Have you ever had a dog like this? What could be the answer?

Question

We got him from a shelter when he was a puppy a year ago. He hides under the bed during the day and is afraid to come out into the backyard in the morning. At night he is ready to party, happy as can be and not afraid of anything. Almost like a coyote or something. You would think that if he was abused before we got him that he would be fine by now. Strangest dog ever.

Answer 1

People always assume a 2nd hand dog was abused, but that is not always the case. He may just like the comfort of sleeping under the bed. Dogs do have a denning instinct, this is why crates work. Maybe he previously lived in a house with toddlers & babies, and he could only sleep peacefully out of their reach under a bed? Maybe he was put out in backyard in the morning & left outside all day & got lonely, so that is why he is aprehensive about going out then? Who knows? It is all speculation. He may harbor these mental ghosts forever, or he may not always be this way. As long as he is healthy & happy now, that is what counts.

The under the bed thing is fine, as long as it is okay with you. But, if you want to change that, give the dog a crate with a bed or blanket in it & cover it with a blanket. Put it in a quiet room of the house (maybe the bedroom he prefers?) and introduce the dog to it, leaving the door open. NEVER let children play in the crate, it it your dog's personal space. As far as the yard thing, take extra time in the morning to go outside with the dog with a favorite toy & play with him for 5 -10 minutes every morning. In a short while, he will be wagging his tail at the door every morning, waiting for the fun to begin.

Answer 2

I've never had a dog like this, but here are some ideas I have that might help.

1) Buy him a crate and put it somewhere where you will be during the day (for example, the living room). Maybe he likes to be in small, enclosed places. My sister has a dog who spends time in his crate whenever he's sick or afraid. It's his safe place. This might be a good alternative to under the bed, yet it would be out in the open so that you could see him and he could see you.

2) Take him on walks in the morning (not just in your backyard, but maybe around the neighborhood). This might get him used to being outside. Maybe he'll eventually go in the backyard more willingly.

3) Go outside with him. My parents' dogs will go outside alone if they really have to go pee, but otherwise, they're not interested unless one of my parents goes with them. They'd much rather go outside with a person. If you go out first, maybe your dog will follow you (especially if you have a toy or a treat).

4) If all else fails, you might consider going to a dog trainer for advice.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I don't know that he's the strangest dog ever, but a bit different, that's for sure! lol Slowly try to encourage him to come out during the daylight hours. Reward him a bit, but not too much or he'll expect it every time. Maybe something happened to him as a pup, but like you said he should be over some of it by now. Just keep working with him, slowly. Don't force him, but reward him when he does what you want. NEVER scold him for not doing what you want, and always end on a positive note. If he does something bad, keep working till he does something good, reward him, then end the session. He'll learn, in time. Good luck with him!

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Clearly something happened to the puppy that makes him afraid of the day; maybe he was tied up during the day, but was allowed to walk free at night.
Anyway, what you need to do is get him adjusted to be outdoors in the morning and afternoon. Give him treats when he goes outside; show him that it is ok to be outside during the day.

Answer 6

That kind of happened to me. When we adopted our dog from a shelter in 2005, she wouldn't go anywhere near my dad, and was afraid of fences and leashes. We guessed she had been through some kind of abuse.

Your puppy might have been through a trauma which causes it to be afraid of daytime hours. Could be anything.

Answer 7

Well, where did you get him? If you got him as and abbussed animal, he may have only been able to come out at night. I would suggest taking him to a puppy training class and let him know a few dogs. Maybe they will teach him something. Good Luck!

Answer 8

get your dog used to the outdoors during the day! It does seem like he was abused before he was rescued. Show the dog how much you love him and that he can trust you

Answer 9

First, dogs don't just get over abuse - it takes work.

Second, not all problems are due to abuse. My guess would be that something startling or unpleasant happened to him one day when it was time to go out, or when he was out in the morning. I recommend talking to a behaviorist or private trainer who can give you the steps to counter-condition him.

Answer 10

Are you sure it isn't a coyote? And no I have never seen that before.