We rescued a 2-year-old male Dachshund. He adores me, but is afraid of my husband. He has obvious issues with men and we can tell he was abused. Do you have any advice for us?

A big misconception is that fearful dogs have suffered some form of abuse. This is usually not the case. Temperament is a genetic trait, and many fearful dogs are that way simply because that’s how they are programmed. Dogs like this need rules that make sense to them and lots of structure. They need to feel safe and protected by YOU, their pack leader. Dogs like this do not want to make decisions, they want to be followers and so we need to be strong leaders for them.

Many times fearful dogs just want their owners to protect them and keep non pack members or people that make them nervous away from them. In my experience these dogs can learn to be neutral, if handled correctly. Having a stranger or person that makes your dog uncomfortable get close to your dog goes against everything your dog needs from you as a pack leader. The first step is to let the dog learn to relax, I would use a crate for times that the dog is not with you so he has a safe place to rest. This will also help with accidents in the house.

Dogs don’t understand what we expect of them automatically, they need to be shown with clear and consistent handling. Leaving him loose in the house with someone who he is afraid of is only going to make his fear worse. Your husbands ‘trying’ to make contact is probably only adding to the dogs anxiety.

I will make some recommendations for articles and videos that I feel could help you out.

I’d start with our Groundwork program. Pack Structure for the Family Pet is the DVD that picks up where the article leaves off.

I feel that the way dogs are handled on a daily basis are the most important factors to consider when dealing with insecure, nervous or aggressive dogs. Obedience training only plays a small role in this, actually. How you live with the dog has the most impact.

I hope this helps.