[untiltheyALLhavehomes]

hi all,

I have been fostering a pug/miniature pinscher mix for about 7 months now.
She came into my care from an overcrowded shelter. She is about 17 months old at this time. To my understanding she came into the shelter as a young pup with her mother. They went into rescue with another organization for about 4 months and then were returned to the shelter. Then I took her then.

Her name is Snooki. In the past several months I have devoted an extreme amount of time trying to reassure, socialize and build confidence. I have tried many methods but they have clearly been ineffective.

Snooki is dog friendly and lives with other dogs.
She will come close enough to me to take a treat from my hand but she runs as soon as she gets ahold of it.
If I try to pet her while offering a treat she runs.
She remains frightened of people. Oftentimes she will try so hard to get away that she will slip flat on her face. Oftentimes, she frantically runs when we walk past her with no intentions of approaching her.
She chews through leashes at record speed. I have tried keeping her leashed to me and have resorted to purchasing a light weight metal cable because of her leash chewing.
She has nipped due to fear previously but no longer does so.
She is difficult to catch but when she is picked up she will kick and scratch at my arms trying to get free.
She will not sit beside me or come near me (or anyone else). She will walk the perimeter of the room and keep as much of a distance as she can at all times.

I have tried moving slow and frequently rewarding. I have tried leashing her to me and exposing her to the world safely. I have tried using the buddy system and pairing her with a dog that she likes in hopes of following the example provided. Nothing has helped and little improvement has been made. I am very interested in advice as I am running out of ideas.

[Yogi]

What you are describing is a pack dog. One that has had no real interaction per se with humans to the point that it lacks people socialization. The older they are the harder this becomes. I have spent sometimes up to a year with these type of dogs as many have come from puppy mill breeders who do to failing to interact properly leave the pup to be solely dependent on an alpha dog. I can tell you that it simply just takes a lot of patience and time. Sitting on the floor or low to the floor helps give them a better sense of comfort with less fear. Standing over them or bending over them only obstructs them in that they still will be fearful. These types are naturally fear aggressive but just keep working at it. They may never totally come around but if they can at least with you, it is reward in itself.