how can i try to help him not be so scared of so many things. hes scared of hangers cause they make some noise when they drop, hes scared of the vaccum, plastic bags, cardboard boxes, and so much other things. i found him about 2 months ago in front of our house. he was VERY skinny, and i think he was probly abused with his former owners. he's also scared of males (which is another hint why i think he was abused by a male), he doesnt EVER bark unless i leave the house(but not all the time), he did bark @ my Grandpa too. can u give me some suggestions on how he can stop being so scared??
2006-12-11 12:43:04 · 9 answers · asked by ○HiD○ 4 in Pets ➔ Dogs
he's also very skidish. he's comfortable with me, but not when theres a lot of noise going on, like when the cabnet doors in the Kitchen are closing, he'll run to his bed.
2006-12-11 12:43:56 · update #1
Since you found him and don't know his history, it looks like he was badly abused/mistreated. That would explain why he is so terrified of everything.
All you can really do is to be patient. Everyday, you can calmly introduce new things, and repeat the same lessons everyday(and introduce something new at the end). This repetitiveness will aid in helping him remember what he has learned about, and know what is not scary. Because of his history, DO NOT immediately expose him to many different things all at once. Don't forget to praise him everytime he comes close to/touches the object in question.
Every dog is different. Some takes longer to get past it, and some never really do. With one of the dogs that I rescued, it took him pretty quick to get used to the luxury living, but when something startles him, he is terrified and goes back to trembling and flinching. We've had him for 4 years now.
2006-12-11 12:50:11 · answer #1 · answered by Vaynthe 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The dog I've now had for 10 years was like this when I first adopted her from a shelter. The basic answer is that it takes time and trust. One of the best things you can do to boost your dogs confidence is to take it to obedience classes, even if the dog is well behaved and knows some commands. Inform the instructor first of the dogs fear as most good instructors will also give you some other exercises to do and will want to inform the other participants so that everyone knows and won't inadvertently make the problem worse. Otherwise, lot's of praise when the does does good and slow and careful introductions to all new situations is ideal. it is also a good idea to work on socializing your dog with other people and other dogs. The dog may never become hugely outgoing, but over time, and with love and patience, it can certainly become less fearful. I've now trained three dogs to be less fearful and it works. Some suggested resources: Help for your Shy Dog by Deborah Wood, The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell, I'll be Home Soon: How to Prevent and Treat Separation Anxiety by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.
2006-12-11 12:54:33 · answer #2 · answered by Jasmine2004 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
This is NO kind of life for a dog. You must get help for her. First, take her to a vet and make sure there is nothing physically wrong causing this behavior. If she's healthy, hire a professional trainer or a pet behavior specialist -- ask your vet to recommend someone. Do EVERYTHING you can but if she really can't be helped -- don't let her suffer like this. Give her to someone who CAN help her, if possible. Or... Well, don't let her live like that, constantly scared with no way to get comfort. Some people are born with mental illness, some dogs are born that way too... Good luck.
2016-05-23 07:13:33 · answer #3 · answered by Sharon 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It certainly sounds like he has been abused --and also like he has not been in a house much.
Dogs learn not to be afraid of things by being around them and finding that nothing bad happens.
As for him being afraid of males, you might help him get over that by having any male that comes to the house give him a treat. -- or if he won't even get close, then you give him a treat every time a male comes near. Start with the person some distance away and then gradually ( over several days or weeks ) work toward him taking the treat from the person.
As strange as it may seem, taking him to obedience classes may help him gain self-confidence ( as long as the training is gentle) What he needs is to see that he is safe.
2006-12-11 13:01:38 · answer #4 · answered by Marilyn E 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi there - my dog suffers from the same problem. I work on this every day with him. I feed him treats when I hear a city bus coming, so that he is looking forward to the treats instead of trying to hide from the bus and the noise. I'm very careful around the house to not slam doors and drop things. What you do when you give treats in these situations is desensitizing the dog to the things that scare him.
Don't ever force the dog to be close to the things that scare him. When he makes the choice to come closer to someone that scares him to get a reward, give him a big jackpot. You will need to do this a lot but your patience and kindness will be rewarded! Don't give up!
2006-12-11 12:54:29 · answer #5 · answered by Misa M 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get the dog into some obedience classes and do lots of socializing no matter what breed it is. Get your dog accustomed to the world he lives in. Do not coddle him when he is afraid because that only makes it worse, it is better to just ignore the behavior and encourage him to get use to the things he is afraid of by having those things in the same room and allowing him to investigate. The more socialization he recieves the better he will become about all he is afraid of. Just remember do not coddle, do not say things like its okay, or what's the matter. When you acknowledge the fears you are telling him there is something to be afraid of. Good Luck!
2006-12-11 13:03:55 · answer #6 · answered by Shepherdgirl § 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
he didn't scared he just shock,you wrote that he is afraid of hangers,vaccum,...he's not afraid of them,he surprised of the sounds like,the vaccum make sounds,right..so he's afraid of those sounds(even my cats does).maybe he needs times to get used for it..and i think maybe his former owners was not so gentle with it..he's new in your neighbourhood so maybe the others males can't except him.because of his tiny body,he can't fight the males back.he was new,so give him times to get used with the neighbourhood..about the bark thing i don't know,maybe he felt tired or he felt that he shouldn't...
2006-12-11 13:10:05 · answer #7 · answered by konichiwa... 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He's a small dog isn't he?
Small dogs are none too bright which kinda makes them fun. He may have been abused as a pup. My daughter's pup has major seperation anxiety which i cured with a cattle prod and a nailgun....okay just kidding....hey i prefer cats they have an attitude dogs can't match.
He needs to have a male comfort him and spoil him a bit so maybe he'll warm up to more guys the poor little bugger. Get a brother or boyfriend or any male you know play with him a bit. My kid's dachsund loves it when we play soccer or when her boyfriend scoots him on the floor. But i'm the one who usually has to discipline him so i'm hoping my wife does it a bit more when he's naughty.
2006-12-11 12:56:59 · answer #8 · answered by sprydle 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
the previous owner probably abused it with those objects, the only way is for it to get used to it or give it to the pound and put a speciallistof objects it is scared of
2006-12-11 12:51:56 · answer #9 · answered by Christopher S 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋