What can I do to help my dog?

Question

We picked up two rescue dogs last week. They're 9 month old German Shepherd mixes. One is male, one is female. They were both dumped in a bay and washed up on a beach in Mexico at only 7 months old.

When we brought them home, Buddy (the male) immediately hid with his tail between his legs. We figured he'd be fine in a couple of days, and we were almost correct. After a while, only my parents could bring him inside. He still avoided me. I've tried sitting outside and not moving so he would see I'm not the "bad guy". After a while, it seemed like he was finally getting used to us. He stopped hiding and instead would stand at a distance and stare at us. Each day, he would stand closer and closer, occasionally coming behind us to touch us with his nose.

But since yesterday, he's been even more skiddish than the day we brought him home. He runs to his hiding spot if he simply sees us through the window. We can't bring him inside anymore.

Note: Him and his sister are very dependent on each other. We've never hit either of them or yelled at them. Buddy's sister couldn't be happier. They are polar opposites of each other.

Is there anything we can do to help him? This is obviously something more than "re-homing anxiety".

bluebonnetgranny · Accepted Answer

As you are sitting out there be eating some kind of really strong smelling meat or have some cat food that you can toss in his direction.  Toss some of your meat (sardines, tuna, hot dogs etc) up close to him.  His curiosity will get the best of him & he will investigate.  He will soon realize you have some very very good smelling stuff.  He will come out & grab the bite & dart right back into his hiding place.  But he will realize each time that nothing bad is happening & he keeps getting goodies.  As the days pass,  toss the bites a little further out to where he has to venture farther from his hiding place.

I have spent days trying to catch a stray.  Other things you can do is to take off the cloths you are wearing & leave them outside close to his hiding place.  Leave a few bites of something yummy there too.  He is getting your smell from your cloths & a goodie as well.  He is getting used to your smell along with the goodie.  All is good.

What you are doing is trying to make him loose his fear response.  It is called habituation.  The loss of a response,  in this case,  fear.

You can also play with the female where he can see everything that is going on.  He trusts her & she will have your smell all over her as well.  He can see that she is not being harmed.

You need lots of patience,  let him see & experience that you are not going to harm him.  You have to go at his pace & sometimes that is very frustrating.

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What can I do to help my dog?

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