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I think Fontucky said it best...patients is key in this...and do NOT give up.
This dog needs to know you are going to be the one that helps her through this, not lets her down. She is not a problem dog. She is a dog in need. So, first, thank you for taking her into your pack.
Second,YOU need to find out what motivates her. Food? Toy? Play? Second, your wife, bless her heart will need to back off for awhile. She (the dog) has taken possession of your wife which is why she growls at you when you approach. Not a good thing. That is a dominance issue.
As Steelstress said, you need to take over everything for this dog, walks, feeding, treats, toys, EVERYTHING! If it's good, it comes from YOU!
Since this dog is afraid, approach it with your side instead of your full-front. So it's a side-step motion. This is less threatening than just walking up to her. You will be able to do this (walk up full-frond) in the future but for now, you are trying to gain her trust.
It's also like Fontucky said, let her approach you. Have yummy food if she is food driven. Try to use as few words with her as possible, too...for now. Let her know you as scent. Don't look at her directly. Eye contact is a challenge and you already know she will pee with your challenge. (You scare the pee out of her!)
BE PATIENT, she will come around. She may have issues but with patients and time, she will be a good dog. Never give her a reason to run...and she won't. Your wife can help, too...but for now, you need to be the EVERYTHING source for this little gal.
Keep us in the loop and let us know how all of you are doing!
Again, thanks for taking her in!
This informative post is spot on. Excellent suggestions.
Quick answer: they go out in yard on a leash with a cloth choke. Their walks are done with leash and harness. This is a 2nd home>to become 1st home. Run will go in within a year.
I am sure I have left out a few positive anecdotes but here is the bottom line. I don't think this dogs biggest problem was getting used to men. She was more scared of my bicycle parked in the driveway than she was of me. This female lived for 3 years with 6-8 other Beagles in a beautifully set up and maintained garage with plenty of individual room. They had a large, square, grassy run. But the breeder spent many hours away at work and the dogs spent long hours in the garage and I'm not sure how much light, if any, got in there. When she won't come to me in the house and stays on the porch or stays in the bedroom I think she is trying to replicate the safety she found in that garage. Feel free to comment.
About 6 more weeks and we head back North. Oh, a week ago when we were out in the yard she was standing behind me and jumped up on my legs. Now she does it on command.
OK. Back in Ct. Back with the wife. We have had the dog for about 9 months. She is rebonding with my wife.
1) She is still capable of a poorly placed pee when unnerved by my proximity.
2)She will usually come jump on the bed when I call her(and I am on the bed)
3)She may come to me for a treat
4)She will go outside when I call her
5)She will come in when I call her
But she won't come to ME on a simple "come here". Has the time arrived when this hurdle can be cleared?
Thanks.
If the dog comes to you when you are on the bed, then she comes to you....and she comes for treats. Keep using that as your best training friend. And reward, reward, reward - love her, pet her, talk to her when she does anything even remotely resembling what it is you want her to do.
Dogs want to please - she's responding to many commands. You're making progress. As I said before, it probably took 3-4 YEARS before my fearful female would approach my husband.
Don't make it a command so much - just spend time with her in the general area, see if she will approach you. If she's food motivated, use a few quality treats like liver jerky. If she's toy motivated, play games with her.
This is a very long process for some dogs. Don't give up hope...she's working on it and you are too.
OK. Back in Ct. Back with the wife. We have had the dog for about 9 months. She is rebonding with my wife.
1) She is still capable of a poorly placed pee when unnerved by my proximity.
2)She will usually come jump on the bed when I call her(and I am on the bed)
3)She may come to me for a treat
4)She will go outside when I call her
5)She will come in when I call her
But she won't come to ME on a simple "come here". Has the time arrived when this hurdle can be cleared?
Thanks.
When you say come here, make sure you are saying it in a happy/excited/praise voice/tone rather than a gruff tone...it makes it like the dog is in trouble / has done something wrong ...my husband does this unintentionally since he has a low voice and it can sound threatening instead of inviting... Try smiling when you say come here to make sure it sounds pleasant and positive to the dog.
I returned to South Carolina in the Winter of 2012-2013 with things pretty much unchanged. One day I was reading through a local paper and saw an ad for HK9A in Murrells Inlet, a dog services business. It said they treated fearful dogs so I gave it a shot. The owner is Melissa Ellis and over the course of that Spring she came to my house for 3 sessions/3 1/2 hours. Before her arrival I was losing hope that I was ever going to succeed with Shiraz but by the end of the training we were making progress, moving forward.
By the time I returned to Connecticut that Summer something had changed in our CT house. My wife tossed our living room sofa out and took the sofa in her office and put it in the living room. This sofa had been what the dog stayed on when my wife was in her office. Once removed, Shiraz wouldn't even lay down there on the floor. My first night back Shiraz was in "my" room looking for treats, a place she never entered unless my wife was there.
I returned to SC Winter of 2013-2014. One day in January I took the dogs for their walk. Upon returning and in the dog run I released them from their gear and went about cleaning up the large area. I happened to look up at one point and Shiraz was looking at me wagging her tail. As I had often done I called her. This time she trotted over!!
The rest is history. I don't think she'll ever make 100% and I won't regale with all the improvement she has made in the last 8 months but have to credit Melissa Ellis at HK9 Academy(Facebook}. I continue to use her methods every day.
I returned to South Carolina in the Winter of 2012-2013 with things pretty much unchanged. One day I was reading through a local paper and saw an ad for HK9A in Murrells Inlet, a dog services business. It said they treated fearful dogs so I gave it a shot. The owner is Melissa Ellis and over the course of that Spring she came to my house for 3 sessions/3 1/2 hours. Before her arrival I was losing hope that I was ever going to succeed with Shiraz but by the end of the training we were making progress, moving forward.
By the time I returned to Connecticut that Summer something had changed in our CT house. My wife tossed our living room sofa out and took the sofa in her office and put it in the living room. This sofa had been what the dog stayed on when my wife was in her office. Once removed, Shiraz wouldn't even lay down there on the floor. My first night back Shiraz was in "my" room looking for treats, a place she never entered unless my wife was there.
I returned to SC Winter of 2013-2014. One day in January I took the dogs for their walk. Upon returning and in the dog run I released them from their gear and went about cleaning up the large area. I happened to look up at one point and Shiraz was looking at me wagging her tail. As I had often done I called her. This time she trotted over!!
The rest is history. I don't think she'll ever make 100% and I won't regale with all the improvement she has made in the last 8 months but have to credit Melissa Ellis at HK9 Academy(Facebook}. I continue to use her methods every day.
What a great progress story. You have taken the time and made this dogs life so much better. And you can credit whomever you like, but the time you have spent is just what Shiraz needed. Great job!
She is really beautiful! You've done a wonderful thing by sticking with it and forming a relationship with her when she was so afraid.
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