Hello. I rescued a dobie mix from a hoarding situation. They were stacked in crates and eating, sleeping, living in feces. He was good for the first view weeks of being home. But recently, I've noticed some tiny behavior changes. We go to the off leash dog park daily and he avoids the fence with cars driving by. He is afraid of people and would run the opposite way but is approaching women more (which is good) but now barking at men. He was afraid of a certain dog at the park but stood up to him recently (which I'm iffy about). The major problem: he does not want to be outside on a leash to go to the bathroom unless we head to the car to go to the park. He tucks his tail and pulls me either to the car or house. He's scared of every little noise and I don't want his fear to turn aggressive. I work at a shelter and I know what happens to dogs that bite humans. I can see him escalating and I want to stop it before it's too late. I have a new trainer next Wednesday but if I can get some tips to make it to Wednesday. I recently started leashing him while at the dog park on the car side to make him deal with the noises. He pulls me the other way but does not tuck his tail. So I feel like this is good? I only do it a few times to not push him past his tolerance. Attached is a picture of him outside the house, not wanting to pee and trying to convince me inside. Any tips will help until I see the trainer next Wednesday. Thank you
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Human emotional support and behavior help please
- Thread starter Lii
- Start date
Not a fan of dog parks. I truly believe the risks out-way the benefits. Dogs have different play styles for starters and to be honest not all dogs want to be social with others.
Also, you’re putting an unsocialised pup into a large pen of dogs which can be terrifying and cause a negative association with other dogs.
For home, it might be a good idea to take a toy or ball out and get him running around and playing. With the pressure taken off and it not being treated specifically as a toilet trip, he might relax and just absentmindedly squat and go. Exercise and play often tends to bring on the need anyway. Worth trying to see if it works for a day or two, you can then do the praising and treats to re-enforce it if he does go then too.
Also, you’re putting an unsocialised pup into a large pen of dogs which can be terrifying and cause a negative association with other dogs.
For home, it might be a good idea to take a toy or ball out and get him running around and playing. With the pressure taken off and it not being treated specifically as a toilet trip, he might relax and just absentmindedly squat and go. Exercise and play often tends to bring on the need anyway. Worth trying to see if it works for a day or two, you can then do the praising and treats to re-enforce it if he does go then too.
Thank you for your advice. He really likes other dogs and I don't have a fenced in yard for him. Since he's nervous outdoors on leash, I can't walk him. He won't take treats or toys outside when he's so focused on going back inside. I will try though, thank you.
Kaiser2016
Well-Known Member
A squeaky ball might be a good way to get his attention and you can play with him indoors only for now. When he starts enjoying the play sessions, he'll follow that ball anywhere and then you can start to make baby steps towards the outside, like playing near the window or door, but not yet stepping out. The ball will also help when it comes to building focus outside the house when you get to the point of leash training him.
Kswoodssue
Hot Topics Subscriber
It is often hard to determine what is happiness and enjoyment for your dog, and what is nervous anxiety. Your pup doesn’t need other dogs. He needs to bond with you. You need to be his strong pack leader. Go to the park when no one else is there. Put a prong collar on for your quiet walks so he can’t drag you around. Ultimately he will feel safer when he knows you are strong. Slow down and learn to enjoy each other. He had a crappy start in life. So glad you can give him safety and affection.
How is he in the house? Do noises bother him inside also? Is he food or toy motivated when he feels safe? If so, do some quiet games with him like picking a hand that has food in it. Teach him some simple activity that earns food or praise. Have him wear the leash inside so you can do the fun stuff while wearing a leash. Take him and do that fun thing very close to the door or even inside with the door open. This may not help quickly but right now I think it's just an issue of being in a new place and learning to trust you. It takes a while. I would definitely leave other dogs out of the picture. He needs to look to you as his best friend, dog friends aren't needed or beneficial especially while in this transition stage. Be a leader for him to follow, when you let him make the decisions it's hindering his confidence in you. Best of luck. Stay with us and tell us your progress.
Thank you I will definitely try that.
Thank you I will go to the dog park less. I didn’t realize it would be bad for our bond.
Yes noises bother him at home. I have a bird and if the bird screams, dexter puts himself away. Yes he is toy and food motivated when he feels safe. Thank you for your advice, I will try quiet games and not go to the dog park as much.
I hope you stay around and give us updates! . I think most Rescue Dobes come around after some time with their new home, and depending on their personality (which can differ greatly!) they need more quiet time or more active time. But whichever it is that make them happy and having fun and interacting with you is what I'd aim for. Don't feel sorry for him or think that he's thinking of his past. Dog think in the present, and if noises startle him or make him want to hide, the best thing to do is ignore his response. If you coo to him "Oh Yes! That bird makes scary screechy noises!!! It's OK, don't be scared!" then it reinforces in his mind that it's a scary noise. If you just continue doing the dishes or watching TV while he bolts for the other room and totally ignore him and the bird, then he begins to see that this bird noise doesn't bother you at all, then maybe, just maybe! it shouldn't bother him either. When he learns to trust you with all his heart he will look to you for guidance on what is scary and what's not. It takes a while for sure. And some dogs are just noise-sensitive and may stay that way for life. But the best thing to do for all his insecurities is to stay calm and indifferent to the source to try to encourage him to do the same. We'll be looking forward to seeing how your training goes and more pictures of course!
Thank you so much for your advice. I will give it a try. I was feeling a bit discouraged after using a trainer but I have a new trainer next week. Photos as requested lol
Attachments
Yes he’s pretty great besides his fear lol but I will be working on our bond. I didn’t realize he wasn’t actually bonding with me but with the other dogs at the park.
My take on this is that he's not so much bonding with dogs at the park, he's having fun with them (the ones that he has fun with, not the ones that create problems). What increase your bond is your dog having fun with you. The mindset of you creating fun with your dog will change everything. Think of a parent who plays with their child, playing hide & seek, coloring together, looking at flowers or butterflies, teaching the child about life etc etc - those parents build a bond with that child as compared to a parent who comes home from work, sends the child out to play so they can have a beer & watch TV and "not be bothered". The kid might have great friends to play with and have fun, but it comes from another source and the child will learn not to look to its parents for fun and being the most important figure in their life. Hope this makes sense.
Thank you! Yes this makes so much sense. He’s actually doing much better outside but I changed a lot at once so I don’t know what sealed the deal. So my mom has a weird schedule and likes to take both dogs out together to pee. She hasn’t been around to take them out and a few days ago she did take them out together. He still tried to pull her home but she’s the boss so it wasn’t happening. He’s back on calming treats (which I put him on as desperation and it’s being weaned off). He only gets hotdog outside when he uses the bathroom or faces something scary but never at the park. We stopped going for about 3 days and we spent some quality play time together. We don’t have a backyard so I tie him outside and we just hang out. I bring a toy and hotdogs. He darts to the door when there’s a sound but he comes back when he realizes I didn’t find it scary/didn’t follow. Thank you so much for your advice. I’m much more hopeful that we can continue training soon after conquering his fear.
Thank you. He deserves the world and didn’t deserve to live in a crate for however long he was. His temperament test said he was afraid of toys and he acts like a puppy now. I try to give him everything I can. I’m excited to see how he will be as an adult and I hope he considers me as familySo much good advice above. Given how challenging the breed can be top marks to you Lii for adopting a Dobe with issues & putting in the time to try & turn his life around.
