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#1
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Rescue dog behavior problems
This is my first post to this group. I hope this is the right group for
the problems I am trying to deal with. We have a dog from a local volunteer rescue group. The dog had been running free when a lady took her in, so we really do not know her history before that, however some of her behaviors make it pretty clear that she was abused, probably by a man. The vet says she is probably about three years old. She was pregnant when taken in, and the vet said she had puppies before, so that is part of how they deduced her age. We have had her since August. Just my wife and myself. No children. We live in a town house, so no yard, just walks. Two main problems. It is like the dog has rejected us. She is very passive and will go anywhere we take her on the leash, but when off leash she goes somewhere away from us. She will not stay in the room with us. The main problem I have now is that she has stopped drinking water. About four days ago I noticed that the water bowl was not going down at all. We have been measuring the water to know for sure. I keep the toilet bowl lids down, so she is not getting a drink that way. We had snow here yesterday, and when I took her for walks she ate snow, so she did get some moisture, but why won't she drink from the bowl. Also, when I bring the bowl to where she is hiding out she bolts to another location. It is like she is threatened by the bowl. Yesterday I tried a different bowl, but that did not work (no surprise there - she refuses to eat or drink from any bowls other than what we had when she first came to us). I also put down bottled water, just in case there is something in the local tap water that she does not like. No luck there so far. Any suggestions would be appreciated. The email address is munged by the way. I had a bad experience with a virus email that came via my participation in another newsgroup. Thank you. David |
#2
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David S wrote:
before that, however some of her behaviors make it pretty clear that she was abused, probably by a man. That's only one explaination. That's what I thought when I first got Khan, because he was just so scared of men, but since then, I've learned that it could have been a general temperament issue (some dogs go through life looking over their shoulder), or due to lack of socialization during puppyhood. Are you doing anything to address this issue? Just keep in mind that it can take a looong time (over 2 years in our case) to see tangible progress. Two main problems. It is like the dog has rejected us. She is very passive and will go anywhere we take her on the leash, but when off leash she goes somewhere away from us. She will not stay in the room with us. That could just be her personality. If she is not trying to hide from you (and that's not the impression I get), she could just be an independent dog who doesn't really look to people for direction. Do you know what breed she is? Khan is generally the same way, quite happy to go upstairs and sleep in the bedroom even if we are downstairs. He doesn't particularly care about being petted, and will in fact get up and leave if we touch him for too long. The main problem I have now is that she has stopped drinking water. About four days ago I noticed that the water bowl was not going down at all. Hmm. This could be a cause for concern. Put in a call to vet to see if there is anything else you should look out for. Sometimes, changes in behavior may have a biological basis. Now, is it possible that she got scared by the water bowl? Maybe she slipped, or her tags clinked against it? Have you tried changing the position of the water bowl to see if she would drink? If you are really concerned, try giving her something yummy - chicken broth (home made, no salt added) to see if you can entice her to drink. Although Khan doesn't drink a whole lot in general (and more so in winter), I always add water to his kibble, so I do know that some water does get inside him. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Have you attended an obedience training course with her? Such classes can be really useful in cementing her bond with you, and can help boost her confidence. She will learn to act appropriately in new and possibly scary settings, and you will also have a local source to turn to for advice, someone who knows your dog. Who knows, you might discover that it is something you and your dog really enjoy, and go on to do more than your basic sit/stay type stuff. Good luck, Suja |
#3
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David S wrote:
before that, however some of her behaviors make it pretty clear that she was abused, probably by a man. That's only one explaination. That's what I thought when I first got Khan, because he was just so scared of men, but since then, I've learned that it could have been a general temperament issue (some dogs go through life looking over their shoulder), or due to lack of socialization during puppyhood. Are you doing anything to address this issue? Just keep in mind that it can take a looong time (over 2 years in our case) to see tangible progress. Two main problems. It is like the dog has rejected us. She is very passive and will go anywhere we take her on the leash, but when off leash she goes somewhere away from us. She will not stay in the room with us. That could just be her personality. If she is not trying to hide from you (and that's not the impression I get), she could just be an independent dog who doesn't really look to people for direction. Do you know what breed she is? Khan is generally the same way, quite happy to go upstairs and sleep in the bedroom even if we are downstairs. He doesn't particularly care about being petted, and will in fact get up and leave if we touch him for too long. The main problem I have now is that she has stopped drinking water. About four days ago I noticed that the water bowl was not going down at all. Hmm. This could be a cause for concern. Put in a call to vet to see if there is anything else you should look out for. Sometimes, changes in behavior may have a biological basis. Now, is it possible that she got scared by the water bowl? Maybe she slipped, or her tags clinked against it? Have you tried changing the position of the water bowl to see if she would drink? If you are really concerned, try giving her something yummy - chicken broth (home made, no salt added) to see if you can entice her to drink. Although Khan doesn't drink a whole lot in general (and more so in winter), I always add water to his kibble, so I do know that some water does get inside him. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Have you attended an obedience training course with her? Such classes can be really useful in cementing her bond with you, and can help boost her confidence. She will learn to act appropriately in new and possibly scary settings, and you will also have a local source to turn to for advice, someone who knows your dog. Who knows, you might discover that it is something you and your dog really enjoy, and go on to do more than your basic sit/stay type stuff. Good luck, Suja |
#4
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David S wrote:
before that, however some of her behaviors make it pretty clear that she was abused, probably by a man. That's only one explaination. That's what I thought when I first got Khan, because he was just so scared of men, but since then, I've learned that it could have been a general temperament issue (some dogs go through life looking over their shoulder), or due to lack of socialization during puppyhood. Are you doing anything to address this issue? Just keep in mind that it can take a looong time (over 2 years in our case) to see tangible progress. Two main problems. It is like the dog has rejected us. She is very passive and will go anywhere we take her on the leash, but when off leash she goes somewhere away from us. She will not stay in the room with us. That could just be her personality. If she is not trying to hide from you (and that's not the impression I get), she could just be an independent dog who doesn't really look to people for direction. Do you know what breed she is? Khan is generally the same way, quite happy to go upstairs and sleep in the bedroom even if we are downstairs. He doesn't particularly care about being petted, and will in fact get up and leave if we touch him for too long. The main problem I have now is that she has stopped drinking water. About four days ago I noticed that the water bowl was not going down at all. Hmm. This could be a cause for concern. Put in a call to vet to see if there is anything else you should look out for. Sometimes, changes in behavior may have a biological basis. Now, is it possible that she got scared by the water bowl? Maybe she slipped, or her tags clinked against it? Have you tried changing the position of the water bowl to see if she would drink? If you are really concerned, try giving her something yummy - chicken broth (home made, no salt added) to see if you can entice her to drink. Although Khan doesn't drink a whole lot in general (and more so in winter), I always add water to his kibble, so I do know that some water does get inside him. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Have you attended an obedience training course with her? Such classes can be really useful in cementing her bond with you, and can help boost her confidence. She will learn to act appropriately in new and possibly scary settings, and you will also have a local source to turn to for advice, someone who knows your dog. Who knows, you might discover that it is something you and your dog really enjoy, and go on to do more than your basic sit/stay type stuff. Good luck, Suja |
#5
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David S wrote:
before that, however some of her behaviors make it pretty clear that she was abused, probably by a man. That's only one explaination. That's what I thought when I first got Khan, because he was just so scared of men, but since then, I've learned that it could have been a general temperament issue (some dogs go through life looking over their shoulder), or due to lack of socialization during puppyhood. Are you doing anything to address this issue? Just keep in mind that it can take a looong time (over 2 years in our case) to see tangible progress. Two main problems. It is like the dog has rejected us. She is very passive and will go anywhere we take her on the leash, but when off leash she goes somewhere away from us. She will not stay in the room with us. That could just be her personality. If she is not trying to hide from you (and that's not the impression I get), she could just be an independent dog who doesn't really look to people for direction. Do you know what breed she is? Khan is generally the same way, quite happy to go upstairs and sleep in the bedroom even if we are downstairs. He doesn't particularly care about being petted, and will in fact get up and leave if we touch him for too long. The main problem I have now is that she has stopped drinking water. About four days ago I noticed that the water bowl was not going down at all. Hmm. This could be a cause for concern. Put in a call to vet to see if there is anything else you should look out for. Sometimes, changes in behavior may have a biological basis. Now, is it possible that she got scared by the water bowl? Maybe she slipped, or her tags clinked against it? Have you tried changing the position of the water bowl to see if she would drink? If you are really concerned, try giving her something yummy - chicken broth (home made, no salt added) to see if you can entice her to drink. Although Khan doesn't drink a whole lot in general (and more so in winter), I always add water to his kibble, so I do know that some water does get inside him. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Have you attended an obedience training course with her? Such classes can be really useful in cementing her bond with you, and can help boost her confidence. She will learn to act appropriately in new and possibly scary settings, and you will also have a local source to turn to for advice, someone who knows your dog. Who knows, you might discover that it is something you and your dog really enjoy, and go on to do more than your basic sit/stay type stuff. Good luck, Suja |
#6
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I'd recommend taking her to the vet asap. Since she didn't have a problem
with water before and you've tried the normal fixes by changing the bowl, the location & the type of water, there may be something internally going on. Dehydration is a concern at this point. As for her hiding from you, it doesn't sound normal but then no one knows her real past. If she was never raised inside and never kept in a yard on a regular basis, she may be the equivalent of "wild" in that she just doesn't know how to be confined & be content with that. That's a good question for a behaviorist but her lack of drinking is a big cause for concern at the moment and a vet consult would help. -- Tara |
#7
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I'd recommend taking her to the vet asap. Since she didn't have a problem
with water before and you've tried the normal fixes by changing the bowl, the location & the type of water, there may be something internally going on. Dehydration is a concern at this point. As for her hiding from you, it doesn't sound normal but then no one knows her real past. If she was never raised inside and never kept in a yard on a regular basis, she may be the equivalent of "wild" in that she just doesn't know how to be confined & be content with that. That's a good question for a behaviorist but her lack of drinking is a big cause for concern at the moment and a vet consult would help. -- Tara |
#8
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I'd recommend taking her to the vet asap. Since she didn't have a problem
with water before and you've tried the normal fixes by changing the bowl, the location & the type of water, there may be something internally going on. Dehydration is a concern at this point. As for her hiding from you, it doesn't sound normal but then no one knows her real past. If she was never raised inside and never kept in a yard on a regular basis, she may be the equivalent of "wild" in that she just doesn't know how to be confined & be content with that. That's a good question for a behaviorist but her lack of drinking is a big cause for concern at the moment and a vet consult would help. -- Tara |
#9
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I'd recommend taking her to the vet asap. Since she didn't have a problem
with water before and you've tried the normal fixes by changing the bowl, the location & the type of water, there may be something internally going on. Dehydration is a concern at this point. As for her hiding from you, it doesn't sound normal but then no one knows her real past. If she was never raised inside and never kept in a yard on a regular basis, she may be the equivalent of "wild" in that she just doesn't know how to be confined & be content with that. That's a good question for a behaviorist but her lack of drinking is a big cause for concern at the moment and a vet consult would help. -- Tara |
#10
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Suja:
Buttercup is a mix. The rescue group told us a mix of lab and spaniel, but I see boxer in her face too. She definitely does not respond to affection the way one would expect. She is very passive and is not playful. She does like other dogs though, and with them she shows another personality totally. She wags her tail, jumps around, etc. No, we are not getting another dog. On the abuse, because she was running free we can never know what her earlier life was like. She does, however, show some telltale signs. For example, the lady from the support group told us that when they first tried to put a leash with a choker collar on her she freaked out. Also, when I pick up the newspaper she backs off from me, like she has been on the business end of that before. So we cannot be sure, but I suspect she had been abused. One of the ladies at work told me that it could take two years for her to get comfortable with us and to get over the behavioral issues. This is our first experience with a rescue dog, so we were not prepared for that. Looks like it will be some time before we see progress. The lady from the rescue group also suggested obedience school. She said that would help both the dog and me (ha). Things at work have been very busy, so that is not in the cards for right now. The bowl that she has been using is the same one that she has had since we got her six months ago. I cannot see where all of a sudden she would be afraid of it, or be bothered by her tags making noise when hitting it? I did try a different bowl, and even tried bottled water, just in case they put chlorine in the water or something like that. No luck. Thank you for your response. David "Suja" wrote in message news:HqbRb.581$CJ1.75@lakeread01... David S wrote: before that, however some of her behaviors make it pretty clear that she was abused, probably by a man. That's only one explaination. That's what I thought when I first got Khan, because he was just so scared of men, but since then, I've learned that it could have been a general temperament issue (some dogs go through life looking over their shoulder), or due to lack of socialization during puppyhood. Are you doing anything to address this issue? Just keep in mind that it can take a looong time (over 2 years in our case) to see tangible progress. Two main problems. It is like the dog has rejected us. She is very passive and will go anywhere we take her on the leash, but when off leash she goes somewhere away from us. She will not stay in the room with us. That could just be her personality. If she is not trying to hide from you (and that's not the impression I get), she could just be an independent dog who doesn't really look to people for direction. Do you know what breed she is? Khan is generally the same way, quite happy to go upstairs and sleep in the bedroom even if we are downstairs. He doesn't particularly care about being petted, and will in fact get up and leave if we touch him for too long. The main problem I have now is that she has stopped drinking water. About four days ago I noticed that the water bowl was not going down at all. Hmm. This could be a cause for concern. Put in a call to vet to see if there is anything else you should look out for. Sometimes, changes in behavior may have a biological basis. Now, is it possible that she got scared by the water bowl? Maybe she slipped, or her tags clinked against it? Have you tried changing the position of the water bowl to see if she would drink? If you are really concerned, try giving her something yummy - chicken broth (home made, no salt added) to see if you can entice her to drink. Although Khan doesn't drink a whole lot in general (and more so in winter), I always add water to his kibble, so I do know that some water does get inside him. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Have you attended an obedience training course with her? Such classes can be really useful in cementing her bond with you, and can help boost her confidence. She will learn to act appropriately in new and possibly scary settings, and you will also have a local source to turn to for advice, someone who knows your dog. Who knows, you might discover that it is something you and your dog really enjoy, and go on to do more than your basic sit/stay type stuff. Good luck, Suja |
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