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Will lots of love and attention solve this?

1034 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  luvntzus, 
GatsbysMom
I just brought home a newly neutered, 55-pound 1.5 year old Afghan-hound mix. When he's out in the open living room, he barely knows what to do with himself. He turns in circles or else glues himself to my side. He only lays down for some much needed sleep after neutering when he's in his crate. He probably spent most of his life in a cage.

When outside, everything scares him: cars, the train overhead (we live in a densely urban part of Chicago)... understandably so. He came from a shelter in the south and likely was some kind of farm or suburban dog before that.

Will lots of love and attention build his confidence? What else can I do? My heart is absolutely breaking when I see that he doesn't even know how to handle having a little free space. He's already piddled on the floor either because it's a submissive gesture (or maybe he had to go really bad -- he was WAY too scared to potty outside with all the noise).

I already love my big buddy and I just want him to feel happy and safe. Any advice is appreciated.
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E
It takes some time. One time I took in a male Dalmatian. He was a good little dog(smaller than the female Dalmatian I had). That dog was super strong. I thought I should enter him in one of those dog pulling contests. Anyway when I first got him, every time I would raise my hand he would cringe. His eyes would be squinting. So I figure someone had been beating him. He was a sweet dog,not aggressive to people or other dogs. I started raising my hand and then giving him a piece of hot dog. Shortly after the cringing stopped. Then a little longer and he quit squinting. He could still pull you down in the yard if you were not careful. He had very big feet for a small dog and he could grip the ground. I believe he could pull a pickup truck in neutral if you needed a tow. David
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