Another Fearful Rescue Dog Question...
Question: I adopted a dog from a local rescue organization. A breeder had let the dog go to them, apparently she has about 200 dogs that she is breeding or whatever it is that she does. I was naïve and thought that the dog would be OK with time but it has been 3 months and he is still not socializing at all. Jake stayed in his crate exclusively for weeks at my house with the door open (unless we picked him up and took him outside to go potty). He does not like being outside at all, as soon as his feet hit the ground he runs to the back door and begs to go in. He was going potty in the yard but within the last week has started running to the deck and relieving himself there. Jake also started shoving himself under our sofa and would not come out to eat or potty or anything. We would have to lift the sofa up to drag him out to eat or go to the bathroom. I have resorted to strict crate training to try to get him to potty in more appropriate places (not my floor) and keep him from hiding and not eating etc. I do have a schedule with him and was hoping that would help him relax a bit but it has not helped.
My other dachshund is totally motivated by treats but Jake will reject a treat most of the time. Please make some suggestions regarding rehabbing him. I don’t know what to do, it is so hard to deal with a dog that isn’t motivated by affection or food. It is really sad. I would hate to know what has happened to him over the years to make him this way.
Thanks for any help / suggestions that you can give me. I am hesitant to take him to training at PetSmart b/c he is so fearful.
Answer: Dealing with fearful dogs can be an extremely difficult task. Fearful dogs are fragile dogs. The only way to deal with fearful dogs effectively and humanely is to move slowly and at the dogs pace. Over time Jake may improve. He may improve a little or he may improve a lot. It depends on many different things including his level of fear, your technique and skill level as a trainer as well as the amount of time you put into this.
The first thing I would do is don't push him. Try to allow him space. If he can eat in your presence, I would feed him in your presence. Not from your hand (this is too advanced for him and he probably wouldn't take the food anyway), but with you in the room if you can. I worked with one very fearful dog that would eventually eat if I sat outside the crate and read a book. The eating in the presence of humans can slowly shift the dogs emotional response to people. Eventually, he may be able to take food out of your hand and then you can begin hand feeding him. I would also be using extremely high value food (human grade meat like chicken or beef, canned dog food, etc).
Jake may be motivated by food, but he is too fearful to eat. There is a difference. In other words, even food motivated dogs will not take food if they are frightened enough.
You might put a dragline on Jake which is a piece of thin rope (about 1/4") about 6 feet long attached to a harness so that you can carefully get him out of places without having to pull him out by his limbs or collar.
I highly recommend you check out www.fearfuldogs.com which is a website dedicated to dealing with fearful dogs. And, purchase the handbook "The Cautious Canine" by Dr. Patricia McConnell. It is a wonderful handbook on dealing with fearful dogs. Another good book is Nicole Wilde's "Help For Your Fearful Dog". Both can be ordered through www.dogwise.com or www.amazon.com
Lastly, please do NOT enroll Jake into a class at Petsmart. He isn't ready for a group class yet and typically the instructors at Petsmart have limited skills. Most are not equipped at all to deal with dogs with serious issues. Jake cannot be subjected to a situation where he will shut down and just be frightened and stressed out.
I totally agree with the
I totally agree with the advice just given. I rescued a Boston Terrier 2 years ago from a puppy mill environment. I don't know if their fears will ever leave them but they do start to get better. She is afraid of strangers (mostly men and children) and will growl. If approached in her crate, her safe zone, she has growled and lunged at smaller children (this is hard for me I have 6 grandchildren), when out of the crate if someone approaches her she either freezes or runs to her bed - but this dog is THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. She is so grateful for the kindness and love I've given her she is my shadow. She gives me kisses and actually hugs! She has made strides in socialization, but not a lot. My husband felt so left out he got a doxie puppie and now the Boston is withdrawing a bit again since the puppy is dominant. I was hopeful it would do the opposite. What it boils down to is we really will never know all they went through. Many like her were in small cages or pens and used only for breeders with little love. My dog yelps at the sight of a knife or if a shoe gets close to her. Doxies are smart little dogs and they remember fears. Just a lot of love and coaxing and rewarding the dog with cheerful voice and gentle direction seems to help her. I never scream or correct her loudly. I never made her go to training classes and she is wonderfully crate trained and housetrained, just afraid. Maybe someday she will trust again. I hope yours makes improvements, if you are patient I'm sure there will be some.
I very much respect Benny's
I very much respect Benny's reply about fearful dogs and I'd like to share my experience. I'm not an expert trainer and naively adopted a breeder dog 3 yrs ago and had the same experience. She would not go outside, would not eat or drink for the first few days, would not budge on a leash, and just wanted to hide. But I kept putting her on the couch next to my mother and within a couple of days she stayed. Sallie actually turned out to be a blessing for my sweet, gentle, 86 yr old mother as she stayed at my mother's side who never demanded anything of her (except when I coaxed her outside). She walked beside mother at her pace, countless times a day, from the living room to the bathroom and back again, then to the bedroom at night - 24/7 for a year before mother passed away. She grieved for mother for a long time but since then she is learning to trust me because I've been very calm and slow and quiet with her. I've allowed her to choose personal spaces for her to feel safe away from the commotion of my other active dog. On the other hand, watching and following the other dog has been therapeutic as well. I've slowly challenged her by taking moments to hold her (which she hated at first and still only reluctantly allows it), rub her head in her bed (which she hated at first but now reaches out for and grumbles if I turn out the light without giving her bedtime "lovins". I talk very little and then only quietly with few words, and walking, walking, walking, walking to expose her to other scenery, people and dogs (per Cesar Milan). I believe that alone has contributed to most of her "awakening". After three years, she's still only 99% potty trained because she won't tell me when she needs to go out, but if I maintain a strict routine she does fine. Just this year she's a little braver about eating in the same room with us but any disturbance will cause her to "hide" in her bed until the middle of the night when she goes to eat. In the house she still prefers to maintain distance between us, spending most of the time in her bed in the bedroom, regardless of where the rest of us are. But outside she's more active, happily exploring, tail wagging, barking occasionally. If my understanding of brain development is accurate, dogs who were raised in cages may never become "normal" - so I'm resolved that Sallie may never become the fun or cuddly dog I'd hoped, but she fulfilled her mission as an angel with my mother and I'm happy to repay her just by giving her safe, warm, loving shelter.
There is an additional
There is an additional source of information that might prove helpful, as well.
If you go to http://www.wonderpuppy.net/canwehelp/ and click the link for "Behavioral Problems - Dogs", then the two links "Helping The Abused Dog" and "Fear And Separation Anxiety", you'll find many links to online information that may be valuable as you help your little one overcome his past.
Benny