I have a 2.5 year old Papillon, he's always been the super hyper-can't-stop-for-nuthin puppy type, but we would sleep together, with him in my arms or feet depending mostly on his mood, and he would always run up and jump on my lap. I'd say we had a mostly normal relationship.

Then last February I took him with me to the park with my BIG dog (A german shep mix). A HUGE Belgian Malamois came out of nowhere and grabbed Dante (The Papillon), lifting him up and shaking him viciously. I jumped on the dog, as did my Shepherd mix and we got him off Dante. I rushed Dante to the vet, but he had enormous injuries. His intestines were hanging between my fingers as I carried him in.

Believe it or not though, this isn't a memorial. Somehow, just a testament to the willpower of this little puppy, he pulled through! He was in the doggie hospital for over a week, but they managed to put him back together again. I visited him every single day, sometimes twice a day. When he came home, he had to stay quiet in a crate, but I would take him out and carry him around. AT first he wouldn't eat (Understandable!) so I literally spoon fed him the prescription dog food with extra protein. I'd put him up on the bed and pet and love him constantly. Part of me thought this would make our relationship even closer than it had been...

Since he's recovered though, all his training seems to have gone out the window. Now, when I say come, he runs behind the couch or under the bed where I can't get to him. He won't sit. Won't take a treat from my hand, and acts terrified of me constantly. Worse yet, he's gone from almost 100% housetrained, to peeing and pooping both in the house on a daily/nightly basis. With a 12 mo old and 4 year old in the house, that's just unacceptable! If I put him outside, he barks constantly (Something that, admittedly, has always been an issue), and when I shout for him to stop he just continues unabated like I didn't say anything. He no longer sleeps on the bed with me, either. Not often anyway. Sometimes he'll jump up, and when he does I pet and praise him, but if I try to call him and pat the bed, and give him the command I always did ("Go to bed") he'll run UNDER the bed. I'm disabled, so I can't chase him under the bed/couch.

I've tried flipping him on his back and getting in his face to reassert dominance (That jus seems to scare him more, but then he gets up and continues his behavor), I've tried spatting his butt. I can't really keep him on a leash in the house because of the children, ANY suggestions would be enormously helpful. This is getting bad to the point I'm starting to really think I need to find him a new home, and I don't want to do that! But I can't have him peeing and pooping in the house all the time, and doing the opposite of what I tell him every time...

[german sheep]

Hello Aynesa,

you were out with your Papillon and a very bad accident happened. He was nearly dead. Then he had pain because all wounds need time to heal. During this time period you stood very close to him with, what you thought, tenderness. When you do not feel good, do you like to be touched and always "motherhenned"?

So your dog has two things learnt: My mom can not take care of me and my life, maybe I will lose my life when outside with her, and I have pain when she touches me.

That is too much for your little dog.
The result is, that he has too much fear to go outside to do his business. He has no other choice, then to do it inside. He has no trust in you that you can take care of him.

Take your Papillon on the leash in the house and outside the house, don't leave him without supervision and don't you dare and do too much around him. Reduce yourself and your action with him, like "take it or leave it".

Feed him especially from hand, so he learns he stays in a existential dependency to you. Don't give him the possibility to hide somewhere. He must learn, that sureness is given from you. Does he has any alternatives, he never will trust you again.

Don't you ever shout at him when he pees in the house!!! Your dog does nothing wrong. From his point of view it is correct behavior to save his life. Because maybe outside is an enemy who is waiting to kill him!
Flipping him on his back is a view to kill him, so dont wonder yourself that he is hiding or that his behaviour is getting worse.

Dominance?? What is Dominance??? A dog can not be dominant!!!!!
That is so antiquated thinking. Your dog is just trying to stay alive.

For every little step he does something what you want, give him a treat, let him work for his food and make youself free from mercy, because this is not the right thing to do. It will not help the dog to go through his fear. He needs a leader and an acceptable leader does not punish appropriate behavior for the spezies.

If you can not take him on a leash to help him, than try to find a new home for him.

LG
gs

[Lara's mom]

The poor little thing had a terrible experience. It almost sounds like a canine version of post traumatic stress disorder. From what you're saying, I think the problem is that your dog doesn't feel safe with you. Now, I'm NOT saying that you're in any way at fault for that. I know you did everything you could possibly do to protect him. However, I think that's how he's feeling; also perhaps that the world in general isn't a safe place.

The only thing I can suggest is a lot of love and patience. It might help to make his world a lot smaller for a while. For instance, confine the dog to your back yard for play and "business." However, never leave him unsupervised for even a moment! Let him slowly regain his comfort there. Then, maybe begin going for very short walks, staying close to home. Gradually increase his world.

Just as a side note: I stopped going to my local off leash park when I adopted my little Lara. Frankly, I don't know what it is with some people who have big aggressive dogs. They just don't seem to understand that their dogs represent a danger to the little ones. Thankfully, Lara has never been attacked but we did have a very close call. My border collie X Bailey took it upon herself to protect Lara who was just six months old at the time and ran the miserable so and so off. Lara is somewhat timid, especially for a Jack Russell and I always wonder if it has something to do with her being so badly frightened by that big ugly brute at such a young age. I have a big yard do, my girls get lots of off leash time there and they're safe. I wish that the parks had two separate areas; one for the huge dogs and one for medium non-aggressive and small dogs. I think it would solve a lot of problems.

I wish you the best of luck in restoring your little one's confidence. Please let us know how things are progressing.