Hi all!

My little chihuahua molly came to us 8 months ago and will soon be 2 years old. Although she was supposedly bred to be a show dog she has an under bite and was was seen as not desirable and she therefore lived with the breeder until she was well over a year. While she's a very sweet little dog she's extremely extremely afraid of everything. I have done some research and while i've found some info molly seems to be the extreme. She is afraid of wind and leaves and paper and pretty much everything and most often scares herself! My theory is that living in this house full of dogs and being the runt (if you would call it that) she was not properly socialized. when we got her she was not house trained, didn't know how to go for a walk, and used to grab mouthfuls of food and put it in a corner to eat on her own (something she finally has stopped). she has definitely improved over time but is this the best i can expect? is there anything i should be doing? i've read about desensitizing but how can i do that when it seems to be the world (and everything in it) shes afraid of?

oh and lately shes taken to walking into my moms room and barking at her in the middle of the night.

also i'd like to add shes not at all aggressive. she runs and hides and will only bark at someone if they seriously chase her and even then shes barking as shes running away. shes more of the "if i go low to the ground and don't move maybe they wont see me" kind of dog than a "i must defend myself in this scary situation" kind of dog.

any help would be greatly appreciated!!

you need a behaviour specialist and I think you need to attend classes together with her. This is a loving dog that just hasn't met any kindness in her life, so far.

Whenever feasible, I suggest taking her with you everwhere you go-- she's small enough. Being with you, her pack leader and protector, will help to instill a sense of security and confidence. When you come across little things that make her wary, go ahead and show the thing to her, let her smell it. Over the course of time, she will come to understand that the world is not really such a scary place afterall. This will take time-- lots of time, but it will get better, it really will.

[wishbone]

Some dogs are like that, and they really need socialization. Enroll her to behavior class or let her play with other dogs who are so gentle with other, make a happy event where she could enjoy to run and jump with them, don't forget the treats.