Question:
We recently adopted a 1yr old german shepherd mix from the local Humane Society. He was dropped off at 3mths old and was there for 9mths, partly because of his demonstrated stress/anxiety. We adopted him thinking that he would calm down with the same 2 people with him everyday. He is AFRAID of everybody else. Our neighbors call him "PD" for psychodog. He tucks his tail all the way onto his abdomen. He has started drooling, panting hard, jerks off the leash, and has defecated/urinated out of fear of other people, but normally is house trained. He loves to ride in my truck and lay on the bed. We would like to help him but don't know how. I am afraid of paying for expense training that he will just run from. The lady from the humane society suggested anti anxieties, but I don't want that for the rest of his life and our vet indicated that unless he is tearing up stuff that it isn't warranted and he may grow out of it. We have had him about 3 mths and he really hasn't made progress. Granted he loves us and comes to me and my wife, but we can't really leave him with anyone and I am afraid boarding him may cause a heart attack. ANY suggestions would be helpful. Sorry to be so long winded.

Answer:
Poor guy...it sounds like he had a rough start at life before you came along. It is wonderful that you have him and are looking for ways to make him more confident.

I don't have any advice but wanted to offer my support. I have a 2 year old Alaskan Husky dog we rescued from an animal shelter, who was afraid to go down the stairs....into a basement...into a room with a door, afraid of singing on tv......etc....
Time and support and letting him decide when he was comfortable to try these things seemed to have helped him through this and now he is just a big goofy dog...he is the pic you can see by my name.

3 months is still very early days and I am sure there will be some wonderful ideas for the people here...I also like Stanley Coren...maybe try a google search of him and his methods...

Kimmee

Answer:
Im really not sure on what to say to this, I can only advise what I would do, and that is gradually introduce him to ppl. Let ppl go upto him and pat him and give him attention.either by play or patting, whatever the dog lets ppl do. Take it easy and dont push the dog into anything he feels uncomfortable doing. YOU have the ability to get him out of this, and it can only be done with love and patience. He has already shown you that he trusts you and your wife, so he already knows that ppl are ok.

Time, patience and friends who are willing to help will be an asset.

Good luck, I wish you all the best.

Answer:
I am working through a similar situation and can recommend a book by Barbara Woodhouse. It is available in paperback for $7.95. You can probably find it used for less than that. NO BAD DOGS, The Woodhouse Way (Simon & Schuster) offers a multitude of methods for correcting dog's bad habits and insecurities.

I am working with a 10 month old female lab following the death of our 13 year old Lab, and we are slowly making progress. The new female appears to have been abused by the previous owner and is terrified of being left alone and when confined barks and chews. I'll let you know how it goes. Good Luck!

Answer:
I once adopted Benji, a mix of some sort, golden coat with black ends to each hair, a lovely dog. He was fine on leash, great on walks, followed like a champ off leash ... with me and outside.

Inside the house, he would stay under the stairs leading from the kitchen to the upper floor with the bedrooms. The steps were open, so he could see the room and from there to the living room.

For 3-4 months, he'd crawl carefully our, belly to the ground, towards the back of my chair (I was facing away from the kitchen, on purpose). If I moved, he shot back under the stairs (unless I suggested a walk )After about 5 months, he actually sniffed my hand which I had left hanging down on the outside of the chair!

I would have gotten somewhere with him, except for two things: 2 young kids who didn't understand why their dog was scared of them and thought games and toys would cheer him up; and a large-framed, big-voiced husband with "hair" on his face. He actually terrorized Benji just by his presense! Even the kids and their toys were better than this big and loud character (to Benji). He'd probably been hurt/ beaten/ mistreated by a man, and was scared stiff of all men!

Sadly, I had to return him to the refuge, but I told them to not give him to anyone but a single, older lady who had lots of time and patience and a calm environment for him. No men and preferably no young kids. I don't know what happened to him, but I'll never forget him

I guess what I'm trying to say is Patience. Don't confront him by staring at him and trying to coax him directly. Let him come gradually.

Cesar Milan is not a popular character on this forum, I know, but I saw him get a real scaredy-cat of a dog to come to him on one program, and the method was in fact similar to my tactics with Benji, except he "provoked" the reactions a little by sitting much closer to the dog than I had done. With his back to the dog! No eye contact, as that intimidates a dog. OK, he's a pro (liked or not, but he is) and you and I probably would need more than a few hours to get results, but still, that tactic is possibly one you could try.

Sit still with your back to him, a few feet away, and wait. Maybe you can have something he likes in your hand (food) to incite him to come to you. If that's successful, try it with some frioends or family you know like dogs and would want to help (as you say it's more a "stranger" issue than with you personally).

Answer:
Thank you for rescuing your dog and caring enough to find help and solutions for his issues. We, too, have an extremely fearful/anxious dog and are working very hard to help him. It's been six months and with a combination of de-sensitizing, re-conditioning, medication, and training, we have seen some results. Providing him with clear, firm but fair boundaries, has helped him to understand what is expected of him and, importantly, provides security. He is progressing slowly but surely. We've been told it can sometimes take several months to several years depending on the severity of each case. What I do know is that it takes lots of patience and commitment from you and your family. Please give him a chance.

I would strongly recommend you read "The Cautious Canine, How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears" by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D. It would also help a great deal if you consult with an experienced behaviorist, one with a gentle manner (not just a trainer), to help you understand what your dog is going through and to help you discover what methods work best for your dog.

Good luck and please keep up posted with his progress.

Answer:
Hi there - we had/have the exact same problem with Hayden, a rescued pup.
A year ago he was absolutely terrified of any strangers...and displayed almost exactly the same behaviour that you are describing. We talked to our vet who suggested a behaviourist or anti-anxiety pills....or just to be patient and work with him.

So we had everyone who came over bring extra special treats....in the first while (like 6+ months) he wouldn't even take a treat from most people. We were just persistent...gradually he started to warm up to people with dogs (with them)...then people who just had dogs (must have been their smell, or they dog-loving vibe..). Anyways, it has been a SLOW process and there are still many people he will not warm up to and is still terrified of. However, with a select group of people (maybe up to 10 now) he has made a complete 360..he is actually excited to see them, will rush up to them with licks...now he pees out of excitement! Just lately we have found that sometimes we will come across a complete stranger on a walk or at the park...and he is a completely "normal" dog with them...is excited and lets them immediately pet him. We can't explain it...but it just shows what an improvement he has made over the last year.

My only advice is to be patient...Have people come over as often as possible..get him used to them. Have them lie on the floor or in some other submissive position...never let them push themselves on him - let him come to them when he is ready. Believe me, I know how frustrating it is - but I still remember the first time he finally gave in and let his guard down with someone other than us...we were overjoyed...and I think he sensed this. From that day on, one at a time, he started letting other people in. He has made leaps and bounds...but it has been a painstaking process.

So hang in there - it will take time, but don't give up!

Answer:
Patience is a must, but I don't know how much time I have. My wife wants to take the dog back to the humane society like yesterday. I keep begging her not to b/c I can't think of him being in a cage again. The first couple days we had him he ran from me. I would grab him and hold him and gradually rub his belly. After maybe 3 days he would sheepishly come to me. My wife thinks he is a waste, he won't bark and we (especially her) can't control him for a walk. Granted, I keep telling her that the dog is not completely retarded and knows she doesn't like him. I don't want to argue in the house everyday about him, but I hate the thought of him being 're-unsocialized'. I would rather see him put down then recaged. He is a sweet dog and I think deserves a chance. He is great at cuddling and doesn't really chew up anything....anyway. oh, he came to my mother today. Granted, it was just for a second but still, he came.

Answer:
Originally Posted by ibskot
Patience is a must, but I don't know how much time I have. My wife wants to take the dog back to the humane society like yesterday. I keep begging her not to b/c I can't think of him being in a cage again. The first couple days we had him he ran from me. I would grab him and hold him and gradually rub his belly. After maybe 3 days he would sheepishly come to me. My wife thinks he is a waste, he won't bark and we (especially her) can't control him for a walk. Granted, I keep telling her that the dog is not completely retarded and knows she doesn't like him. I don't want to argue in the house everyday about him, but I hate the thought of him being 're-unsocialized'. I would rather see him put down then recaged. He is a sweet dog and I think deserves a chance. He is great at cuddling and doesn't really chew up anything....anyway. oh, he came to my mother today. Granted, it was just for a second but still, he came.


Obviously he has had some trouble! but please dont give up! It will take some work! many dogs end up making wonderful companions to those that give them time to trust again! sometimes it is on their schedule! trust is a big thing for animals...I hope your wife gives it a chance! Some things I would ask that are not mentioned would be:

1) what kind of excercise does he get?
2) is he crate trained?
3) what is he like with rewards? for behaviour etc?

Also walking properly on leash can be corrected! I have a 110lb chocolate lab that has a chest like Superman! he is strong! I went from a training collar, to a halty, to a choke chain, and now I walk him only with a prong collar..he can no longer pull me down the street and has respect for me when walking! besides we both enjoy the walk much better when everything is under control! I wish you luck!

I am sure you will have more people here to help you out....

Cindy


Answer:
Sounds like a job for the Dog Whisperer; you might take a chance and check his website to see if he is looking for cases in your area for the T.V. show. I know he was here in Long Beach area a few months ago looking for troubled dogs and their owners.

That's the only advice I have; I feel very sad for your dog but he is lucky to have found your family.

Good luck!

Answer:
Why in the world did the shelter keep him for 9 months? He should of gone to a foster home where he could have learned how to socialize.

I adopted a golden when she was about 10 months old. We had no history on her and she wasn't shy of people but she did have many other problems. One thing I learned is that I should never have felt sorry for her or at least let her know that I felt sorry for her. She picked up on my feelings and responded accordingly.

I know you don't want to medicate but there is an anti-anxiety medication called Clomicalm that works in conjunction with training. It is not intended for long term use but just until the dog can overcome its fears.

Answer:
He was being taken home at night by the office manager the last month he was there before he found us. As far as excercise, the first 3-4 weeks we had him we would take him for 1-2 mile walks several times a week, then 'something' happened and he won't leave our yard now unless I carry him and he is 80lbs. My wife can't handle his resistance physically so I take him to my parents house which is on 30 acres and there is a dog there that he likes. I usually let them play for at least an hour. I try to do this as much as I can, maybe 3 times a week.
No, he is not crate trained. We bought one but couldn't get him into it, so I figured I woiuld try again when he calmed down a bit. He is 'beside me on the bed trained'
Treats? Rewards? peanut butter is the only thing he will do anything for. He sits like a champ, but won't "perform" to get a treat. Like he can't pay that kinda attention. odd really. I never thought of myself as a bad owner, but I have never been around a dog like him.
What kinda training collars do you suggest? He was on clomicalm when I got him, but I took him off of it. The vet said he didn't need it, and at the time I agreed.
thanks

Answer:
If you just stopped giving him the Clomicalm without gradually reducing the dosage over time, this can certainly be contributing to the problem. This is not a medication that can be stopped overnight, there will be side-effects such as increased anxiety. Your dog obviously has some problems that need to be dealt with and of course, medication alone won't do it. However, just as with humans, medication combined with therapy more often than not helps the patient focus on issues that need to be addressed. The same goes for animals. Clomicalm is not a depressant that calms a dog down. Please do some research on the medication and pay particular attention to withdrawal symptoms when it's abruptly ceased.

As for crate training, this is highly recommended for anxious dogs as they come to see their crates as safe places when they are feeling stressed. Cover it with a blanket and find the threads relating to crate-training on this forum.

How long have you had this dog? Was your wife with you when you chose to bring him home?

I agree with Coppperbelle that you should not feel sorry for this guy, it can backfire; you can love him as much as possible but provide him with clear boundaries, rules, and consistency that he so desparately needs at this point.

Exercise is extremely important. If you are having too much of a difficult time walking him, please seek a professional to help teach you the skills you need in order to help him. He won't learn on his own, you have to learn first in order to teach him.

Answer:
I work at an animal shelter, and we have used Clomicalm successfully in conjunction with behavioural work. You may want to find a vet that is more supportive of anti-anxiety medications. As mentioned, clomicalm is not just a sedating "drug", it is used to help lower anxiety levels.

We are seeing a lot more fearful dogs like yours in the shelter system. They can be worked with, you just need an abundance of patience. You will have to do a lot of counter-conditioning, and desensitization to "scary" things/people.

Probably the best thing to do would be to find a certified behaviour consultant (not just a "trainer") who uses positive methods, as harsh punishment-based methods can set a fearful dog back. There are also many good books out there on working with fearful dogs, "The Cautious Canine" by Patricia McConnell was mentioned, that is a GREAT book, another really good one that just came out is "Help for Your Fearful Dog: A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Your Dog Conquer his Fears", by Nicole Wilde. They are both available from dogwise.com.

Good luck, and I hope things work out with your doggie!

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