Tomorrow will be the 4th week of our having "Larry" come live with us. Larry has been at our local shelter for almost all of his 11 years. We are planning on getting a puppy from a breeder come winter, but in the meantime, we felt so sorry for this dog who had been passed over time and time again for more out-going and better-looking dogs that we decided to give him a home. We understood that we wouldn't be getting "Lassie" or "Benji" or anything that would inspire one to rename him "Cuddles," we knew he'd be a fairly institutionalized dog. But how can we get this dog to want to hang out with us? He sleeps in either a closet or a bathroom tucked out of the way. He sometimes will sit with us in the kitchen during mealtime, and sometimes he'll come out of his hiding place to see where we are but that's about it. In the evening after dinner, he disappears and it feels like we don't have a dog at all. He's only starting to get used to being petted and he's shy about taking treats from your hand.

Should we just leave him alone or are there things we can do to encourage him to be part of the pack?

Thanks,
Kitty S.

Kitty - Remember that Larry has had 11 years to learn NOT to trust humans. Think about it, if you tried to bond with people over a period of 11 yrs and continuously got burned, you would not be comfortable around them in such a short timeframe. IMO, 4 wks isn't long enough to break down those barriers yet. It's really going to take a lot more time for this poor guy.

By coming out to see you at mealtime and other times before he retreats again to his safe place, he is "testing the waters" and gradually becoming more trusting of you. Maybe the next time you are sitting around the house and he comes out, you can have a treat ready so he will see that being social has its rewards. Little by little encourage this behavior and praise him for having the courage to come to you. Try sitting at a safe distance from his hiding places so he can see you and hear your voice. Talk to him calmly and see how he reacts. If he doesn't do anything, leave him be and come back later to visit again. DO NOT invade his space, keep your distance but let him hear and know that you respect his boundaries right now too. This will help him build up trust as well.

What a kind and wonderful thing you have done for Larry. He's lucky to have found someone willing to give him a chance at a wonderful life. I bet he turns out to be an awesome dog. Good luck to you both!

Kitty - get a dog crate and crate this dog in your home. What you are doing is oinly going to cause future behavioral problems with this dog.

Crate it in the living area. Let him watch you. Read the article I wrote on becoming a pack leader - obedience train this dog. Correct trianing and correct ground work builds the bond with a dog - what you are doing does not buuild a bond.

So spend some time reading my articles and get my 4 hour DVD on Basic Dog Obedience Training http://leerburg.com/302.htm

You had better educate yourself before adding another dog. Read the article I wrote on how to add a dog to a home with other dogs. You need to knopw these things

Quite a while ago I adopted a stray german shepherd from the local shelter and for the first year...she lived in her crate...it was her choice and it gave her security...it took her quite a while to become secure and comfortable I also did obedience with her...and she did well with it...she was the best $20 i ever spent( and worth so much more) Best of luck with Larry

Kitty,

I have very shy male (GSD) that I have had 3 years. I also have an outgoing adult male and an outgoing 9 month old pup that I have had since 4 months. Check out the yahoo shy k9 group where there is a wealth of knowledge:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shy-k9s/ I was very aware when I brought puppy home that I needed to seperate her from the things that triggered his shyness. I made a point to socialize her without him as well. She has not picked up his shyness at all. I would not force this dog to do anything he does not want to do. Crating is a good idea as well as this will give him a safe feeling. Is there another dog around that is playful and outgoing that you can borrow and interace with in his presece? I know having other dogs really helped my guy. If he is treat responsive reward (toss treats) for him coming into the room with you. Ignore the shy behavior. My shy guy really thrives on routine. I was told that after a dog turns around one year then you do not have to worry about it mocking shy behavior. I knew my guy would never be Mr. Personality, but he has made progress and we really enjoy having him. Sorry to ramble- just thoughts off the top of my head. Feel free to pm me if you have any other questions. Good luck. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Thank you to all who responded. I guess I may have made Larry sound like more of a basketcase than he is. The shelter where we got him has a lot of volunteers who walk the dogs every day so he did get some human interaction during his life there--just not a lot of one-on-one attention I guess. (I do have some reservations about no-kill shelters that allow dogs to languish for years and years) I am trying to do some click/treat work with him but it's a lot more slow-going than my last rescue. And last evening we decided to have him join us for a bit while we watched TV so we had him on a Flexi lead in the room with us. We then discovered why he disappears in the evening--he's afraid of the TV when it's on. Fortunately, he has shown no signs of being dog-agressive, people aggressive or wanting to chase the cats. But yes, obedience training is a must.

OK, a crate and the DVD on obedience!

Thanks again all!
Kitty S.

Kitty, I hope you post again after you start training and see improvements. We thought we had a hopeless case until after a lot of prayer we found a good vet and Ed's web site. The excitement and wonder we feel as we see improvements is undescribable. Our friends, family, neighbors, regular vet- all of them are amazed at the changes in our dog since training using Ed's DVD. Bart took quite a while to bond with us, but he is so much more affectionate now- he still enjoys fetch or treats more than strokes, but he isn't as indifferent to petting as he was. He was in a shelter for a couple of months (I found out about a year later that no one would take him because they were afraid of him, though he never bit- my husband didn't tell me that when he brought him home) and before that had spent the entire 7 years of his life with a single man who worked all day- not alot of one on one people interaction. Then he ended up in a family with a ton of children who love dogs...it took him a while to get used to us and the training did bring us closer together. I am excited to find out how things work out for you. Carolmartine Mason

Having adopted almost all our animals over the years from the pound....
1. Everything takes time - and sometimes you cannot fix things. After 6 years our rescured GSD will still not fetch, and there is nothing we can do about it (and we have tried).
2. Ed preachs basic obediance training and we have found him to be correct. Buy the video. When you work a rescued,older dog with basic obedience training for several years (yes, years), they really learn it. But it takes time, and consistent time with the Dog. All the Dogs in your house, if you have more than one.
3. Shelter dogs (and cats and ferrets) can be great pets. But they sometimes come with baggage.

Good luck -

Throwing an idea out there -

I've seen some shelter dogs that were completely aloof. The one I had came out of it really fast after 1 skipped meal and a handful of treats. He was adopted out to a home that free-fed him. He retreated to his personal bedroom and never gave the family a moment's attention.


I would consider taking away everything the dog values (food, bed) and give these things freely when he comes to you.

Meals fed one kibble or piece at a time from your hand, or dropped one piece at time into a dish

High-value treats every time he comes to you. Don't fuss oner him. Just give the treat and walk away silently. If he comes to you again, give him twice as many treats.

Block off hiding spots and keep him on a leash, but put a very comfy bed in a kennel right next to where you sit.

Follow the rest of the instructions in Ed's groundwork article.
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