Scared Dog problems.

[SithL0rd]

Long story inc. After reading the other thread about pit bulls it made me want to post this.

Couple of years ago a skinny rott started hanging around my parents place. After a couple of weeks my dad started feeling sorry for her and left out some food. She was very skiddish and would not approach anyone leading us to think she had been mistreated badly. Some months go by and she started coming up to my dad and letting him pet her but would approach no one else. Scared she was going to get hit by a car on the busy road they live on he built a fence for her to live in. Well before he got this done she got pregnant by some other dog that he has no clue what it was. She had a liter one nite and it was the next day before my dad found all the puppies dead cept for one. My mom commences to bottle feeding this puppy and she lives and my niece names her Miracle.

Eventually the rott(Precious) and Miracle and my parents original dog, black lab all live in the house and get together fine. My mom passed away a year ago and almost immediately Miracle started acting up. Picking fights with her mother and generally not acting right. We all figured it was her just missing my mom. But she started getting worse to the point where the fights with her mother were drawing blood. My dad says he hates it but shes got to go. So instead of her going to the pound I bring her up to Memphis with me. Well of course its a big change and its been about 6months now and shes still skiddish around new people and does not play well at all with other dogs. When meeting new people I always tell them to watch out cause she will bite not out of meanness but she's scared. I cannot even leave her in the backyard alone because she starts howling like someone is beating here. To me it seems like she feels my mom left her and shes scared that I am too.

Is there anyway to work with her to break her of this with her being bout 3years old? I want to be able to walk her and let people pet her without fear of her snapping at them.

If anyone actually reads all this thanks

[Il Duce]

Working with a fearful, scared or shy dog

[Punisher84]

I would suggest going to Petco or Petsmart and inquiring about training. They may be able to help. If you don't already have a vet pm me and I'll give you the info to my vet. She's in Olive Branch, but trust me, I moved from south of Germantown to North Bartlett and still drive there to take my dogs to her.

[Guest Broomhead]

I would suggest just trying to build a bond of trust and love, as well some gentle but stern discipline, with her. Try positive reinforcement, reward good behavior as quickly as possible with a small treat. Slowly, very slowly, ween her from treat to praise and petting. A lot of people use a pouch that clips to your pocket or belt to hold small bits of freeze dried liver or other treats. This will take months of near constant attention, it will not happen over night. She probably bonded with your mom and now feels lost without her. She needs someone else to bond to.

[SithL0rd]

Thanks for the help all.

[Guest tnxdshooter]

Long story inc. After reading the other thread about pit bulls it made me want to post this.

Couple of years ago a skinny rott started hanging around my parents place. After a couple of weeks my dad started feeling sorry for her and left out some food. She was very skiddish and would not approach anyone leading us to think she had been mistreated badly. Some months go by and she started coming up to my dad and letting him pet her but would approach no one else. Scared she was going to get hit by a car on the busy road they live on he built a fence for her to live in. Well before he got this done she got pregnant by some other dog that he has no clue what it was. She had a liter one nite and it was the next day before my dad found all the puppies dead cept for one. My mom commences to bottle feeding this puppy and she lives and my niece names her Miracle.

Eventually the rott(Precious) and Miracle and my parents original dog, black lab all live in the house and get together fine. My mom passed away a year ago and almost immediately Miracle started acting up. Picking fights with her mother and generally not acting right. We all figured it was her just missing my mom. But she started getting worse to the point where the fights with her mother were drawing blood. My dad says he hates it but shes got to go. So instead of her going to the pound I bring her up to Memphis with me. Well of course its a big change and its been about 6months now and shes still skiddish around new people and does not play well at all with other dogs. When meeting new people I always tell them to watch out cause she will bite not out of meanness but she's scared. I cannot even leave her in the backyard alone because she starts howling like someone is beating here. To me it seems like she feels my mom left her and shes scared that I am too.

Is there anyway to work with her to break her of this with her being bout 3years old? I want to be able to walk her and let people pet her without fear of her snapping at them.

If anyone actually reads all this thanks

Yup a bullet between the eyes will cure it quick, fast, and in a hurry. Shoot, Shovel, Shut up.

[Il Duce]

Thats a unneeded comment

Sent from my iPhone killer

[Farman]

Tnxdshooter is not funny, but he may be close to the truth. If you're afraid the dog may attack someone and may never be social, it may be better in the long run to give her up. I would feel horrible it it was mine and it attacked a child. There are always excuses when a dog attacks, they say it's the way a dog was raised, etc, and this dog was mistreated and .....psycho from the get-go. You need to have a pro evaluate the dog. Best I can do.. Good luck.

[Punisher84]

Yup a bullet between the eyes will cure it quick, fast, and in a hurry. Shoot, Shovel, Shut up.

Dude seriously? I'm not saying he may not eventually have to put her down, but damn that's pretty uncalled for.

[Guest mosinon]

I'd wager she doesn't know who the pack leader is and is trying to fill the void.

The solution? I'm not sure, but some training and a job would help. I've had a few skittish dogs but the other dog(s) have always cured that for me.

tnx is right, a bullet between the eyes fixes the problem. Cause who wants to be bothered by a dog? I shoot anything that is a problem in my life. I hope junior doesn't get a D this week....

[Murgatroy]

I'd wager she doesn't know who the pack leader is and is trying to fill the void.

The solution? I'm not sure, but some training and a job would help. I've had a few skittish dogs but the other dog(s) have always cured that for me.

tnx is right, a bullet between the eyes fixes the problem. Cause who wants to be bothered by a dog? I shoot anything that is a problem in my life. I hope junior doesn't get a D this week....

For a lot of dogs, the Pack Leader issue really messes up their compass.

As far as the shooting. Well, cold, yes, but honest. It might not be the best option depending, but sometimes, it is the more humane depending on the situation.

[Guest Jamie]

Yup a bullet between the eyes will cure it quick, fast, and in a hurry. Shoot, Shovel, Shut up.

I can't help but think it'd pretty much cure you, too.

Seriously... if this is the best you can do, then just be quiet. It'll save us all a lot of grief.

To the OP... I don't have any good advice. We have a Great Dane/Mastiff mix that came to us with the same problem. Abuse and mistreatment forced her into a pattern of "hurt them before they can hurt me". Fortunately, it was all a bluff, mostly.

It took a lot of work, and as someone posted further up, gaining her trust while still maintaining control and discipline. But she's now, at 150 pounds or so, the biggest baby in the house.

Imagine having this coming at you, showing it's unpleasant side:

This pic was taken a couple of years ago, when we first got her. She's much bigger than that now.

Edited October 13, 2010 by Jamie

[ncomarc]

Tnxdshooter is not funny, but he may be close to the truth. If you're afraid the dog may attack someone and may never be social, it may be better in the long run to give her up. I would feel horrible it it was mine and it attacked a child. There are always excuses when a dog attacks, they say it's the way a dog was raised, etc, and this dog was mistreated and .....psycho from the get-go. You need to have a pro evaluate the dog. Best I can do.. Good luck.

+1, lesson learned, I think it's cool what you are trying to do. You have to be carefull, or your looking at being dropped by homeowners and other out of pocket expense. I do hope that you are able to help the dog.

[Guest Jamie]

For a lot of dogs, the Pack Leader issue really messes up their compass.

As far as the shooting. Well, cold, yes, but honest. It might not be the best option depending, but sometimes, it is the more humane depending on the situation.

What's got the dog upset is the trauma of change, and not knowing how to cope with it. The move to Memphis has only added to that. Once it gets settled, and gets a chance to adjust, things will likely be fine... until the next upheaval.

Dogs are usually very sensitive to their owner's state of mind... I know all of ours are. So the mom dying put the whole family - and the dogs - into turmoil.

And like the people involved, it's gonna take the dog some time to work it all out and come to grips with it.

Since both dogs and people are different, individual to individual, they'll all deal with things in their own manner. And given that, I don't know of any one thing that'll likely help with this particular animal. It's just going to take time and patients to figure it out.

Edited October 13, 2010 by Jamie

[peejman]

What's got the dog upset is the trauma of change, and not knowing how to cope with it. The move to Memphis has only added to that. Once it gets settled, and gets a chance to adjust, things will likely be fine... until the next upheaval.

Dogs are usually very sensitive to their owner's state of mind... I know all of ours are. So the mom dying put the whole family - and the dogs - into turmoil.

And like the people involved, it's gonna take the dog some time to work it all out and come to grips with it.

Since both dogs and people are different, individual to individual, they'll all deal with things in their own manner. And given that, I don't know of any one thing that'll likely help with this particular animal. It's just going to take time and patients to figure it out.

This.

We adopted an abused puppy from the shelter. She's nearly 10 now and years of work have gotten her reasonably social. She's still very sensitive around people she doesn't know and it takes her a long time to accept anyone new. I don't really fear for her hurting anyone, she generally barks ferociously while running the other way.

Dogs are very much creatures of habit and routine. Change their routine and they'll be haywire for a while.

Our former neighbors inherited a hunting dog when the parent passed away. The dog cried nearly constantly for a month, it was quite pitiful (and annoying). They ended up giving it to a friend who had other hunting dogs and lived on a farm. It was much happier there.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Some dogs are naturally fearful or distrustful, but it isn't an excuse if it hurts somebody. Perhaps some super dog whisperer can turn any mutt into an ideal friendly dog, but it is beyond my ability.

Had a lab that was always naturally distrustful of strangers, but a fabulous dog. She would often warm up to people after about 15 minutes in the house, and after perhaps three consecutive visits she would remember that person was OK and would wag tail and greet joyfully that person from there on out. She had a good memory and could remember the people who were OK over years of not seeing them.

But she was NEVER a dog I could let people come up and pet on walks, and NEVER a dog I could let out of the house or fence off leash. She always would wear a muzzle to the vet, and I'd carry a muzzle in my pocket on walks, just in case. It would embarrass and humiliate her to have to wear the muzzle and she would have her feelings hurt for days afterward, but better her feelings hurt than somebody at the vet hurt.

That lab NEVER had bad experiences or abuse. She was just naturally loving to her people and skittish of strangers.

We currently have a five year old pound puppy mutt that will run away barking furiously rather than attack. Same deal as the Lab with less aggressiveness. She was born at the pound and raised here at the house from early age. Never abused. She just naturally afraid of strangers.

Re your dog's aggression problems with her mom-- Maybe I'm the unluckiest dog owner in the world, but my experience is that it is no accident that girl dogs are called bitches. Every time we have had more than one female in the house, they were constantly jostling about who gets to be queen. Routine fights and occasional blood.

One or two dogs in the house seems the easiest situations. More than two is a wolf pack. If two, preferably one male and one female for least odds of conflict. Males will fight over hierarchy also, but don't seem as likely as females to do that. But when the big males have a serious dispute, there can be blood or even death, and it is risky to try to break it up.

If you have three or more and are unlucky that they don't get along, it is a mess because if a fight breaks out they will gang up in assorted alliances. Its awfully difficult to break up a three-dog fight in the living room.

Edited October 13, 2010 by Lester Weevils

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

Yup a bullet between the eyes will cure it quick, fast, and in a hurry. Shoot, Shovel, Shut up.

-10

The only way a dog gets out of hand... Is lack of training...

[Guest Jamie]

Re your dog's aggression problems with her mom-- Maybe I'm the unluckiest dog owner in the world, but my experience is that it is no accident that girl dogs are called bitches. Every time we have had more than one female in the house, they were constantly jostling about who gets to be queen. Routine fights and occasional blood.

I have 7 dogs here; 6 females, one male. All have been "fixed". The only time there's ever been a real problem is when a new one has come in.

Yes, they occasionally have "arguments", but that's going to happen with either gender. The trick is to make sure they understand that it's the humans that are the leader(s), not one of them.

[SithL0rd]

OP here. I may not have presented my case the best as its kind of an emotional deal for me.

She's not a bad dog and once someone is inside the house she's fine with people. Its outside where she's skiddish. She's actually gotten used to the neighbors/friends that come over and even the neighbors dog. I'm just scared she is going to snap at the wrong person or dog and as shes a big dog i can see her being labeled a 'pit bull'. That being said it maybe me overreacting and I just wanted some advice. I had already thought about the Petsmart classes as I've taken her there a couple times to get bathed/nails cut and the ladies there say shes fine with them.

[Guest Jamie]

That being said it maybe me overreacting and I just wanted some advice.

Not to sound too much like Cesar Millan, but if you're nervous and apprehensive, the dog is going to be as well.

If you can stay calm and confident, and reassure the dog that everything is okay, then it should all work out just fine.

Being nervous, jumpy, and expecting trouble is pretty much a self-fulfilling prophecy, especially with animals.

[Guest Broomhead]

Not to sound too much like Cesar Millan, but if you're nervous and apprehensive, the dog is going to be as well.

If you can stay calm and confident, and reassure the dog that everything is okay, then it should all work out just fine.

Being nervous, jumpy, and expecting trouble is pretty much a self-fulfilling prophecy, especially with animals.

Amen to that. Dogs have an astounding innate ability to read people, especially those they are close to. Quick story, we used to have a full breed black lab, Zeke, he was huge, a monster of a lab. He was, however, the kindest, most gentle baby of a dog that there ever was. He hated the Fourth of July because he always thought someone was on the roof, he would hide under my mom's feet. One day, while my mom was at home alone with Zeke, some guy came to the door purporting to be a sales man. Zeke was not going to let this guy do anything, he started barking and snarling, and his hackles raised. He had never done anything like that before or since. It was all mom could do to hold him back by his collar while she held the screen door open just s crack to talk to the guy. The guy backed off the porch and kept trying to get my mom to come outside to talk with him. My mom refused mostly because of Zeke's reaction to the guy, but also because there was no car nearbythat this guy could have driven. Zeke knew that this guy was up to no good just by reading him.

Just like Zeke, your dog is reading your body language, and other signs that we humans have no idea about, and knows that you are nervous and worried. However, she doesn't know that you are worried about her. Instead she thinks you are nervous about the other person, dog, situation, etc. She then reacts as best as she can and gets nervous about what she perceives might be a threat to you or her. Just try to remain calm and confident while reassuring your dog vocally, physically, and emotionally. Speak to her softly and praise her, pet her gently and in her favorite places if you can, kneel down beside her and maintain body contact with her. All these will help her to stay calm.