Rescue Dog - Anxiety?

[Kathy Berry]

We adopted a lovely dog from Puerto Rico in April of 2004. His name is Buddy and he is a Border Collie / Black Lab cross. We understand he was a stray on the island and was more than likely the "bottom of the totem pole" in a pack. He was approximately 14 months old when we took him home which makes him almost 2.5 years old. He is a very submissive dog. Never barks (only when surprised or afraid), very low key, quiet & calm temperment, doesn't chew, very social (albiet submissive) with other dogs (really loves to see other dogs) and very friendly with anyone who has a dog with them or smells of a dog!! In the beginning, he was terrified of men and would only be cautiously optomistic with women and children. My husband won a lot of his trust by being extremely patient and sitting on the floor with him and NOT looking him in the eye for months. We expected things to continue going uphill with his comfort level. He was starting to hold his head up and be more confident and his tail came up - he was beginning to look more confident every day ...he started playing more and becoming more outwardly social. Every now and then he had a set back, but each time he recovered faster and faster... except this time. For the past 3-4 weeks he has been afraid of EVERYTHING. He hides in my daughters closet or someplace where he obviously doesn't feel exposed (i.e. closed on 3 sides). He shakes violently when nervous....when going outside, a noise in the distance is enough to make him stop quietly in his tracks and refuse to go on (even if he hasn't relieved himself!). And if there are any raised voices in the house - whether it be in fun or not - he cowers and tucks his tail between his legs and gets very nervous - sometimes to the point of hiding, other times coming to step inbetween what he feels is a conflict (kind of like a peacemaker). I know this is long and rambling, but I feel so bad that my beautiful dog is hiding from everything and would rather hide in a closet that be outside chasing squirrells (which is his all time favorite thing to do when he feels good). ANy suggestions would be MORE than welcome! (Oh - did I mention that my husband, myself and my daughter are 1st time dog owners? I'll bet we have made some mistakes, but oour intentions are good - we just want Buddy to feel COMFORTABLE!!!!). Thanks in advance for any ideas on how to help Buddy move forward and be confident with his new "pack"!!

[Debbie Chastain]

The fact that you have adopted a dog with some challenging issues, and are seeking advice in this forum, says a lot about you and your family. I'm sure you will get some good advice on some books for the first time dog owner. I commend your husband for helping your new dog become comfortable with him by just hanging out and not staring or forcing himself on the dog.

Fearful dogs are kind of a balancing act between projecting your own confidence and good decision making abilities - so the dog feels confident in you, and building up their confidence through positive, safe experiences - so they gain confidence in themselves.

Without getting into a lot of training theory, one of the best things you can do for your dog is not to overreact to their fearful behavior. The calmer you remain in these moments, the more in charge you will appear. Try to avoid letting your behavior escalate with your dog's. Most people make the mistake of increasing the pitch of their voice and coddling the dog with a lot of, "Oooooh! It's Okay! It's Okay!", when their dog is acting fearfully. We think we are being supportive, but it makes us appear nervous in the dog's eyes. Not giving a lot of attention to something the dog finds scarey, shows the dog, we don't find the situation something to be concerned about.

These fearful dogs are the ones tend to adopt myself. I have found lots of long walks are helpful, too! This is a challenging, yet very rewarding area of rescue.

Well, you came to the right place for advice. This is my 2-cent's worth. Good luck!

[Kathy Berry]

Thank you for your advice. We love Buddy so much and we want to do ANYTHING to help him realize this is unconditional and no one will hurt him as long as we are here... So I guess that means, Yes - we are guilty of coddling and constantly reassuring him. It's hard not to do that, but I understand that not doing that is better (in some respects it sounds like keeping a little kid calm in what the child perceives as a scary situation....hmm.... maybe child psychology will work.... :-D !). Thanks again!

[Amber]

Hi Kathy! Let me say that my post here may be a little long too, as I want to help you as much as I can. I'm kind of in the same situation you are.

Let me tell you a little about Sally (she's the one in my pic by my name). Sally, before going to the shelter, was a 6 month old Peekapoo/Shih Tzu mix that was 1 of 32 dogs. She had NO human contact whatsoever. The lady that had her brought 5 of her siblings to the shelter first. She thought Sally had died because she hadn't seen her in a few days...she thought she just ran off to die. What really happened was Sally was under her trailer in some discarded insulation without food or water. The next day, the lady brought Sally to the shelter. She was dehydrated and had demodectic mange so bad that the shelter owner had to shave her completely down to her skin because she was nothing but matted fur and pus. Anyway...skipping to when I came into the picture a year later...I adopted Sally when she was a year and a half. When I first adopted Sally she was terrified of men, strange noises, would only stay in her crate, would not walk on a leash, was terrified of a collar (she couldn't wear one before because her neck was so sensitive), had a submissive urination and defecation problem, wouldn't go anywhere new, wouldn't even go outside to go potty without shaking like a leaf, etc. There are MANY more that I'm forgetting, I'm sure. I've had Sally for 6 months now and I can get her to come out of her crate on her own AND on command to come sit on the couch with the family, she wears a collar, she loves playing outside with my other small dog, she has no more submissive urination and defecation problem, strange noises don't bother her as much and as long as we sit in one spot so she can check out what's around her, strange places are "so so" to her as of right now. She will only walk on a leash from half way in the yard into the open front door (but it's a start!), and she is still terrified of men, but I haven't really worked with her on that yet.

Now, I have a couple of books that have REALLY helped me get her to this point with her. She was labeled by many people as "impossible" (lol...they don't know me very well, do they?). Many people say that training builds confidence, and on this site we promote positive dog training.

I went to www.amazon.com and bought three very helpful books:
1. The Complete's Idiot's Guide to Postive Dog Training by Pamela Dennison
2. Help for Your Shy Dog by Deborah Wood
3. Cautious Canine by Patricia B. McConnell, PH.D.

There are several other books out there that were recommended to me, but I was in school at the time and didn't have the time to get them. Hopefully, some other people will come on here and tell you what they are. I remember one of them was Culture Clash, but I don't remember who the author was and I don't know if it would help in your situation, as I have never read it.

I hope I have helped some! I know these books will help you like they helped me.

[Kathy Berry]

Wow - After reading your story, Buddy doesn't have any where near the issues that Sally does/did! He will go for long walks and play outside, but lately the playing has gone waaayyyy down and the longs walks - well he stays right beside the person walking him and keeps his head & tail down looking very forlorn. My husband said he perked up a bit today because there were lots of squirrels out in the park and my husband runs with him while he chases the squirrels! :D After that he was upbeat, alert and very interested in the world. After a little bit, he got back to being mopey and now he's in the house hiding in my daughter's closet again.... Poor little guy! I will definitely look into the books you mentioned - and thank you so much for your reply!

[Amber]

You're quite welcome! I know how it is to have a fearful dog, so I just wanted to give my input. Sally usually dashes around the house with her tail between her legs and her head down as well. She's getting better with it though.

The one thing I can tell you that helped Sally out a lot was when she would stay in her crate for long periods of time (in your case, it would be your dog staying in the closet) I would take her out and make her stay on the couch with me. I would pet her or just rest my hand on her, to make sure she wouldn't jump off, but I wouldn't reassure her while she was acting fearful. One of the books I read said to not let the dog stay out of the way of what usually goes on in the household. If they do that then they will never get used to life in a house. Ever since I started doing that with Sally, her confidence has boosted A LOT and she even runs out of her crate on her own to be with the family if she's by herself for too long! It took a few weeks for this behavior to kick in, but we got there! :D

That might help when he goes into the closet. Just take him out to a place that he can call his other "safety place" and show him he won't get hurt there either (yet let it be somewhere where the rest of the family will be). I chose the loveseat with a slipcover on it because it was where my other dog likes to play and sleep during the day and it's where I like to sit. Sally views her crate as her "safety place" so I chose for her to view the loveseat as her other "safety place". At first, I would treat her with something she really likes, like hot dogs or milk bones, etc., then eventually she started taking petting as her "treat". You may need to do that with your dog as well.

[Renee Premaza]

Hi Kathy!

Because Buddy was doing so well, and now suddenly you're seeing a pretty major change in his behavior, please schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. You want to have some tests run, like a urinalysis, lymes disease test, a CBC and any other medical test the vet can suggest to determine whether the change in behavior could be due to a medical problem.

I'd also like to ask you when was the last time he had (a Rabies vaccination, other vaccinations, and are you using any specific products for fleas and ticks)?

You stated that he's hiding in the closet, so be careful not to allow him access to that closet. The reason I say this is that he will tend to want to hide and be reinforced for hiding if you give him the opportunity to do that. Try to keep him out and about with you and the rest of the family as much as possible, and DO NOT CONSOLE HIM WHEN HE'S BEHAVING FEARFULLY! Speak confidently to him, but do not pet him when he's afraid or he will see this as reinforcing that behavior.

Is there anything he loves to do? Is there a particular food his eyes glaze over for? Take him out in the car and go to McDonalds and get him a hamburger and show him that life can be fun and exciting.

Find reasons to praise him all throughout the day. If he knows how to sit, implement the Nothing in Life is Free program ASAP. That way, he'll be rewarded for things many times each day just for sitting.

I know that dogs can go through fear periods, but we hear mostly about those periods occurring during early puppyhood and in adolescence. However, a trainer I'm friends with told me that her Border Collie did go through a fear period when the dog was about 2 years old. So... maybe this might be happening to Buddy. Fear periods can last for a few weeks and the dog can become afraid of people, places and things he was once okay with.

Have that vet exam done soon, okay? Let us know the results and how things are going.





We adopted a lovely dog from Puerto Rico in April of 2004. His name is Buddy and he is a Border Collie / Black Lab cross. We understand he was a stray on the island and was more than likely the "bottom of the totem pole" in a pack. He was approximately 14 months old when we took him home which makes him almost 2.5 years old. He is a very submissive dog. Never barks (only when surprised or afraid), very low key, quiet & calm temperment, doesn't chew, very social (albiet submissive) with other dogs (really loves to see other dogs) and very friendly with anyone who has a dog with them or smells of a dog!! In the beginning, he was terrified of men and would only be cautiously optomistic with women and children. My husband won a lot of his trust by being extremely patient and sitting on the floor with him and NOT looking him in the eye for months. We expected things to continue going uphill with his comfort level. He was starting to hold his head up and be more confident and his tail came up - he was beginning to look more confident every day ...he started playing more and becoming more outwardly social. Every now and then he had a set back, but each time he recovered faster and faster... except this time. For the past 3-4 weeks he has been afraid of EVERYTHING. He hides in my daughters closet or someplace where he obviously doesn't feel exposed (i.e. closed on 3 sides). He shakes violently when nervous....when going outside, a noise in the distance is enough to make him stop quietly in his tracks and refuse to go on (even if he hasn't relieved himself!). And if there are any raised voices in the house - whether it be in fun or not - he cowers and tucks his tail between his legs and gets very nervous - sometimes to the point of hiding, other times coming to step inbetween what he feels is a conflict (kind of like a peacemaker). I know this is long and rambling, but I feel so bad that my beautiful dog is hiding from everything and would rather hide in a closet that be outside chasing squirrells (which is his all time favorite thing to do when he feels good). ANy suggestions would be MORE than welcome! (Oh - did I mention that my husband, myself and my daughter are 1st time dog owners? I'll bet we have made some mistakes, but oour intentions are good - we just want Buddy to feel COMFORTABLE!!!!). Thanks in advance for any ideas on how to help Buddy move forward and be confident with his new "pack"!!

[Marsha]

I certainly don't know, but, I was wondering if tethering him to you for awhile would help. I guess it would keep him out of the closet and in close proximity to at least one member of the 'pack'. In my human mind, it seems like that would be comforting to the dog and shows him that he has a confident leader....the one that he is now having to follow......while, at the same time keeping him from hiding. Of course, I ;sure don't know if that's the case.

[Kathy Berry]

We just had Buddy to the vet a short time ago (hmm....seems like about a month ago) and he got all his shots (rabies, etc..) except for Lyme - the Lyme we just got on THursday of last week....as far as flea and tick stuff, we haven't started it yet this year...we will be doing so very shortly. I have an appt scheduled to get the flea stuff and bring in a stool sample....maybe I'll make sure the doc has some time to talk about Buddy's behaviors. He is overall very healthy (shiny coat, bright eyes, not overweight).

As far as what motivates him....real live squirrels! That's about it. We took him to obedience school last year and we had difficulty in rewarding him because he wouldn't take the treats!! He's not particularly food motivated. He's getting there as he's learned when dinner time is and that he mostly like will get a handout :-D !!!

The big thing I have heard from everyone is the issue of not consoling him when he's acting nervous or fearful and thereby reinforcing his feelings. We are VERY guilty of doing that all the time. WE feel so bad when he shakes like a quivering mass of jello and give us the "oh woe is me" sorrowful eyes (he's so good at that we almost changed his name to Sorrowful! LOL!) It's difficult not to comfort and reassure, but it appears we will have to make very serious efforts to do so!

I like the closet thing (wow - close the door - how silly of me not to think of that!). I also like the MacDonald's hamburger idea....my husband mentioned that he is SLOWLY coming around and one of the things that seemed to have been a turning point was that they ran into a BUNCH of squirrels at the part the other day and Buddy had a grand old time chasing and hunting for them! For a while his head came up, he had a bounce in his step and his tail was held high! The mood disappated as the squirrels disappeared, but he hasn't seem to slink back into his full funk yet.

So many of you are SO helpful. As 1st time owners, we had and still have a lot to learn, but we love Buddy so much we just want to do anything we can to help him relax and be comfy and confident! I continue to say it and I really mean it - THANK YOU! :p

[Renee Premaza]

Hi Kathy!

You said, "He's not particularly food motivated. He's getting there as he's learned when dinner time is and that he mostly like will get a handout :-D !!!"

Ahh, but from what you're saying, he IS food motivated. Maybe he wouldn't work hard for his kibble or ordinary dry milkbone-type of treats, but I betcha he'd consider a little piece of cooked garlic chicken or a tiny piece of cheese rewarding! In the short 4 year period I've been training, I've only met about 2 dogs who were not food motivated. However, I've had at least a dozen owners say, "my dog is not food motivated." When you are doing something with Buddy that is difficult for HIM, bring out the really good stuff (any leftovers will do, and mostly all soft-type of foods will work well).

I'm relatively sure that once you stop consoling Buddy, he will return to his old self. But, have your vet check him over anyway.

Good luck and let us know how he's doing!

We just had Buddy to the vet a short time ago (hmm....seems like about a month ago) and he got all his shots (rabies, etc..) except for Lyme - the Lyme we just got on THursday of last week....as far as flea and tick stuff, we haven't started it yet this year...we will be doing so very shortly. I have an appt scheduled to get the flea stuff and bring in a stool sample....maybe I'll make sure the doc has some time to talk about Buddy's behaviors. He is overall very healthy (shiny coat, bright eyes, not overweight).

As far as what motivates him....real live squirrels! That's about it. We took him to obedience school last year and we had difficulty in rewarding him because he wouldn't take the treats!! He's not particularly food motivated. He's getting there as he's learned when dinner time is and that he mostly like will get a handout :-D !!!

The big thing I have heard from everyone is the issue of not consoling him when he's acting nervous or fearful and thereby reinforcing his feelings. We are VERY guilty of doing that all the time. WE feel so bad when he shakes like a quivering mass of jello and give us the "oh woe is me" sorrowful eyes (he's so good at that we almost changed his name to Sorrowful! LOL!) It's difficult not to comfort and reassure, but it appears we will have to make very serious efforts to do so!

I like the closet thing (wow - close the door - how silly of me not to think of that!). I also like the MacDonald's hamburger idea....my husband mentioned that he is SLOWLY coming around and one of the things that seemed to have been a turning point was that they ran into a BUNCH of squirrels at the part the other day and Buddy had a grand old time chasing and hunting for them! For a while his head came up, he had a bounce in his step and his tail was held high! The mood disappated as the squirrels disappeared, but he hasn't seem to slink back into his full funk yet.

So many of you are SO helpful. As 1st time owners, we had and still have a lot to learn, but we love Buddy so much we just want to do anything we can to help him relax and be comfy and confident! I continue to say it and I really mean it - THANK YOU! :p

[Sherril Sheehan]

Hello, Our family has adopted a shelter dog who was about 9 mos old, and is now approx. 2 1/2 yrs. She was displaying similar behavior to what your dog is. It is hard to understand what triggers these, what appear to be very anxious moments for the dog. We have no idea what happened to them before they became "lucky dogs". One day going for a walk is a happy thing, and the next day it is something that triggers the tail tucked and the dropped head with sad face. I did find that doing things that trigger the natural, inborn instincts of the breed seems to bring Ali Mae out of her worried state. If your dog likes going out to see squirels, that is what I would do. Ali is a JRT and she loves to walk in the woods and pretend to hunt. I noticed the biggest difference in her after we went to the beach last summer. She was like a different dog there. Loud noises still make her dissappear. I make light of whatever it is making her feel anxious. I take her to practice agility indoors once a week. When we first stared class, the teeter hitting the floor or a dropped bar made her head for the door. I started giving her a herbal anxiety solution before class and it seemed to take the edge off for her. She now, after 6 - 8 mos., is happy to be there. Her tail wags and she actually looks happy. It just takes lots of work and patience. I look at her like a flower whose petals are opening very, very slowly. Always look at your dog as a work in progress. Some days you take two steps foreward, the next a step back. Remember your puppy is so much better off now than before you gave him a safe place to live. Good luck!

[Debbie Chastain]

[QUOTE=Sherril Sheehan) " I make light of whatever it is making her feel anxious."[/QUOTE]

This is so great. What better way to act calm, and show our dog that there's nothing to be concerned about? Humor is a handy diffusor of tense moments. Dogs do seem to know when we are being jovial.

If someone comes to my door, and I move ahead of my dog to great them with a happy display, my dog understands that this person is OK.

[Colleen]

Hey guys, I'm just going to move this thread to the Rescued Dogs Forum.

[Debbie Chastain]

Hi Kathy,

I was wondering how things are going with old "Sorrowful"?

I hope you don't let the set-backs get you down. Tia, had some pretty intense ups and downs for awhile. It seemed like just when she was starting to get comfortable, some wierd thing would send her into a tail-spin! All I can say is...this does get better. I hope you can find some time to read some of the books which were recommended. Keep us posted!

P.S. How's the refraining from coddling coming along? Kinda hard to do, huh? I completely understand how difficult this can be! Even harder to try and get the whole family with the program. You can do it!

[Kathy Berry]

It's amazing. One day last week, a new dog emerged! All of a sudden Buddy was back to being happy and social with us - he hasn't been in the closet for over a week now! He has been playing and being goofy and just plain having fun with us. It REALLY is amazing to see him suddenly change. We really didn't even have time to start applying any of the advice given before the changes happened...it's almost as if he decided he was tired of being wimpy 8) !! We went to our summer place in the mountains of NH this weekend and he had a blast! Chasing chipmunks, playing with the neighbors dogs, meeting and geeting old friends and new. He was open to everything! The only set back we had today was a series of thunderstorms (Thunder and fireworks always terrify him). He took off while my husband was walking with him today (he DID NOT have his leash on...shame on hubby!). But it was during times where the thunder was in the distance and he was spooked (even MORE reason to make sure the leash was on). It took a little while, but he finally came back to my husband.....It was scarey. But he came home and was only gone about 15 / 20 minutes. Still we were in the woods and goodness knows how we would have found him if he hadn't come back on his own...

We have been working on NOT coddling him, but it is VERY hard - especially for my 13 year old daughter. She wants to hug him and reassure him each time he shows any sign of being nervous. We are still working with him and we realize we are not out of the woods and will not be for a long time. But having him behave in such a carefree, happy manner makes us all want to help him be like that all the time!

Thanks again for checking up on us and we do plan to get hold of one or both of those books. Summer is coming and hopefully some extra time to read along with it!

[Krispie]

It's very possible that Buddy could have had a reaction to his vaccinations and they caused some of the behaviors you were seeing, especially since they seemed to disappear after a short period of time. I do know that our Border collies were very sensitive to vaccinations and we stopped giving them yearly. Our border collies were also very sound reactive. Thunderstorms, lawn mowers, fireworks,etc would especially set Rudy( our male) into fear mode. I hope Buddy's improvement continues and he is back to his happy self all the time. Good Luck!

[Monique Shimm]

Renee,

Can a dog exhibit aggression during this fear stage that seems particular to dogs around 2 to 2.5 years of age? For example, aggression towards dogs that come up and sniff too long etc... Or is this a whole other issue.

Thanks!
Monique

[Kathy Berry]

In my case, Buddy has shown absolutely NO agression to go along with this fear he shows. If another dog makes him nervous by being too aggressive or "sniffing" too long, he will cower and walk away or try to hide behind us. Agression has NEVER been an issue with Buddy!

[Amber]

Kathy!

I'm so glad to hear that he is doing better! Don't you just love when they have a breakthrough or make a sudden change? I know the other members on this site are SOOOO tired of hearing about Sally and the things that she does, but when she does something new, I just HAVE to tell someone! lol.

And if it makes you feel any better, Sally hates thunder and rain storms as well. If it is a really bad storm and she can't go to sleep, I put her on my bed with me and Precious and I'll talk to her or I'll pet her until she calms down. She just started to be able to fall asleep on my bed...I think she was not completely comfortable in my bed before...so she usually falls asleep within 20 minutes of me talking softly to her, etc. Tonight I decided to try massaging her while watching T.V., which I do with Precious but never tried with her, and I found out that she LOVES it, so that is something I will try when our next storm hits. You may want to try that while you are at home with Buddy during a storm, if he stays still enough. It may calm him down as well.

[Renee Premaza]

Hi Monique,

Any dog that shows fearful behavior can, if provoked, show aggression. Whatever you do, if your dog is in a fear period, do not punish him for that fear. This can ruin a dog forever! Refocus his attention onto something more positive and let him know that you're in charge and won't ever put him in harm's way. Okay?


Renee,

Can a dog exhibit aggression during this fear stage that seems particular to dogs around 2 to 2.5 years of age? For example, aggression towards dogs that come up and sniff too long etc... Or is this a whole other issue.

Thanks!
Monique

[Debbie Chastain]

Since most of the dogs I've worked with, seem to come to me with fear issues... this is something to keep in mind at all times when dealing with these dogs. It's just good to be aware. No matter how sweet and loving a new rescue can be most of the time, it's still important to keep everyone safe.

[Amber]

I was just wondering if you had an update for us?

[Debbie Chastain]

Yes, we all want to know how it's going...what has helped, what may not be working...please, let us know. We all learn from every experience!

I want to know on a personal level, too!

[De Clark]

Just read this thread and got alot out of it. THANKS! We also have a rescue dog and she is a love but so very nervous and jumpy. We have had her for 7 months now and she has done better but goes into periods where she is back to being real nervous it comes and goes. On top of all that she has alot of small medical issues were trying to get sorted out which I posted about in another topic. Glad I found this site hoping to learn more. Kathy hugs to you and your boy!

[Amber]

De-

Is that a wolf hybrid in that picture? Just wondering because I used to volunteer at an animal shelter where we had a hybrid.

[De Clark]

Hi Amber I think it is possible. She has the longest legs! She was captured in the wild with her mom who was Shepard cross so they just said husky, I guess we will never know but she is a love and our baby! and still has the white tip on her tail, I just love her floppy ears!

[Amber]

The only thing that sets her apart from the hybrid at our shelter is that she has floppy ears. She was 98% wolf and 2% sheperd. Your baby is beautiful no matter what she is, though!