[jodang67]

i have a mixed-breed 3-year-old (possible terrier, chihuaua or sheepdog mix) named charlie, very high-energy, loyal and vocal. i "rescued" him from my sister who kept him in his crate all day as a pup and rarely brought him to dog parks to socialize him. now, he is anti-social towards other dogs and strangers. he barks at every single dog on our walks (twice daily) and is only comfortable around 3 or 4 of our family dogs.

for a couple of months, i tried taking him to a local dog park once a week. it got him super stressed and he started growing white fur. then, for a couple of weeks (two days a week at a time) i would board him at a closeby doggy kennel but that got him even more stressed and he wouldn't eat, sleep or go potty until he got home.

i've gotten quotes from different trainers but it is way more than i can afford, even with installments. at one point, i hired a dog walker but i couldn't afford more than twice a week.

i love charlie to no end. my family suggested giving him up for adoption, but i want to be sure i find someone who is truly devoted to dogs like charlie.

does anyone have advice for a struggling dog-owner who can't afford expensive socializing programs?

[lange]

Hi. It sounds like you really love your little guy. The good news is it doesn't have to be expensive to help him yourself.

I do think you're going about socializing him backwards. The dog park & kennel should come after he is comfortable with other dogs. First you have to help him work out his anxiety in controlled, safe settings like when you're out walking w/him on leash. Ideally, you would want a dog professional to help you through this but it's not essential if your dog is not a threat to other dogs and if you're willing to put in a the commitment.

There is a load of information on this forum and online in general. There's a search box on the top of this page where you can search for different topics like "socialize", "dog aggressive", "calming signals", "desensitize", you get the idea. There will be a wealth of info.

You should also pick up books on similar subjects. You can even look into clicker training to help. There's one in particular called "Click to Calm", I believe, that helps with aggression & fear.

There are a couple ways to help your dog but the first step is to stop putting him in situations that may be doing more harm than good. Then arm your self with a lot of the knowledge and pick the method that you feel the most comfortable & confident about. One of the key elements in desensitizing & socializing is making sure you are giving off the right cues to your dog when he is scared or intimidated. You will need to be his trustworthy protector and he will have less & less to fear.

After you've started working on him and see progress, you can enroll him in basic dog training. 1.) It's cheaper than professional one on one training. 2.) It's a controlled environment for your dog to expand on.

If you have any specific questions ASK AWAY. Between everyone on here you can get a lot of good feedback. Good luck!

[nattiej1976]

Ill play devils advocate for a moment and say that rehoming may be hard, there are so many dogs out there looking for homes, most will rather take on a dog that is sociable and friendly, and will usually find a dog of this nature in a shelter somewhere.

That said, its not an impossible situation, as Lange has already suggested, doggy parks at this stage is too much, and will make the situation worse. Baby steps the right direction will allow you to take him to one some day, but hold off for now.

Beginners group training could very well be an ideal situation, less expensive, but the trainers will still give you the tools you need to help deal with charlies anxiety. Discuss with them before you enroll your concerns, and they may make allowances for these issues, such as putting you in a smaller class with fewer people, or even a slightly more advanced class with older calmer dogs and confident handlers.

Encourage some less known people to charlie to come visit, and not make any fuss but offer some special treats and then keep their distance, he may accept a degree of comfort around strangers slowly but surely if you can rally some people to perform this calm task on a regular basis.

Any time he shows any glimmer of hope, and any small indication of your desired behavior reward him positively straight away, this will help assure him that he is heading in the right direction.

I would suggest dealing with his anxiety around people first before dealing with the dog side of things, you need help and support from people, getting charlie comfortable with this will then lead into the next stage of dealing with other dogs.

[lange]

Originally Posted by nattiej1976

I would suggest dealing with his anxiety around people first before dealing with the dog side of things,

I completely missed reading that he was nervous with people too. Nice job & I agree that's top priority.