Three months ago, I adopted a 2 year old boston terrier from a shelter. The employees were not sure if she had been abused or not, or just not socialized well.
She loves people and most other dogs, which leads me to believe she was not abused. But, she gets frightened at sudden movements. Above everything else, she is unsure at what it means to play, which can be very frustrating. When given any toy or treat, she ignores it.
When visiting my family, she got along with other dogs very well, but once back at home without other pets, she goes back to her old self. She simply plops back down on the couch, not doing much of anything. It is frustrating because I know she has it in her, but I cannot have a second dog.
Are there any tips for how to teach her to play more, or to be excited about life? I've heard boston terriers are full of energy, but I've yet to really see that in her when playing with her one on one. Could training possibly help this? Thanks for any and all help
2006-12-29 14:55:33 · 2 answers · asked by Ryan V 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
You said she gets along with other dogs and plays but when alone she will not play. Maybe she use to be with another dog and misses it. Try taking her to a dog park if you have one in your town. Or maybe a friend that has a dog and they can get together and play sometimes. If she is 2 yrs old she is probably grown out of the really playful stage. I hope it gets better.
2006-12-29 16:04:09 · answer #1 · answered by cindy ccc 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a dachshund who was the same way. We think she had a bad experience with a man wearing a hat, because she didn't like men, or hats. :)
Plenty of love, patience, and some squeaky toys brought her around. It took about a year before she acted normal. Just keep trying and try not to get frustrated.
2006-12-29 15:03:07 · answer #2 · answered by Emmy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋