Hello all,

We (finally) adopted a dog from the MHS and this guy is scared of everyone, and everything. He was a little shy at the shelter, but was so wonderful, all the staff everyone sung high praises about him. He had three sisters that were adopted out before him, he might miss them terribly!!! He is a 3 year old, 108 pound Great Pyrenees/mix. He refuses to come in the house or use a dog house (tried the food trail, did not work.) He is very good (except for digging), smart, listens well, knows basic commands and is very lovable. We wanted a watch dog, but he does not bark at anyone, just his toys and tail. I know it takes time for the adjustment, but he is so scared of men too and if you have anything in your hands. I think he might of been abused. We have been very gentle, and guiding him through this. It might be a trust issue too! Any tips!!! Thanks

Patience, is what I recommend. I'm guessing you have already done some reading up (since you've tried some things already), and have some ideas. I take it you haven't had the dog very long. It is going to take a few months for him to settle in and adjust. Just keep up with what you've been doing, and try not to rush him. I adopted my dog from a shelter when she was just a puppy, and she too had some phobias. Five years later, she has come a long way, but still has some issues to work on. Just the other night on our walk past the elementary school, there was an event going on. I decided to keep walking past, rather than taking her into the schoolyard. Still, we were intercepted by a young family who wanted to pet her (they were impressed that my dog was walking so well on leash!). She was quite shy and nervous, though, and the mother commented on it. With a mutual love and understanding of dogs, we were able to gently persuade my dog to allow the family to pet her. We did this by having the young children squat down on the ground and let the dog come to each of them first, in turn, and sniff them before reaching out to pet her. She even gave them each a kiss on the nose! I feel these encounters, if handled delicately, can be therapeutic in helping my dog to overcome her phobias. Remember, it may take a very long time, with baby steps along the way, but you can win your dog's trust by just being the confident pack leaders he needs.

well i guess you should train your dog to be brave..

your dog can get used to it... just get him out more.

I completely agree with Mydogiscute.

Patience is a virtue, especially when working with possibly abused dogs.

Try to figure out what makes him tick. The food trail didn't seem to work, maybe toys will? Does he react well when you play with him? If so, you could play with him and slowly lead him into the house while he's distracted with all the playing and attention.

If he's scared of men, make sure he only comes into contact with men who mean well. I mean, let a man give him treats, toys, positive attention. You'll probably need to take this slow as well; eg let a man put down his food bowl and then walk away if your dog is afraid to come close to the bowl with the man standing close by. After a while, start closing the distance and see how your dog reacts.

Just take it slow and give him enough time to adjust to his new family and his new surroundings. You're obviously willing to work to help him, so I have every confidence it'll all work out.

we made progress!!!! He is finally willing to come into the house!!! Thank goodness as it is getting cold!!! He is very moody, and does not like to do alot of things until he is ready!!! One step down many more to go. Thanks for all the suggestions and advice, it is going to be a long road!!!

I didn't completely read all of the other comments so this might have been said but just slowly get him used to everything. Example, if he is afraid of a vacuum, just leave the vacuum in the middle of the house somewhere for a few days and eventually he will just not care about it anymore. Then when you turn it on he may not be as startled.

Originally Posted by jv17

well i guess you should train your dog to be brave..

i totally agree. Get it train. and start now.

[lil mutt]

Maybe the dog still need some time to adjust to his new home...

You should learn about and understand counter conditioning, desensitization, triggers and thresholds. It probably doesn't matter why your dog is afraid (lots of dogs are more afraid of men than women) it just matters that you understand how they learn to create new positive associations with the things that scare them. It takes time and patience and an understanding of how dogs learn new behaviors. Start by reading The Cautious Canine.

Proper training for your dog is needed i guess,nothing big to worry about.