Need help with our TIMID 11 month old Wheaten Terrier

Hi Everyone,

I need some advise on what to do with my very timid 10 mo old wheaton terrier (Groucho). We rescued him around 4 months ago and he is a bit less timid then he was before but the improvements are very minimal.

His previous owner was a single professional lady who worked all day and kept him in the yard on his own all day long -- which would cause Groucho to bark and the neighbors to complain so she had to find him another home. She also told us that she worked very hard with the dog and mentioned that he was timid from the time she bought him from a breeder when he was about 3 months old -- so the poor thing has had three sets of owners in about 10 months.

Our home situation is as follows as well: We live in a large house with a very nice sized fenced yard and have full time help so he in rarely left outside by himself. We have three kids as well who get along beautifully with the dog. The dog is groomed regularly and treated very well by everyone in our house

When we go for walks in town he seems to be afraid of loud noises including trucks and motorcyles, horns or pretty much anything that is not expected and he starts to pull on the leash feverishly to get out of the area. He also hides behind us when someone comes to pet him when we are out and about.

However, at home he is fine and rarely barks -- well he does go nuts with the vacuum but nothing serious. Recently, he has become totally petrified of me (the man) even though I have not abused, hit, or yelled at him. I have only corrected him on walks by making him sit with voice commands only) when he starts to pull. He'll hesitantly come to me only if I have a treat in my hand and he'll just take it and run back away. He also starts to pee a little everytime when I come to pet him. However, he does not behave this way for anyone else in the household.

It has gotten so bad that I put him in the yard when I am home alone because if I approch him he will just pee in the house again. I am not sure what has caused this but it it totally perplexing and difficult. I have now stopped taking him on walks and have just stayed away from him to keep him at ease.

Is there anything that I can do to get him to not fear me anymore. This dog is not our first dog and I have never had this type of problem before with our previous dog who we got as a puppy from a reputable breeder. I feel like I am paying the price for trying to save a dog who was in need of a good home instead of going to a breeder.

Please advise.. I would hate to have to find him another home but I don't want have a dog in my home who behaves this way.

Thanks,

Aldog

 

Hi. I'm sorry to hear about your troubles. I wish I could offer some advice but I'm not sure what to tell you. I'm sure someone on here will be able to help. Have you talked to your vet? How about a behavriolist or a trainer? It might be worth looking into. I hope things work out for you.

 

This is something that I think can most likely be worked with. A positive trainer/behaviorist would probably be your best option.

Obviously, this dog has received very little or no socialization as a puppy and since he lived with a single woman who was not home often he probably rarely if ever saw or interacted with men which is most likely why he is fearful of you. Most men have deep, strong voices and that alone can cause fearfulness in a timid dog. For now I suggest that you try whispering or talking quietly and as softly as you can around the dog. When you interact with him try kneeing down to his level on the floor so that you are less threatening to him. Avoid direct eye contact, leaning over the top of him and reaching over his head. Also, try to move quietly and slowly whenever you are around him. While doing all of the above you can also try offering him some really special treats to try to coax him towards you.

For now I would try to avoid walking him in noisey, busy areas. Instead, try to find a more secluded area to start with. It will be easier to desensitize him to noises and strangers if there are fewer of them and they are at a greater distance. When you see a stranger at a distance have him sit and give him treats as long as he is remaining calm. The stranger must be far enough away that your dog does not react. If the dog reacts then you are too close and need to increase your distance.....overtime you will gradually decrease the distance between him and approaching strangers. Always giving him praise and/or treats for remaining calm. You can do the same thing with noises by bringing him places where there are noises but the noises are not so loud, praising/treating him for remaining calm and gradually working your way to areas where the noises are a little louder. Good luck.

 

This is why, as another posted pointed out, socialization is so very important. In the 8-14 week old time frame especially, puppies must be properly socialized or you run the extremely high risk of them becoming timid adults. A certain percentage of puppies will be timid no matter how well they are socialized anyway, and this is due to a genetic factor. In other words, the mother or father or one of the grandparents had a shy, timid personality. In this case, the dog would always be timid, regardless of how it was treated. Its not your fault your dog is like this. Some breeders just don't take the time or don't want to be bothered with the work of socializing all their puppies. They are more interested in the money than in the breed. This is tragic.

There is not a whole lot you can do that you aren't already doing. Being kind and unthreatening to the puppy is foremost. If harsh methods were used, he would only become more timid and perhaps also become a fear biter eventually. Hopefully he won't, but there is no guarantee he won't become a fear biter anyway. It will take a tremendous amount of dedication and caring on your part, but you can probably eventually get the puppy to trust you personally. But I can't say that you will successfully be able to get him to accept other people, especially strangers, in the same way. He will most likely retain at least some of his fearful behavior for most of his life. He may always be suspicious. But at least he has you, and that makes him very fortunate. Just don't expect him to change his basic temperament - its impossible for him, whether it was caused by genetics or his environment when he was younger. I commend you for caring enough to put in this effort.

 

Kind of just repeating a bit here.....

All your interactions with this dog need to be positive. No corrections. You will need to nip this in the bud now before it's too late. Dogs go through fear stages and this age is probably another. A fear stage can cause a change in behavior and sometimes they digress. The worst thing you can do is avoid the dog. Its not going to be easy but just from your post you do care and are willing to work through this. Try not to take his behavior personally, remember that he has been passed around and probably has mistrust for humans. Men can be especially intimidating like Nern stated. Some dogs can come around quickly but others need more time and like mentioned some are just predisposed to certain behavior.

First try to find a trainer who specializes in behavior training. Has this dog been to any obedience classes? Talk to trainers about finding a group class that works with dogs with behavior issues. Back to at-home interaction. Keep treats on you at all times and reward when he does come to you. He needs to associate you as someone fun & happy who will give him lots of good treats. Dogs are very aware of our body language and moods. I'm guessing your dog senses you don't really enjoy being with him right now. Your facial expressions, frustration, tension and body posture clearly state this to your dog. Make a point of taking him outside several times a day and play ball or just hang out and let him come to you. Lots of one on one time! He needs to learn to trust you - and that means your interactions have to be positive and non-threatening.

Next a regular routine needs to be established as well. Walk around the block everyday. Do you have a gentle leader to walk him on? That way there'll be no pulling or leash tension (another big stressor for dogs). Slowly work up to walking your dog in busier areas. Let him know that you won't let anything harm him. I just disagree on making him sit when strangers pass, just continue on like nothing is wrong but as mentioned increase the distance by walking around the person/dog passing. Gradually decrease the distance. Try not so soothe him as this could reinforce his insecurities. Remember your body language - if you are tense he will pick up on it - be happy, relaxed especially when others are around or where there are loud noises. Bring your dog everywhere with you. Keep at it desensitization is one of the best things you can do.

Good luck!

 

Aldog,,,,your dog sounds like my dog.....I recently adopted a Wheaton Terrier, "Reba McInDog",,,,she is 2 years old.....Her original owner kept her outside alot and when I got her, she was really shy.....She was very much a "womans dog",,,,didnt warm up to my sons, or male neighbors at all........when she is home , she is very quiet and follows me all over the house,,,,,doesnt let me out of her sight,,,,,if i leave she waits by the gate,,,no matter how long I'm gone and acts like I've been gone forever , when I return,,,making me feel like a louse for leaving her.......she is housebroken, but wont go , unless I go outside with her.....she can hold it all day, she eats if I stay close by ,. bedtime is the same way.....she has to sleep on the floor right next to my bed...and periodically checks to see if I'm still there.........when I take her for a walk, she becomes very protective, and will lunge at anyone who approaches me......although she is not a vicious animal, at home she is quiet and lovable........I have a big backyard, and she will go out there,,,,,IF I GO WITH HER........I love this dog,,,and she is very smart,,,,but maybe its the breed,,,,,they do have their little quirks............hope you work it out with your dog.....give him time,,,,,,maybe he will warm up to you.....my dog is starting to get used to men, with each passing day........take care and good luck.....

 

My dog was veryyyy timid at first, it was terrible, now he is almost normal. When I got him, he could do all basic tricks (sit stay...) so I wanted to see if he could go into the higher level obdience class. And the lady suggested that I do the first one, because he was so shy and timid and this was a bonding time for us and most importantly, it would build his confidence. So maybe if you try a dog class or something, but I think with work it will get better, maybe when it is just you around she should wear a diaper to avoid the pee, but it is submissive peeing. I hope things get better!

 

Everyone has given you some excellent advice. The only thing I can add is that I found this book to be very helpful: "Help for Your Shy Dog: Turning Your Terrified Dog into a Terrific Pet," by Deborah Wood.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...002-4342618-3343261?v=glance&s=books&n=507846