[Crazie.Eddie]

Here's a brief history...
I was given a female american eskimo tonight. The dog is about 1.5 years old, her name is Misty. Previous owner could not keep up with the responsibility of keeping the dog. Previous owner had her, since she was a pup, which was given to her. It appears that the dog may have been mistreated when she was young, since she is very aprihensive in meeting people. She basically growls and barks with a low head, slightly curved back and tucked in tail. She will bark and then retreat back. At the owners house, I tried to get her to feel comfortable with me, but slowly drawing the leash closer and closer. When I tried to put me in the submisive position, she tried to bite me. I eventually had the owner put her in my car. At home, I was able to put her in the submisive, which made things easier. Eventually, she got comfortable with me. Unfortunately, if I try to approach her too quickly, she backs away, with her head lowered and tail tucked in. This is why I was assuming she was mistreated.

Anyways, Misty has no problems once she gets to know people, but she will still get nervous if they approach her too quickly. We often have visitors, with some having children and I'm concerned of how she will treat them, when I'm not around, especially the children. Would it be possible to train her to longer be aprihesive with new people? Or is it too late and just return her.

If it is not too late to train her, how do go about it?

FYI. Misty was just sitting beside me and my mom came, so the dog started growling. I had a choke collar on her, so I pulled on it and told her to sit. When she continued to growl, I pulled on the choke collar again and gave the Ceasar Milan "Chhhttt" sound he makes. I kept doing it, until she stopped growling. During the hole time, Misty was staring at my mom, trying to see what she was doing.

I also have another dog, a male terrier mix. She gets along with him. Although he gets annoyed by her, becuase she wants to play with him, being she's 1.5 years old and he's like around 10 years old.

[Dogstar]

It's possible she was mistreated when younger, but more likely not- Eskies are known for being prone to shyness problems if they're not socialized properly as puppies.

Patricia McConnell has a book called "The Cautious Canine" which is inexpensive and a fairly quick reat- it's only about 30 pages. DeborahWod also as a book "Help for your Shy Dog" that I would highly recommend - http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB632

The most important thing you can do is build your dog's confidence in YOU. If you've got her out and about on walks or at Petsmart or whatever, you need to be VERY proactive about NOT LETTING PEOPLE MAKE HER UNCOMFORTABLE. If someone wants to pet her, ask them to kneel down and let her appraoch them- or not. Be active and intercept people who reach down for her or invade her space. This WILL help- she needs to trust that you won't let people intimidate her. Taking some good (positive) obedience (or pre-agility) classes can be a great way to build your bond with her, too, and increase her confidence as well.

Absolutely QUIT IT with the 'submissive' stuff. It's just hurting things. If that's the training paradigm you prefer, please turn this dog over to Eskie Rescue (Heart Bandits is the national Eskie rescue group) right now, because you can and will make her behavior worse. The 'alpha roll' thing that wolves supposedly do is a voluntary behavior INITIATED by a more submissive animal. It's only done forcefully in the middle of life-or-death fights. Forcing a dog who has just met you to be submissive, one who is already scared of you, is a horrible way to start a relationship. Get rid of your choke chain, get a proper buckle collar (I'd recommend a rolled leather one, since it won't break off her hair as badly) and do some reading. A verbal correction (aah! or shh!) is perfectly acceptable, but your timing needs to be good, andit should be reserved for something she is actively doing- not a fear-based response behavior. (Use it when she is sniffing the trashcan, not when she's being afraid of someone.)

[MegaMuttMom]

While I was posting Dogstar named the 2 books that really helped me with my dog. Thank you Dogstar.


Please stop correcting and doing the submissive stuff with this dog. It is a fearful dog and it will only make things worse. If you really pay attention to Cesar, he uses that stuff on "dominant" dogs. You could really make this problem worse. Not all problems with dogs have to do with dominance behaviors. You do not want to turn fearful behavior into fear aggression because your dog feels it has to defend itself.

I would get rid of the choke collar and back off for now. You just brought this dog home. You need to give the dog time to feel safe in your home. You need to read and learn about fearful dogs. You need to learn about dog body language.

Do not let people approach your dog. Have them ignore the dog and wait until the dog is comfortable approaching them. If/when the dog does go for a sniff, do not reach out to pet the dog.

You want the dog to learn that people are good things. If the dog approaches, have the person offer a treat. Do not look a fearful dog directly in the eyes. Do not approach the dog straight on. Do not bend over the top of the dog. Do not pet the dog from above, especially on the top of the head. These are all rude behaviors from a dog's perspective and may give the dog the wish to defend itself or it will just cause him to back off in a fearful posture. Crouching down with your profile to the dog is the least threatening posture.

I brought an extremely timid/fearful dog home and a year later, he is brave and bold. It takes a lot of patience, love, and work. A positively based training class helped build his confidence tremendously. We have gone to 3 sets of classes, not because he's disobedient, but because it helps him so much in gaining confidence.

Please, this is not a dog that needs the Cesar Chhht sound. You don't know yet if this is a dog that may need leash pops. All you know is that you have a dog who is afraid and it is your job to give it time to settle in without feeling threatened. If you can't control people's behavior around your dog until he is ready to accept people as sources of good things, please return this dog. If you keep him and work with him, I promise you, you will never have a more grateful dog.

My relationship with my dog is so strong because of the work we went through together. I hope you make the choice to learn and grow with your dog.

Please search the forum for good books to read and good luck with your dog. I hope you make the choice to keep this dog and grow with him

[Curbside Prophet]

Originally Posted by Crazie.Eddie

Would it be possible to train her to longer be aprihesive with new people? Or is it too late and just return her.

It's not too late, but it may not be on your time table. I hate to say this, but it's the truth, you should have thought of that and had a plan B ready. Returning her would be plan Z.

If it is not too late to train her, how do go about it?

I too recommend outside help...from a certified dog trainer or behaviorist.

What you can do right away is this... Do not feed the dog from a bowl. You should use her daily ration of food for behaviors (I'd work on impulse control behaviors and attention right away), or feed her through interactive chew toys like Kongs or a Tug-A-Jug. You should also keep some food available for when guests arrive. Teach her to settle on a mat, and when new people arrive, constantly toss her kibble. When the person leaves, stop feeding her. A couple of warnings, you need to tell your guests that your dog is in training, and if your dog is too uncomfortable to take the treats, remove her to another room (it's too much too fast).

You can teach the dog to enjoy being rushed upon, but you need to give her time first before going to that level.

Practice NILIF religiously.

I pulled on the choke collar again and gave the Ceasar Milan "Chhhttt" sound he makes. I kept doing it, until she stopped growling. During the hole time, Misty was staring at my mom, trying to see what she was doing.

What do you think you are teaching her here?

[TooneyDogs]

As the others said, Misty is afraid and your harsh corrections/attempts to control her fearful behavior will backfire...badly. Build trust and confidence...that means you need to show her that other people are good things...not, scary/bad things. Your popping the leash/hurting her only confirms that other people are bad...bad things happen to her when they come close.
Other people need to toss treats...it's that simple...she doesn't have to get close to them, do a sit, get petted or even be quiet. You're working on changing her perspective of people...that good things happen around other people.

[terryjeanne]

If she's nervous around strangers, then I wouldn't let the strangers approach and touch her. I have a young sheltie that is quite timid. Two of my girlfriends can get close enough for a light quick pat on the shoulder and that's all.

The trainers at obedience would just toss her tiny bits of treats as they were talking with me. Over time, I could tell her to "go say hi" and she would creep over and touch her nose to their pants or outstretched hand. Then she got a jackpot of treats

I would look into behaviourists. If I ever tried putting my dog in a submissive position, I would lose alot of trust and backtrack all my training. She's too sensitive and shy for harsh methods.

[AkiraleShiba]

I think that you need to build up your dog's confidence so as previous posters said you should stop doing the Ceasar Milian stuff. Also I would ask everyone not to pet her on the head but on her neck. My dog is shy/nervous and it helped him get confident and let people pet him.

Maybe you could try clicker training as I think that your dog needs gentler training (look on the internet and libraries there is ton of information). You could try something like you touch her and she's calm you click/reward, then you try someone else and if works you do the same thing. There are some very cheap on e-bay.

Also I would put the choker in the garbage, the way you are using it will make your dog associate new people with a choker correction so that's not what you want.

[Crazie.Eddie]

Thanks. I already removed the choke chain. I was using it in conjuction with a harness. She seems to escape easily by the backout method with the previous owner, which is why I went with the harness.

This is not my first eskie. My 1st and 2nd dog were eskies. My mom & I both love the look and color. The only downfall was the excessive shedding. Our 1st eskie (Male - Lucky), was given to us, and died of old age. My dad past away in 1992, and lucky a few months after. I happened to stop by a local animal shelter and spotted another eskie, a female named Molly. She was my favorite, becuase she was already well trained, stayed within our lot. She barks when she wants to go out, I open the door, she goes out and does her business and comes back when she's done. If I think she stayed out too long, I knock on the window to get her attention, which she then goes inside. All this in a non fenced yard. Brownie, our male Terrier, is a little more of a handful. We definetely have to go out with him. He used to run towards ANY dog he would see, which required a leash. I eventually got him out of running towards other dogs, by standing in between him and the sight of a new dog and doing the Chht sound. He eventually stopped this behaviour and I can safely bring him out and watch him from a distance, without worrying about him wandering too far.

Anyways, I will work with Misty. Thanks for all your help/suggestions.

[Aggie]

I'd go with pretty much what everyone else has said- esp the books & professional trainer, if at all possible.

Remember- now that she has you, meeting people ALWAYS needs to be a POSITIVE experience. New people alway throw some food toward her (or she takes it from their hand, if she can be trusted to do so), and work toward giving it from hand. If she's very, very nervous and won't stop watching them to gobble it up, I might be tempted to try some baked chicken. If she's so nervous she's not going to eat, then they can throw it towards her, and go on about their business.

New people to not approach her- let her get used to them. They throw/give food, and then she doesn't exist. They don't look at her, talk to her, and preferably don't square off with her- their body should be at an angle toward hers. "Hi friend X! Throw this to Misty. Thanks! Now, let's go to bedroom/living room/etc to work on that homework/tv show/purpose of visit!"

I second what Curbside says. Put her daily ration of food in a baggie or whatever, and whenever she acts appropriately she gets (1 kibble, a few kibbles, whatever works to make it last the day).

Be sure not too move too fast. It's better to start too slow, or as if she were worse than she is, than to move her too fast and she regresses or gets the idea of fear-biting into her head.

I wouldn't be making any trips to dog parks/pet stores with her for a month or two at the earliest- give her time to get used to you and your cues, to start trusting you, and for you being able to read behavior her carefully.

[Annamarie]

i haven't read through all the advice (i'm too tired!) but I have a dog that's similar to yours but to a greater degree. we take him with us everywhere and just have people ignore him. i give him treats when he's relaxed and calm around people or when he's being friendly, and bit by bit he's coming around. i know he'll never instantly like a stranger but at least he's comfortable around our family members to leave him with them and know that they can take him for walks etc. if he's aggressive around certain people i'll keep him on a loose leash and give him a sharp tug to correct him and get his attention on me, then i'll pull out a treat and wait until he's focused on me and ignoring the distraction to give it to him. with dogs like this it's a delicate balance. you want to correct negative behaviors and replace it with a positive behavior that will earn them a treat, but you have to be careful not to over-correct because you have to build their confidence. once you gain their trust and can keep their attention on you it goes much more smoothly.