I have just adopted two 4 month old labs (brothers) and they are terrified of people-including me. Help?

Question

I want to train them, but i cant even pet one of them.

these dogs were two of a litter of 7 sharing the yard with mother and father, and were owned by a single man who worked all the time but seemed to love them a lot. i think they didnt have much human attention on a positive basis, and am trying to find a way to speed up the process. the less dominant one is a little smaller, and wont even approach me-at all. he is deathly afraid of me. i havent even touched him yet. the other seems to be opening up, but thats because he gets more attention. i cant even go near the other dog. he runs and whimpers. it was suggested that i not feed them for a day or two them use food as a bribe. is this feasible or abusive? they are outside dogs, by the way

Answer 1

watch "caesar milan: dog whisperer" on the national geographic channel.

what he would probably recommend is to walk them in a firm and confident manner, and they will become more confident over time.

Answer 2

Good for you! these dogs need nothing but lots of love some one has probably hurt them, puppies are not normally afraid of people for no reason. I have two dogs myself both are re-runs as the pound called them, they had been adopted several other times and people kept on returning them because they did not know how to handle them. I must have the most loyal dogs now they make awesome pets because they will appreciate you one day when they realize you are different. I have a rotti/aust. sheppard cross and a greyhound/ lab cross they both sleep in bed with my husband and I. Sure it has been a trying relationship at times but patients is the key. Try getting down on the floor and read a magazine or something don't look at them just let them see you down closer to their level. do this several times don't even aknowledge them. if they seem to show some intrest in you try laying down on your tummy with your head down sleep or do what ever just plan on being there for awhile. Eventually they will come over to you.........when they do DO NOT MOVE!! I cannot stress this enough. You are in a submissive position and because they are coming over to you they may see this as a threat and try and defend themselves which will further hurt your relationship. Ensure you let them explore on their own terms and do not seperate them. They have been through alot but atleast they are together and right now that would be just about as bad as it could get for them. They need to trust you before you can try and train them. Make sure they see you caring for them ie. putting thier food out and changing their water. Try throwing a ball when you are outside, same thing throw the ball and go and get it your self and throw it again, they might not be able to resist this for too long, they are after all puppies....Labs no less. Good luck! It also helps to keep a bowl of treats outside the door and when ever anyone comes in the house make sure they bring a treat in and say hello to your little boys.

Answer 3

it sounds like they were bused while in the hands of the first owner. all you can do is to be patient with them and they will come around and start letting you pet them. they are terrified because they probably didn't have this kind of attention before they were probably put in a back yard and left there only being fed and given water. just be patient and it will all work out for the best. labs are very smart dogs and they will realize that you are there to be nice not to hurt them and that is what they are afraid of is being hurt by someone else, and it is not you they will come around soon. good luck

Answer 4

The best thing to do is separate them.

That will give you an idea of which one is more fearful. Work with them both separately. One is feeding off the others fears and they both get freaked out. They are still young enough to save but you need to start right away.

Watch Cesar Milan the Dog Whisperer on the history channel

What is the history of these dogs?

Answer 5

You took on alot of dog!! good for you.
Watch dog whisperer on Nat'l Geog.. he is good, like the other guy said.
Also, sit quietly in your floor cross-legged, don't move very much and the one that's not so shy will probably approach you. Let him come to you, but don't be submissive. They need a leader, an alpha, to feel secure. It's their nature to want to please their alpha. His head should be lowered to you and tail mid to low rise and wagging a little. Make encouraging noises, like a grunting whine, and turn you hand palm up in his line of sight. Offer it to him so he knows you are accepting him in your pack. He should not make more than a second or two of eye contact, but you should hold it. Smile, make the noises and he will understand you are his leader. When he accepts it, the other pup should follow suit, but it may take a little longer for him, since he is less certain of you. Just make the noises and keep your thoughts and vibes positive. Keep petting the first one, encouraging play, and at some point the other one shouldn't be able to resist wanting to join in too. Just don't talk loudly all of a sudden when he decides to or you will scare him. Remember, no matter what their previous situation was, they still want to be part of a family(pack) and will come to love and respect you. You are their alpha and they want to please you always.
Be good to them, love them, and lead them.

Answer 6

I too have just adopted 3 dogs 1 month ago and they are just starting to break out of their shells so just give it a little time and they will start to socialize with you, show them there is nothing to be afraid of first and just take it slowly. Being patient is a big part of pet owning. Good luck.

Answer 7

Besides what's already mentioned, I would think the breeder should be reported because obviously they aren't taking proper care of their dogs. Puppies that old should be well socialized an especially Labradors because they are a very tractable breed.
Try food to get them to approach you, pet them under the chin, not on top of the head. And let them sleep with you, try to get them to fall asleep in your bedroom first then gradually move them onto the bed and closer and closer to you.

Answer 8

put a leash & collar on both of them.
This way you can hold onto them.
Get one on each side of you, you sit down between them.
Just talk to them & slowly try to pet them.
Get you some chicken livers, boil in water til done adding a pinch salt. Wear a shirt that has a pocket-put small bites in pocket & as they let you pet them, give them a treat. Freeze unused liver for next day. THE HAND THAT FEEDS WILL BE REWARDED.

Answer 9

Okay, for starters don't force yourself on them. Let them come to you. You will need to limit the amount of space they have to roam in the house. If you have a large crate you can crate them together for awhile until they gain confidence. They need a safe space.

Unsocialized dogs (to humans) take alot of work and at 4 months, it is possible they will not come around. I'm not telling you this to upset you, I'm telling you this as reality. They may always be afraid of you. Humans like to think every dog will turn around, but it is not necessarily true.

On the positive side, if they show any interest in food, you may have something to start with. Try not to approach them, let them come to you. If you constantly approach them they will react like you are threatening them (in a sense you are), but if they come to you (as in approach you at all) reward them with little bits of food.

Take your time. Remember if you try to just put a leash on them and drag them outside they will react negatively and you will not be able to bond with them.

Don't try to pet them. In fact, if at all possible just hang out in the same room with them with a small bowl of dog food in front of you without coming near them. When they approach you offer up one kibble.

Patience

Your goal is to bond with them so leash training and potty training is on the back burner for now. That doesn't mean don't put a leash on, it means don't expect to do any training with the leash.

Oh, and don't let them feel your frustration. It will make it more stressful for everyone.

Good Luck.

Answer 10

socialize them. Put time aside every day to either take them to a dog park or a store such as petsmart or petco. Have people come up to them with small treats as a bribe and soon enough they will figure out that we humans aren't so bad. good luck

Answer 11

Sounds like they were beaten. You just have to take it slow. You may consider taking them to a one on one training class. My 9 month old beagle mix was severely abused by his former owner, broken leg the whole 9 yards. We just had to take it slow by letting him come to us. Sit on the floor you need to get to their eye level. If you stand over them they will feel intimidated. Hold your hand out and let them sniff you. If you have to lay on the floor for a long period of time to get them to come to you then do it. Do not yell at them they are already scared enough. You have to become one of their pack members. Get them some toys and play with the toy they will come around it is just going to take patience. Good luck and I hope it all works out for you.