how do i get my dog to not run away when i approach him?

Question

so this lady was giving away a free dachshund the other day on craigslist...sad i recently lost my boxer i figured i would get another pal to hang around with. anyway, i think this little guy was abused or something because everytime i approach him he runs into his kennel or away from me. its kind of depressing me because i want him to cuddle with me (he does every now and then) and come to me when i call him. ahhhhh! ive tried looking up things online but i dont know what to do because i havent found quite the right thing. when he does come to me he sometimes comes right up into my lap and lays down, other times he lays on the other couch and wont listen to me when i call him. helpppppppp!

Answer 1

Good for you for adopting a dog who needed a home :) It sounds like he is coming up to you when you are sitting down since you said he will lay in your lap so that would make me think that he is intimidated when you are standing up and going toward him. This may be from abuse like you said, or maybe every time he did something wrong he was yelled and approached angrily and so he has come to associate someone coming toward him as negative or it is possible that he is just shy. I would first work through the coming when called before you worry about cuddling - it may just work itself out. When you want him to come to you, kneel down so you don't look so scary and call him. Use a happy high pitch voice like you would if you were talking to a really cute young puppy. Having some treats to offer may help too. Call him and be excited, if he is still wary offer a treat. As soon as he takes even a step towards you praise him. If he comes all the way to you give him a treat, pet him and tell him what a great dog he is. Then slowly stand up and go about your business. I would repeat this until he comes quickly every time. Then start calling him while you standing up but not approaching him. Repeat until he is comfortable with this. (this can take a few days or more) Then start working up to approaching him slowly while you talk happily to him and praise him. If he doesn't run and you have walked most of the way to him then maybe stop and kneel and offer a treat to bring him the rest of the way to you. Eventually you should be able to work up to being able to walk up to him completely etc. Also, as far as him just laying on the couch and not cuddling sometimes he might just need a little space to himself sometimes or he might need more time to adjust to you and see what a great friend you are going to be. Give him time to adjust to a new house and a new owner and learn to trust you. After a few weeks or when you can approach him without him running away if he is still laying on the couch and not with you, you could try gently picking him up and placing him near you or in your lap or gently pulling him to you. But if you pulls away or moves after you put him in your lap he just may want some space. He may eventually change this or maybe he is just a bit independent and you can just learn to appreciate his other qualities and the times that he does want to cuddle. You can incorporate a lot of training do a daily routine, like calling and praising when you feed him and things like that to help him learn that you aren't going to hurt him and yell at him. Also, if you are worried that he was abused or if he is really shy make sure that if you need to punish him for something that you only yell or whatever as much as needed so you don't increase his fear. Good luck and if you have other questions you are welcome to email me.

Answer 2

Take him to obedience class. This will really strengthen the bond between you. Give special attention to "come when called."
Meanwhile, put him on a leash sometimes when he doesn't feel sociable. This means he will have to at least follow you around, and of course you will be very friendly and call him a good dog and give him little treats. He'll get used to the idea.
If he seems scared, go slowly and give him frequent treats. Dogs think you are their friend if you give them treats. If he doesn't seem scared but just not sociable, you don't have to be quite so careful. Put him on a leash and teach him basic obedience in an enjoyable way, just a few minutes at a time. And do whatever he likes to do with you.

Answer 3

The first thing you should have done when you got the new dog was to take him for a long walk. Keep him at your side but never in front of you. This lets him know you are the pack leader and he will respect you for that. That will keep him as your follower, and not wanting to flee. Daily walks are very important no matter what kind of breed you have. This allows him to bond with you too. I would give it a try now. Always be the first one to leave the house and have him follow. Knowing you are in charge will let him know you care for him and he will become a follower. Always use a calm tone of voice with a relaxed state of mind.

Answer 4

When our dog ran away we contacted the local animal control to see if they had picked her up and sure enough they had. We were able to get her back right away. At least it's a place to start, and they will also keep an eye out for the dog most times.

Answer 5

Some great advice already given, would just like to add give your adopted dog at least 3 months to settle in and then it can even take over a year for the dog to fully bond with you. Poor thing doesn't even know if it is going to be a permanent home.

Act with assurance and confidence, let him know it's cool for him just to hang out. Eventually something will click and with the good advice here on this page you will be the apple of his eye.

Answer 6

Always make it pleasant for him when he is around you. If there's some kind of treat that he loves, only give it to him when he is laying in your lap or otherwise behaving comfortably around you. Every time he comes when you call him, give him one of the special treats. If he shies away when you bend over to pet him, try to get down on the floor to pet him so he doesn't feel intimidated. Hope some of this helps and I wish you the best of luck with your new dog!

Answer 7

Don't force it. Never ever ever ever yell at him. Small dogs react much differently than large ones. If you yell at or around them they get very frigtened and will become ashamed of themselves for making you angry. When he does cuddle with you have a treat ready. A small but very tasty one. Only give him one though cuz dachshunds get fat quick. And gently and slowly pet him and baby talk him. Even once he gets used to it and comes to cuddle it will likely only happen when your sitting or laying down. Just think of how huge and dangerous you look to him when your standing up.

Answer 8

I second GingerBe's comments.

One of the fastest ways a dog will get this way is when they are a pup, someone yells at them (puppies can be independent!) and the human stomps and makes strange lound screeching noises with their faces all beet red and their pupils wide and angry... sends the message to the dog... sheesh, I better not go to that human!

Your job is to reverse that! Get a fanny pack. Wear it. Use dog food for treats (and cut back meals appropriately to limit calorie intake). Every time the dog comes to you voluntarily, give him a nibble. If you walk by the dog and he cowers or pulls back, ignore it. You want to give positive attention to the GOOD and NO attention to the bad.

And be sure and get yourself ready to count to ten... and DO that. Don't EVER yell at this dog, stomp your feet or get mad. Just walk away and count to ten. your job, as the one with the supposedly superior intellect is to use it!

There is NOTHING wrong with free dogs. Dogs that cost a fortune (e.g. petstore dogs) are some of the most screwed up dogs you can imagine.

What I have found in 20+ years of rescue is that these types of dogs, when treated kindly and trained appropriately, given time, are some of the most loyal and loving dogs you will get. Once they get over their fear, learn to trust, and know that they will never be hurt or yelled at, they really burst forth with love, love, love, love!

I generally keep these kinds of dogs for a while to work thorough these problems, and believe me, it is very doable.

Best of luck to you!

If you hit a roadblock, get a certified trainer. They are worth their weight in gold.

Answer 9

I have a puppy thats six months old and she still will run away when I try to approach it. You just have to be patient because he may still be getting used to you. You can always grab a toy and maybe he'll come to you.

Answer 10

This is what you get, when you get FREE... Sounds like he was not properly socialized. Plus it takes time for a new dog to get used to a new home.. Give him a few weeks to settle in..