Suggestions for dealing with a schizo puppy?

I had a dog that acted the same way. Also rescued from the shelter. He wouldn't even sleep on the end of my bed he was so scared. He'd climb behind couch and stay there until we pulled him out.

Seven years later, I couldn't imagine not having him. Give it at least six months. I think you'll be glad you did.

 

Not even funny.

 

Our dog was split up from her sister when we got her and had a ton of problems at first. We had neighbours complaining, doors and walls scratched, accidents all over the place.

Two months later she's the best thing that's happened to us this year. Still not perfect but well worth all the time and effort we've put in to helping her adjust.

There are tons of websites out there with free advice. Go to a vet and ask a thousand questions, you'd be amazed how helpful they can be. Most importantly, be patient.

 

You are a complete piece of shit.

"Ohhh people call me names." You earn it. Every last bit. You're the worst, least useful troll on this board.

Not a surprise you'd treat difficult animals like you want to treat people who aren't perfect. You must be a wonderful parent.

Fuck you.

 

Bunch of dumb assholes on this thread. Lousy, worthless, crappy advice.

Solution simple:

Sell all your fucking furniture, nutbag.

 

Crate training.

 

the puppy is obviously scared and has likely been abused.
you need to accept and understand the fact that it's going to take a lot of hard work, consistency and patience to rehabilitate it. because that's what it needs: rehabilitation.

so it needs a few things:
(1) strong leadership from the bat couple.
what does that mean? always act calm around it and always be in control. dogs want to be followers, and they gain confidence being around leaders.
(2) discipline.
it needs a routine. it needs structure. it needs rules. canine's crave this. keep her on a leash in the house, this way you don't permit her to get under furniture. remember, you are the bosses. it is your home that you have invited her into.
(3) exercise.
this will be difficult because she obviously is fearful, lacks confidence and is insecure. but long, structured walks are crucial to your relationship. take her for walks everyday. lead her with treats if you have to, but try to make her walk.
(4) less affection.
i know this sounds crazy, but don't lavish affection on her. why? you more than likely are just reinforcing the unwanted behavior. for instance, let's say you get her to crawl out from under the bed and she is obviously scared. so you attempt to comfort her with pets, hugs and snuggles. what's the message to the dog? if she crawls under the bed and hides, she will be rewarded with pets, hugs and snuggles. so she will act scared to get affection.

i hope this helps.

PM me, if you have any questions.

 

Fever's got the goods, but just to add a bit from my experience ...

I adopted a little more than a year ago, a cairn terrier mix. The first week was a nightmare. Accidents everywhere. Slipped both a harness and a collar, and raced up and down the middle of the street. No signs of affection or bonding. I even briefly considered taking him back to the shelter.

Then, I wised up and realized I needed to get him into training. I know some of you veteran pet owners might say, "Duh", but some of us need to learn by experience. One day of training showed me we were going to be fine. We went to PetSmart and first did beginner training, then intermediate with an AWESOME woman who made all the difference. That little ball of fur now walks on the leash, sits, stays, the whole thing ... most importantly, he's just more confident now.

The other thing I would suggest is changing the dog's name from whatever it was at the shelter, if you haven't done so already. I've heard from a few people that if the dog was abused, the old name can trigger all the bad memories. Our guy perked up after we renamed hiim ... a year later, he doesn't even respond to the old name.

 

Hondo's fourth answer:

I will not let this classy classic fade, ever. Every time this thread nears rollover, I will post on it anew and renew it for all on this board to know the classy Hondo.

And Hondo's ass buddy.

 

fever_dog pretty much nailed it, although I would suggest in the first two-to-three weeks that you just put obstacles in front of any furniture that could cause any real problems (not the bed), and be as calm as possible. Leave food in an area where the dog can get to it surreptitiously. Just do this for the first few weeks or so until the dog at least gets used to that part of the house. It all takes time, and unfortunately five days is not enough. However, a troubled dog after five days does not have to be a troubled dog forever. There's almost no reason, aside from bad health, that a dog can't be conditioned to be more friendly and domestic.

 

Outing Alert! Cesar Milan posts on SportsJournalists.com????

Oh, and good luck with the dog. The leash in the house things is a really good idea. Dominate him. Show him who's in control. Psschht! I'm not hurting the dog, I'm just letting him know I'm in complete control.

Any more questions, watch this: