I worked with her all day showing her the crate is her safe space. Slowly he began trusting my mom and now loves her more than he does me I think lol It takes time but small steps are victories. My neighbor took me to the hospital 36 puncture marks from neck to finger tips. I have been able to get her to sleep with me twice on the couch, if I have a blanket and she will allow you to rub her head and chest but only if she is on the couch behind you. I loved him at first sight. Any suggestions? He is a very shy dog. I adopted Molly, a Jack Russell mix, in November.  |, Lynn M. Hayner Start teaching him basic commands like sit and stay. If my husband tried she would wee in fear. Mine is the same-bonded tightly with me but after 2-3 years is finally comfortable with my hubby. Hi Amber, It’s so nice to hear that you own rescued pets. I’ll kill him. This guy saved a creature and he is doing is very best to help the dog to settle down. She had never seen ceiling fans til yesterday, when I turned one on, it frightened her. It took less than a week and she was running in and out at will with the flap down, which is great because it is cold in Michigan. Instead of a roly poly puppy, her ribs and hip bones stuck out. And maybe get it’s trust.It doesn’t know how to act I hope with time this will change since it make me very sad. Slowly he started sitting by me and letting my son hold him. We’ve had her for a year and 6 months. As a puppy she was fearless. Thank you for sharing this. She lived the first 5 years of her life in a puppy mill. These Training Tips Will Help - Pet Dedicated Pet Dedicated, Have a Fearful Dog? She is confident enough to check out whatever is scaring her. http://www.dogster.com/dog-training/dog-is-scared-of-everything She bites me excessively and leaves me with scars, injuries and bruises. Thus, the cycle of fear continued and got worse. Sorry to hear you’re experiencing this. I'll tell you what my vet told me, after we ruled out everything else medically. They both run away when I get a couple feet of them. It was heartbreaking but we really want him to sleep in a crate at night mostly because he isn’t potty trained yet. The first few nights I had to sleep next to her our she would stress really bad. Our German Shepherd had very little interest in food and had to be coaxed to eat . Have you thought to just get rid of the crate so that he will have to find somewhere else and someONE else to go to, to find comfort? Lexie feared everything that she saw. If done incorrectly, it could lead to an increased fear response. She is showning the same aggression when we take her for walks. Lots of useful info here. Even in the worst case scenario, you’re likely not going to go back to the place you started. We are not sure what happened. If your dog is scared of fireworks or suffers from any other noise anxiety such as thunderstorms then you know just how much distress these loud noises can cause. We worked through a lot of his fears, except, To this day he will not drink fluids out of a bowl, I give him 5ml ever two hours or he just gets to dehydrated, and he pees when he sees men. It didn’t matter to her where we went she “just wanted to get away from where we were”. We rescued a dog from a local rescue. Training treats you can buy from a pet store or small bits of hot dog work well. He was a stray found in a different state and probably been abused. She has a pretty traumatic past, she was attacked by a pit bull and was beat by a man. I recently adopted a 6 month old puppy. So yes, out of sympathy. I’m interested in seeing how your Lab is doing now; a year after your comment/feedback. There are days she is responsive to us. My fiance and I saved our Sheba from going to the pound because the couple that was giving her away could not take care of her anymore. It took a long time — no brusque gestures, no challenges (the car is stressful), lots of tolerance and acceptance and love — until he came to feel that we could trust each other. After a hard rain the night before, a large dahlia bloom had dropped onto the sidewalk and into our path. He is totally in love with my husband. HOW can I read it’s body language. I struggle with anxiety and panic attacks myself and last night was rough wondering if we made the right choice in adopting him. Any good trainer should be able to help, as long as they subscribe to the understanding that there are reasons dogs do what they do and believe that dogs have individual temperaments. If there is anything to be done to help these dogs overcome their pasts, they deserve it. Every day it gets better. I made a commitment to keep and love this dog. But I have noticed Zuba is very jumpy of a lot of things he backs away from people he is fine with me I know its only been aweek and he needs time to settle in but my concern is he is not eating very good drinking plenty of water, also the lady we got him from said he will eat anything but he is not he was on tripe and dry biscuits so we kept him on that for a few days, but now but him on tripe tinned food but he is turning his noes up to everything we give him we have tryed chicken, ham, sausage meat, but no so what can I do to help him. The previous owner confessed of his own willingness, without question or duress that he was severely abusing the puppy and brutally beating the puppy. Why is My Dog Afraid of Me? Strangers will always scare her. Here is an article for more information on scared puppies and how to help them: https://www.dogster.com/dog-training/scared-puppy-help. We wouldn’t want any other dog. Because of covid we were not allowed to go in the shelter but they brought him outside so I could meet him and he was shaking when I first saw him and continued to shake the whole way home. As you love your dog, this may be difficult for you to do. He loves us, loves car rides, is super smart, but if we try to travel with him, he turns into the most terrified dog you’ve ever seen. For instance, when training a scared dog not to be afraid, I rescued a 2 year old chihuahua named Dino. He has never snapped or growled or shown any type of aggression which is a good sign I suppose, any thoughts on how to approach training? The dogs are bonded so we couldn’t separate them and figured she would be moved from home to home until they determined she was unadoptable. *Terms and conditions apply, see policy for details. I have just adopted a 6 yr old dog who was rescued from a puppy mill where she had been bred all her life. She was afraid of almost everything. I am heartbroken as I am the one who fell in love with his picture and drove 400 miles to rescue him from a chihuahua shelter where he was being housed with about 9 other dogs (all Chihuahuas) in a very small house with a lady who takes them in and fosters them. He is part beagle He looks like a beagle but he has got a little of something else in him also. Don’t give up! 9) If your dog growls and snaps at people when scared, consider a comfortable muzzle. We have had Lucy for nearly 6 weeks. It’s been really interesting to read people’s experiences. While she is drinking she will always check behind her after a few swallows, this still happens after two years. We got him at 4 months old and he wouldn’t even play. He claimed the puppy was very stubborn and that the puppy’s mother was aggressive and he abused the puppy in order to break the puppy’s confidence and tame the puppy. Dogs love routine and structure oh and of course treats! She was very thin and the foster took her home to get her vet treatment and some rehab, and the foster had her for 5 months, but she never bonded to anyone. Did the dog trip or did something fall and startle them? I used to go upstairs, rattle her leash, and she’d trot upstairs. With the help of a wonderful trainer she has bonded with me but has a long way to go. How can we help him overcome this? I bought the puppy off him because I felt it would be improper to leave the puppy in such a condition. I have just finished reading all these stories and my heart hurts for all the fearful dogs and the people trying to help them. It took almost 2 years to get to that point, but well worth the wait. Is she “normal” (whatever that means)? I bought them all kinds of chew toys but they won’t touch them. She gave 2 possible causes. . . I’d be getting a trainer in. Great article on helping a fearful or shy dog. Photography ©Image Source | Photodisc via Getty Images. If he leaves the crate, that’s ok. Don’t force him in there. Her name is April, a large mix breed dog who is too nervous to leave her bed in her pen. My humans wants me to do this.” They gave her up to a rescue. I’m in a similar situation, how did you train your dog to not be afraid of your hubby? I finally made him a hiding place that I can get to if I need to get to him instead of him just bolting and hiding wherever he can run to. Although many dogs absolutely love them, some develop negative associations, especially after they’ve been taken to an unpleasant destination such as the vet’s office. The strange thing however is that when she sees a stranger, she bolts and goes to hide. Great price on hard to find treats that my dog loves, plus very quick shipping. She was most likely a breeding ***** at a puppy mill and had been dumped (according to a once-over by the humane society and our family vet). This time we had was important for her health and just plain bonding time. Many dogs also experience separation anxiety and are afraid of being separated from their owners. I need some help please! He is the sweetest dog I’ve ever seen in my life when it’s just he and I. A list of “Items That Terrified Mayzie” included: hardwood floors, stairs, the oven, the dishwasher, the BBQ grill, the umbrella on our patio set, the wind, ceiling fans, walks, getting in the car, getting out of the car … Well, you get the idea. She trusted me pretty quickly, but remained afraid of nearly everything. http://www.dogster.com/dog-training/what-are-dogs-scared-of-how-to-help-dogs-overcome-their-fears. Humans seem to be hardwired to want to get someplace by the shortest, most direct path. administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC is underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company (APIC), a New York insurance company or Independence American Insurance Company (IAIC), a Delaware insurance company. If anybody has am ideas please respond. Any one else for the first year I had to be holding her. I’m so worried about her, please help. It has been 18 mo and he still won’t get close to me for longer than a few seconds. Don’t know all his back story except he rescued fairly young with at least 1 littermate. She is afraid of everything (not people or dogs thankfully) but a fountain in the neighborhood turning on, garden hose, dishwasher etc. She was quite literally afraid of everything. I rescued a 6 month old pup a month ago. Here are some examples to paint a clearer picture: she barks at my hsuband when he comes into the room. I kind of feel bad for him like he would have a much happier life somewhere else but I don’t want to give up on him. Don’t want to push her and she is too scared to take treats to do it. flattened ears, tail tucked between hind legs or avoidance of eye contact. I pray that little furbaby was NOT euthanized. With a behaviorist or trainer yet or with people and absolutely adores,. 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