new puppy owner

Calvin

hi

i have a lot of questions, be patient.


Today i adopted this little mini schnauzer boy who is REALLY skiddish. We walked home and he was all shaky and he wouldn't walk. I had to carry him the whole way. He's quite calm but i think it may be from fear. He's really tired and he snoozes off standing. He fell asleep finally but at the slightest move he wakes up.


Also he won't poop or pee outside or inside. I guess he's too afraid to do that.

Also what do you think of this: he won't come to the kitchen, but when i step back into the living room he gets really happy to see me...QUIETLY thank goodness...one thing I'd like to keep. But maybe he won't step into the kitchen because the cats are there?? But same thing happens when I open the main door, he's afraid to step outside.

I fed him. He takes a kibble and goes off with it and munches on it away from me.

So i'm pretty sure he's very unsure of himself and it's a fear thing.


How do i turn this around? When i take him for walkies, he just wants to lay down in the grass and "observe". I think tomorrow we're just going to go to the park and sit there on the grass for as long as it takes for him to get up and explore.

tips??


ALSO....most importantly with a shy pup like this (5-6 months) i'm afraid this will turn into separation anxiety which i DO NOT WANT since i live in an apartment. So tips on how to avoid that?? I've left the room and locked myself in the bathroom or the bedroom and he didn't whine or bark but i could hear him at the door sniffing and then he wondered off and paced a lot. When i go out to the balcony which is through the kitchen he doesn't follow. Kithen is BAD!! lol and once left alone he didn't freak out.

any tips for this??


thaaaaaaaanks

FilleBelle

You just got this little guy TODAY. Of course he's nervous! My suggestion is to wait two weeks and see if any of his behaviors change. In the meantime, don't pander to his fears. You don't want to force him to do anything he thinks is scary, but you also don't want to coddle him when he's fearful. Paying too much attention to him when he's afraid will only teach him that he's doing the right thing by being fearful.

JustTess

I adopted my two dogs a little over two months now. The first day, I introduced them to the whole place and they did seem a little skiddish. They were very nervous and scared. The terrier hung out next to my son the whole time and the husky stayed in one spot (I kept him near me the whole time since he started to mark )

After a few days, the husky was very nervous if we left... We found an enclosed plastic crate made him feel the most secure when were were not there.

I would give it some time. Look for signs that your dog may want to use the bathroom and then quickly take him outside. Get him used to your praises .

My two dogs were also depressed for about a month. They were only in the shelter a week before we adopted them and I can imagine their whole world went upside down for them. I bet if you show lots of love and acceptance he will soon start to shine>

FilleBelle

I sincerely apologize for being pedantic, but the English teacher in me just HAS to say this: the word is "skittish."

JustTess

LOL.... you're so right... I was in my "When in Rome ... " mode. :P

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Calvin

sigh...at least i know the difference between "your" and "you're" unlike others. sigh...


so ok give him time. He seems to be coming around ok. He's not hiding under the table...well he is...cos i'm here. If i get up he follows.


I'm not sure what behaviour to NOT give praise for. When he won't go outside i scoop him up and take him or we'd never make it downstairs.



Also....i just turned the TV on and he started barking/growling....is that because of fear?? How do i correct that sort of barking? I use the spray bottle trick...works on my cats

FilleBelle

He REALLY won't go outside? He won't go out there if you take a lawn chair and a book and sit quietly for an hour? He won't go outside if you're out there with a steak and a squeeky toy? I bet he'd go outside if he had the proper motivation.

I don't think it's necessarily detrimental to pick the dog up and take him outside to, say, pee or poo. I'm just thinking you don't want to indulge him every time he shows a little bit of fear. He's eventually got to learn that going outside on his own is awesome, right?

Calvin

ah well he won't be going outside on his own. I don't have a yard. He seems ok at the park and then a car goes by and he gets up all tense.

He hasn't peed at all since 3 pm and it's almost 9 pm, but he hasn't eaten much to poop anyways.

He's sleeping now thankfully; he was really exhausted earlier

Rainbow.Paws

Socialize this puppy as much as you possibly can. Don't be shy while cooking or cleaning or walking..etc. Don't tip toe to make him comfortable. If he is small enough, hold him while you vacuum and start getting him used to a leash. Don't rush this into a day, take your time but be sure you are getting him used to noises, people, objects..etc. If you are woried about seperation anxiety start crate training now. Make sure you spend a few hours a day seperated from each other and that he can sleep/eat without you.

Give him some time to adjust as this is all so new to him!

Calvin

how do you spend time apart from a pup that follows you EVERYWHERE!?! and ALL the time??

granted she's still a bit spooked so i guess when that wears off she'll stop?

Aggie

crate train. If he's in the crate, he can't follow you.

Also good for saftey situations (oven, lots of people coming in/out, moving furniture), and traveling.

RRM_Mom08

IMHO I really think this sounds like a puppy/dog that has had very little to no socialization ... this is so sad ..where did you get this puppy from ? and how old is he ?

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