My girlfriend and her sister adopted a dog off craigslist around Christmas. The dog was named Colby and actually had been listed here on TWW a couple of times. We all knew the dog had a rough past and had not worked out in a couple of homes, however the girl that rescued it spent a great deal of time and effort training this dog and getting it adjusted to living inside a home. The dog had been abandoned chained to a tree, starved, taken by animal control, rescued by the person we got it from, and adopted out twice to homes that did not work out. It took wonderfully to my GF's sister so they adopted it. The dog has been a very good dog except for a couple of big issues.

Colby seems to occasionally become terrified and does not want anyone to touch him or come near him. He tends to do this when my GF's sister and her sons are gone. I once tried to bring him inside and it after he refused to come I approached him to put a leash on and bring him in. He began shaking when I came near him and the second I touched his head he pissed all over his own feet while sitting down. I could tell he was terrified. Once the leash went on he ran toward the house with his tail tucked under him. He mellowed out once he got in.

I have seen him piss on himself/the floor a couple of other times when males have touched him. He snapped at me once when I came in to pet him, but other times he runs up to me when I come in for me to pet him.

Today was when shit got real, my girlfriend came by let him out to use the bathroom and he snapped at her! I had always assumed he had a bad history with men that would explain his antics but he ran her out of the sunroom today, she had to leave him locked out there.

How can you build trust with a dog or break him of these kinds of habits? The dog is very sweet and gets along great with my gf's nephews. When its not scared it is very playful and affectionate. The dog can't stay there if everyone has to be worried about being bitten when they try to take it in or outside.

2/24/2007 2:15:06 PM

it needs to be put down. that kind of behavior is going to linger with that dog the rest of its life.

2/24/2007 2:19:05 PM

call Cesar Milan.

2/24/2007 2:23:58 PM

yea
dog whisperer yo

2/24/2007 3:00:13 PM

I'd seriously call a behaviorist...

They'll be your best option. No matter how much you explain on here, we still won't get a true feel for the dog's condition. A behaviorist will work to create a rehab program that is right for Colby. Plus you'll have someone available to answer any other questions that come up. A dog that bites out of fear is just as bad as a dog that bites out of dominance, however they need to be treated differently...a behaviorist will know what it takes to turn your submissive, frightened dog into a calmer, more accepting pup. Hopefully. Its my belief that not every dog can be rehabilitated, but its worth a try.

It is going to take a LOT of time and effort to rehab Colby, and it won't be easy. Consistency will be key to developing a positive relationship with the dog...however if he was abused then one mistake could potentially set you back even further than you started.

So, like I said initially, please contact a behaviorist!

2/24/2007 3:04:57 PM

Submissive urination problems can be incredibly difficult to break. Usually they'll show the belly before they start peeing everywhere. If you think it's about to start, just ignore them and calmly walk away.

2/24/2007 3:06:50 PM

Colby also eats garbage like its his job but in all honesty that is not a big issue to us, we just dont want to worry about him biting/attacking someone.

2/24/2007 3:54:05 PM

Cesar Milan, and a muzzle.

2/24/2007 5:43:04 PM

DAP collars (dog appeasing pheromone) & defusers
"An effective natural way to help your dog cope with new and fearful situations."

Thats a product we sell at carrboro plaza vet clinic where I work. I believe it has the scent/pheromons of a lactating mother dog to help calm a pet in fearful situations.




With more behavior training, I think these could help.

[Edited on February 24, 2007 at 6:33 PM. Reason : .]

2/24/2007 6:20:59 PM

^ sounds like a crock of shit to me

2/24/2007 6:22:20 PM

Establish dominance

2/24/2007 6:35:50 PM

be calm assertive, live in the moment, and make your dog calm submissive state of mind.

[Edited on February 24, 2007 at 6:38 PM. Reason : .]

2/24/2007 6:37:50 PM

those pheramone things (i use a different brand) work really well w/ my cats.

2/24/2007 7:14:52 PM

calm submissive calm submissive

2/24/2007 7:40:39 PM

can you pet the dog at all?
honestly it sounds like the dog never got adjusted to your place
fearful agression is hard because it can be really unpredictable. Try and gain the dog's trust by not looking at him/paying attention to him. Let HIM come to YOU. sit on the floor or the grass with your back to the dog so he can come to YOU. Use food if you need to at first, some peanut butter will work to try and gain his trust as well.

Don't put the dog down, that's a retarded suggestion.

Please find a behavioralist you can talk to or ask your veterinarian for reccomendations on techniques or behavioralists in your area

2/24/2007 7:58:36 PM

He let's everyone pet him at times, he will even come up to us and rub against us to be petted. Other times he is totally terrified and does the crazy shit mentioned above. He has been at this same home with the same people around since December 24th.

We could just leave him alone when he's being sketchy but he has to be put out and let in at times to use the bathroom.

2/24/2007 9:30:44 PM

B... http://www.spcawake.org

I think they have classes on behavior modification with a pro you can talk to specifically about this for $10!!

2/24/2007 9:48:38 PM

Quote :

"Tuesday, April 10, 7-8 p.m. Pet Behavior 101 Learn about animal behavior with SPCA Pet Behavior Specialist, Molly Stone. Check the SPCA website in 2007 for this month’s animal behavior topic. Tuesday, May 8, 7-8 p.m. Calming Your Anxious Pet: Massage Techniques with Susan King of Companion Chi Is your pet shy, cautious, anxious, fearful in new situations, visiting the vet, meeting new people, in the car, etc.? Learn useful massage techniques that can calm and soothe your pet so he can cope with the anxieties. Energetic techniques and flower essences will also be discussed. Added benefits include a stronger relationship and bonding as well as quality time together. The techniques are also ideal for fosters or recently adopted animals to help them adjust. Bring a stuffed animal if possible to practice the techniques hands on. Sign up and learn how to offer loving support for your buddy! "

2/24/2007 9:50:04 PM

Quote :

"Establish dominance"

"dap collars" and massages? wtf??? that's some gay, gimmicky shit.

[Edited on February 25, 2007 at 12:25 AM. Reason : ]

2/25/2007 12:23:56 AM

i think i know which colby you are talking about. black and white older dog. Contact http://www.trianglecaninesolutions.com/ and ask to speak to Sylvie. This is a problem that can be fixed. The dog DOESN'T need to be put to sleep. sylvie can help you. good luck

2/25/2007 12:25:16 AM

yeah. get professional help. from any of the places mentioned above.

you guys have got to learn how to deal with this, and you guys have to be 100% committed and consistent.

the dog can totally learn to adapt and be happy. but you guys are key to making it work.

2/25/2007 2:09:36 AM

http://tarheelcanine.com/

2/25/2007 9:24:11 AM

pm sent

2/25/2007 3:07:19 PM

I read Cesar Milans book and watched some of his shows. What I learned is when a dog gets nervous the humans tend to react to that. They get cautious, anxious, tense, dogs sense this and it furthers their problems. Instead when the dog gets nervous, stay calm, talk smoothly but authoritively, let the dog know nothing is different and there's nothing to fear, this is an everyday thing that will happen. I belive the snapping is coming because the dog is learning it's ok to be in that agitated state. They're right when they say calm-submissive. Picture yourself as the king of the world, as some cool mother fucker, don't let your emotions get tied in with the dog.

If the dog sees you playing a leadership role it will follow in your steps, if it sees there's nothing to fear it will begin to loosen up. You have to be confident at all times, do not quiver. For your safety you must be vigilent, know the aggressive stance, when a dog is about to bite. Dogs live in the moment and only react. So come calmly, with assertive energy. A dog does not live in it's past so these problems can be fixed.

I do recommend Cesar Milan.

2/25/2007 9:40:21 PM

Cesar Milan is not a good trainer for all submissive dogs, since his technique is to put dogs into submission. If the dog already has submissive urination issues, taking his approach could worsen the problem.

2/25/2007 10:37:06 PM

Quote :

"talk smoothly but authoritively"

it's actually best to be quiet with a scared dog, otherwise you're rewarding it for being in that state by petting it and such. Then the dog will continue to be scared in that situation because you reinforced it.

2/26/2007 12:42:02 AM

have you noticed any patterns with this aggressive/scared behavior? Such as, does it sync up with any certain time of day.

If the dog is accustomed to being beaten (I really wish I didn't have to say that) at a specific time of day, i.e. when the drunken owner came how from work and couldn't get it up, the dog will be much more tense at this time.

Unfortunately I don't know what to tell you to do if this is the case. But it is something to keep in mind.

2/26/2007 1:27:08 AM

I don't recomend having a dog that snaps around kids no matter what his playful behavior is like. It is definately something to be concerned about, cause dog's moods can change real fast and I think kids have the tendacy to be the most annoying.

My dog has this weird problem where sometimes he will growl when kids (2-4 yrs) try to touch him and there is nothing that I can do about it except avoid the situation. I have just found those behavioral gliches tough to fix, but I can avoid kids cause i am a single guy in an apartment.

2/26/2007 4:44:12 AM

Quote :

"Cesar Milan is not a good trainer for all submissive dogs, since his technique is to put dogs into submission. If the dog already has submissive urination issues, taking his approach could worsen the problem."

well did you see the show where he rehabilitated the abused dog? That dog was pretty damn submissive and he brought it out of it's shell.

2/26/2007 7:48:56 AM

yeah, he changes his technique based on the dog. like the episode where the dog was afraid of basically everything and wouldn't go on walks. he had that things running laps with him on rollerblades by the end of the segment

2/26/2007 10:56:01 AM

all kids need to learn how to approach animals and be respectful of them
I got bit when i was little, but that doesn't make me afraid of them now - all that did was make me recognize the signs of an agressive dog.
Don't misconstrue what i say and turn it into "I don't care if kids get bit".

2/26/2007 12:44:12 PM

2/26/2007 3:21:06 PM

Fear agression

2/26/2007 5:07:58 PM

cesar millan with his funky angled landroller skates

2/26/2007 6:17:48 PM

Quote :

"Quote : "talk smoothly but authoritively" it's actually best to be quiet with a scared dog, otherwise you're rewarding it for being in that state by petting it and such. Then the dog will continue to be scared in that situation because you reinforced it. "

When I say talk smoothly and such I don't mean coo at it and give it affection. I mean use a deep authroative voice, your energy is most important because the dog will sense your true feelings. You need to be calm, the leader, confident for the dog to actually believe it. When you tell the dog to come use authority, not a high pitched voice, don't squeak, make it smooth. As long as your demeanor shows confidence and authority your voice should be fine, not shaky.

The thing is the dog might bite, might growl, but if you show fear it knows what it's doing is working and will keep going on. If you show that behavior is not tolerated it will stop. All dogs will take leadership if everyone else appears weak but they love to give up the leadership role too(most). Be consistent, don't tolerate the snapping, that's a dominant trait, a submissive dog would never get away with snapping at the leader of the pack.

Read Cesar Milan!

2/26/2007 9:53:50 PM

Colby is being way less psycho since Tina came back.

3/1/2007 10:25:39 PM