Please help with my new dog?

Question

I have adopted my daughters dog, he was ill-treated early in life, not when my daughter had him but before that. Because of this abuse he does'nt like people either out for a walk or coming to the door. He shakes with fear and barks very loudly, which is good for burglers and such like but not my friends. It has put people off coming to see me as he frightens them. I try to calm him down but it takes ages. I really want to do this right as I abhor any violence to animals. Anyone got any ideas or gone through the same thing.

Answer 1

Martha Stewart had a bit about dog training.
You should take your dog to a trainer to help.
You should not "reward" the unwanted behaviour by saying "good boy" or paying extra attention.
You should be firm and say "NO" (it sounds harsh butyou want a well behaved dog).
Before company comes over give the dog something to distract him (e.g. a kong filled with peanut butter).
Practise - get some of your friends to help you and have more people come over just for the dog to get used to different people not hurting him.
Time and love are good at healing wounds as well.


http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=tvs7197&contentGroup=TV&site=living&rsc=ns2006_m4
Dr. Patricia McConnell begins her book “The Other End of the Leash” by explaining how attuned dogs are to the nuances of human gestures and voice. She proceeds to explain how an awareness of this can lead to better communication—and relations—between a dog and its keeper. A specialist in family dog training and working with aggressive dogs, Patricia says that many of the gestures we make with our hands or even our whole bodies are appropriate to the command or message we want to send our pets. But other, unconscious movements can send mixed or contradictory signals; we break eye contact to keep tensions from arising between a scared or angry dog, which is exactly what we should be doing, but we also routinely hug our dogs, an act which most of them dislike and many even consider aggressive.
Patricia’s book examines phenomena like this and also explains how we can modify our ingrained behavior to be on even better terms with the pet sharing our home. Today, Patricia demonstrates that training a dog is a matter of paying attention to details. For example, we can try to teach a dog to come when it’s called by responding to the word “come,” but the more effective way is to combine the command with body language. In this case, by turning away from the dog as we ask it to come. She says that adding short claps or rhythmic vocal sounds serves as an extra incentive for the dog to obey. Similarly, in order to teach a dog to stay on command, Patricia says that it’s best to kneel, use elongated, slowly enunciated words in a lower vocal register, and bring a treat to the dog’s mouth from under its chin. If you try to give it a treat from above its head, the dog might be tempted to get up and move towards it. To keep a dog from being distracted, try blocking its way by stepping in front of it and repeating the command while redrawing its attention to you with the aid of a favored toy.

Answer 2

Best to actually consult a dog behaviourist.. although you know roughly what has caused the behaviour they will have the experience to know the best techniques to use for your specific dog... home help books are OK but training techniques can be quite dangerous in the wrong hands and you don't want any more harm caused.

it sounds like your dog will need controlled exposure to strangers and the dog behaviourist will be one of those strangers... they'll be able to control the situation and guide you to the answers.

They may cost some money but it will be worth it when you have a happy and calm dog at the end of it.

P.S. If you want to try an obedience class make sure you mention the problem to the leader first as they may want to work with your dog on a one-to-one basis rather than expose them to a room full of scary strangers... bit overwhelming if your dog is already afraid.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Have you tried asking a family member that the dog knows well to knock your door and when he starts shaking ask them to use a treat to encourage him out, when he comes out and goes to that person they should then give him a treat and make a fuss of him, it may take some time. As for going out on walks, use treats to keep his attention and then that will take his mind off of people in the street. Once again these things do not happen over night, so I would also consider obedience classes or 1-2-1 with the instructors. The instructor will then be able to see what help your dog needs and guide you through it. I took my dog to training classes and we still go on a regular basis and it has taught me so much and I have seen a big improvement in him, so much so that now I enjoy our walks rather than dreading them. Good luck.

Answer 4

Your dog is simply afraid and unsure of what to do about it. Doors are notoriously difficult areas for unsure dogs because there's so much activity there.

Your efforts to "calm" the dog will not help him. Cooing softly reassuring words like, "It's alright. Okay. Don't be afraid" is not going to be recieved by him as comfort. He is going to hear these comforting words and think you are praising him for being afraid. Simple as that. No petting, no baby talk when he's stressed. You will only reinforce his feelings and behaviour.

That being said, you need the help of an experienced dog trainer who can do some work with you and your dog. Be sure your trainer will not use a technique called "flooding" (as Caesar Millan uses) as it just increases their internal pressure and fear. You need a dog trainer who can use counter-conditioning and distraction techniques. Sometimes people can use a book and follow the directions. If that might be more your style, try:

http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB878
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB909
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB594

Those are three of the best ones I can think of. The techniques can be learned by anyone, really. It just takes some time to read and realize that a dog might not need what we (humans) think it needs. It's a dog, right?

I applaud you for asking for help on this tricky subject. Many dogs have "doorway issues" and their owners don't bother to sort them out. It's not going to change overnight, though. Be realistic and compassionate. Give it 6 months to one year and you will see a dramatic difference!

Answer 5

Find a dog behaviourist asap, beware any1 with no qualifications can call themselves a behaviourist so chk 1st.
APBC (Association of pet behaviour counsilers) (pants spelling!) www.apbc.org.uk
is the best really, if your dog is insured they may pay for it.
Be calm and patient, put your dog in a seperate room when people come to the door and then let him/her out when he/she is calm for safety.
Your dog sound stressed so try not to put it in a situation that it is scard of. It may be that it hasn't been well socilised as a baby pup. There is lots you can do to help but you need someone with experience to help you.

Books to read- Ain't misbehaving by David Appleby also he has written The Good behaviour guide. Or anything by Gwen Bailey may be usefull.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Its a hard one because the last thing you want is him attacking someone. How long did your daughter have him, how did she cope? If she had him a while and he was ok he probably learnt to trust her, if he has moved again and is with a stranger he could be feeling abandoned, if he is not used to you and has not learnt to trust you yet he is probably scared witless. Dont pressure him, give him time, let him go to people not the other way round. It may take a while but he should settle in. The other option is maybe speak to a trainer or the RSPCA who has experience with handling ill-treated dogs.

Answer 7

From the website below:

As humans, we tend to feel sorry for animals that seem scared. It’s our natural inclination to try and make a frightened dog feel safe. Unfortunately, that sometimes results in the dog lashing out and causing serious injury. Our coddling can nurture unwanted behavior. The “energy” of pity and guilt can be perceived by the dog as weak.

....

It's probably going to take time and effort to truly earn your dog's trust and teach him to trust other people you bring into your home. So that this doesn't handicap your life too much, have you thought about crating your dog when company comes over. This may give him a chance to see humans from a safe distance and show him that he has nothing to be scared of.

Answer 8

you have to show him who is charge, when he goes to the door barking stand in front of him and don't let him get by you when someone comes to the door until he backs down, you really don't have to do anything more than that. He needs positive reinforcements. if you are like me and don't like a dog to jump at you when feeding and watering make him sit and wait until you put the food down and make him wait just a moment or two before giving him a hand signal it is ok to eat. They pick up on that very easily.

Answer 9

Take him to obedience class. They will give you a lot of good pointers and will practice basic manners as well as meeting strangers, etc.

Check your local animal shelter for classes. They are typically cheaper than your Petco or PetSmart classes and you know the money goes to a good cause.

Answer 10

Try and find a good dog training class in your area,this will not be a new problem for them and they will be a great help.