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Hello dog lovers! My 6 yr old Pembroke Corgi has just moved with me into my new husbands home...and is TERRIFIED. She has always been passive, and seems to prefer women to men...but she wants nothing to do with him. If I leave her alone with him...she becomes a poo/pee grenade! I've read lots of posts about making him responsible for her feeding, going out, etc. She refuses to go with him unless he puts her on leash and pretty much forces her to go. She cowers when he comes by her, shakes, etc. I wonder if there is a trainer in the Ft. Worth area? Help???
You've done a lot to this little girl in a short time: new home, new person.
First, let HER approach HIM. NO petting, no walking, NOTHING. She WILL approach him, but on HER terms. Forcing the issue is going to make it worse.
Please be patient. This could take MONTHS. This is not something that a trainer can 'TRAIN' her to do. She needs to get used to things. Do NOT let him walk her anymore, as it obviously terrifies her.
I agree with Viralmd that you have to take it REALLY SLOW. Have your husband completely ignore her, don't look at her, approach her or anything. When she understands that he means no harm she'll begin to get more comfortable. If she does approach him to sniff, he still needs to ignore her-- as soon as he moves to reach his hand out she'll probably retreat and you'll have to start all over. He can try tossing treats to her if she's food-motivated. He can start petting her when she no longer runs away from him and I would start him walking and feeding her when she is completely comfortable. You may want to accompany him when he first starts walking her.
My dog is very timid with men and although he's gotten a lot better, when a stranger comes to the door we still have to introduce slowly. Be patient with the dog, forcing her to do things she's not ready for will only make the situation worse. Hope this helps.
Concur.
I've adopted two shy dogs who just plain were befuddled by human people. I was calm and nonchalant around them. The first one would circle new people for about half an hour and I told them to ignore her, and not to reach out to her. But she would eventually get comfortable.
I hope your husband is calm and OK with just being patient with her as she adjusts. Heavens, if I had a new husband, I might be that jumpy! Best wishes with dog and hasband, an old and new best friend.
When I adopted Annie-Bannanie she was the same way with my husband. When he approached her she would squat and pee or just lay on her back b/c she was so scared. I agree with the other posters as I know more about shy dogs now. However, when I first adopted her, I would carry her to him when he was in the recliner and he would pet her very slowly and make no sudden movements. At first she jumped down fairly quickly, but after a while she learned to trust him and would stay on his lap for longer periods of time. Of course, little bits of food helped win her over also. It took months for her to trust him and then it took years for her to be more comfortable with strange men, but she has gotten better. I am not sure if this is the best approach, but it worked with mine.
Some days you will see progress and some days things may not go as smoothly. Have lots of patience, do not comfort her when she expresses fear as it can reinforce the behavior, and tell hubby not to take it personally. I am sure he will win her over.
Everything everyone is saying is correct. I adopted a yorkie last yr (Dec) and she just started getting comfortable enough to come around these last few months. It is a very long and slow process, but it will be well worth it when I see her wag her tail at the sight of me. So just be patient and don't forget to have special moments with just you and her, so she knows you haven't forgotten about her.
Thanks, all for the advice. We will take it slow. She is even being reticent with me about going out or coming when I call her. But she's a Corgi...she's definitely got a mind of her own. I got her from the breeder when she was 2. I think the only experiences she had with men were with the Vet. She was a breeding ***** until she had problems...and the breeder gave her up. So there was little to no socialization. She's my sweetie, though.
Last edited by pem'n'em; 11-27-2009 at 11:03 PM..
Reason: add info
Bless her little pea pickin' heart! Pour little girl is frightened out of her wits. Please just follow all the suggestions of patience and time... especially have your new DH do so. I'm sure she'll come around and come to love him. I have a 6 year old cat who wasn't properly socialized and she's very, very slow to accept anyone who comes to the house. Takes her months of scoping out their scents and sounds before she decides to make an appearance when those particular people are here. I'm sure your Corgi will react much better and much sooner than that. Corgi's are by nature such a people animal. Not so much my cat! Good luck!
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Good luck!
