one because I understand he was stressed, new place, etc. He is leashed trained (sort of). He will walk on a leash but thinks it has to be on his terms not mine. Lots of pulling. So I got a harness instead of a collar and things are better. He will sit on command for a split second but will not stay. Working on that. He will wait a full second for me to go out the door first and me to come back in first. He comes when called if he feels like it. He runs if I step toward him so I just wait till he comes to me. I will not chase a dog. Patience is a virtue. Fortunately he does not like me to be out of sight so he will follow me if I just start walking. He does not like the crate and will not go in willingly. However, will stay in quietly once he is in there. I do keep him crated at night and if I am going out. Otherwise he is a "free range doggie" now. If I had spent 20 out of 24 hours in a crate for most of my life, I would hate it too. I am going to enroll us in obedience school this week. He seems to be very smart and I am sure that with some training and his full grasp that I am the leader of this pack of two, we will be just fine. LOL.
I want to thank again those who responded to my first post and let you know that your advice was extremely helpful in getting CJ off to a good start.
Murphy

Thanks for the update! Sounds like things are going really well and I had to smile while reading your post..........especially the part of "he comes when called if he feels like it". Since he's already following you everywhere, I don't think that problem will last long! :)

Hello everyone. I wanted to let you know the amazing progress CJ and I have had since his "rescue" September 29th. He was fearful, nippy, kinda "wild" and afraid of his own shadow. He is making progress with his socialization. I enrolled us in "Doggie School" and while he isn't the happiest camper there, I am re-learning how to train and he is responding well at home. He comes when called, sits and waits on command, still working on lie down. He is so close to the floor, I don't think he sees the value yet...LOL. He spends his nights in the crate...goes in on his own I might add. He is crated only occasionally when I am out. My 78 year old Mom lives next door and she loves to "dogsit" CJ when I am out. They have this little love fest thing going on and it is good for both of them.
The biggest issue I still have with him is he does not let me know he has to go out. I kinda "read his mind", have a general schedule and ask and he runs to the door. Sometimes he goes and then comes back in and a little while later I find poop on the floor. We need to find a better way. I really want him to either go to the door and bark or come to me and stare me down. Not sure how to go about training him to do that. Any ideas?? He does not pee in the house, just poop but he should not be doing either. A work in progress.
Anyway, he has found a forever home and and as I expected I too have fallen in love with him. He is my little shadow, and I think he loves me too.
Thanks to all of you who responded to my first request about him. Very helpful and gave me confidence that I could do this.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all....
Murphy and CJ

I am so glad you've made a wonderful home for him!
Here is what I would do about the poop issue: Take him out at regular times and do not let him come back in until he poops.
Make a big deal out of this with praise and maybe a little treat. A walk usually gets the bowels moving.
If he just pees stay out with him until he poops. If he won't over say an hours time, bring him back in and don't take your eyes off of him. When he acts like he's going to poop, grab him and run outside. Do not let him poop in the house! You have to stay outside until he goes.
I would imagine several days of this will help him understand going outside only.

My dogs go out at regularly scheduled times ...and can hold it for incredibly long times if they don't want to go out in the rain.
They are good about standing at the door when they want to go out - for whatever reason- but I let them in and out all day too. The standing at the door did not happen overnight...that took months.

I forgot to add, that until he is 100% housebroken, you have to be going out with him to watch for when he poops. You can't just open the door and let him out.

You were right to do what you did, a dog should not be crated for more than 3 hours. Crating should be done sparingly.