# Rescue dog with fear/trust issues



## JAMJTX (Mar 10, 2010)

One week ago, I got a 2 year old Pekingese/Chihuahua from the SPCA. This poor dog was never properly socialized and may have been treated to roughly by the 7 kids that lived in that house. He is only 6 1/2 pounds and is not the kind of dog to be around all those kids.

He was fine for the first week, although he did bit my finger on the morning of day 2 when I reached for him too suddenly. The folks at the SPCA told me that he was crate trained and really enjoyed being in a crate. I got him a crate and he was happy to get in it. I have a bed in there and keep treats in there, trying to make it a pleasant place rather than a punishment place.

The problem now is, when he is in his crate, he is very aggressive. I can not stick my hand in there without getting bit. I know it is because he is scared. He moves to the back of his crate and starts off with a low growl - warning to stay away from him. If I back away, he stops growling. But he has to learn that I am in charge and will not be pushed around by him. He also needs to learn to trust me. If I had to get him out of his crate for some reason, I need to be able to stick my hand in there.

What can I do to help him?


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## Thracian (Dec 24, 2008)

A dog who is as fearful as your poor boy sounds is not going to trust easily. This is going to be a long process. How much time does he spend in the crate and what entices him to come out?


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## JAMJTX (Mar 10, 2010)

He has been in and out of the crate all day. Now he seems to be settled in for the night. He comes out when he wants to be with me or just to play.
I have been calling him to go outside and he will not come.

I put some peanut butter on my finger and stuck it in his crate. He licked the peanut butter off. A second later, he snapped at the same finger.

I have had him for a week. He has been sleeping with me. I just got the crate yesterday and now that is the only place he wants to be. 

I know he feels safe in there. His backing into the corner is fear and his snapping is defensive.


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## chrisn6104 (Jun 8, 2009)

Give it time. When he is in his crate just leave him be. 
Is there any reason you need to reach in there and take him out? 
He is used to what he had to grow up with. Obviously his crate was his only safe place from a rough house. It will take time for him to trust you. If you leave him alone in his crate and ignore him the easier this is going to be. Most likely bad things used to happen outside of the crate. He will eventually figure out things will be ok. You need to let him progress on his own. Don't force it by taking him out of his safe zone or even coaxing him out. Let him come out when he wants to and on his own free will. This process may take weeks, months or longer. 

Keep your peanut butter laden fingers out of the crate. I would actually recommend you just stay away from the crate. Let him feel safe in there. I would only reach in just a bit to put his food bowl in there when it's time to eat. If you have to clean the crate do so after he comes out on his own accord.

Eventually he will start to trust you more and want to be outside of the crate.
He is obviously a scared little boy. Be gently and easy going. Raising your voice and showing anger will only prolong his recovery.


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## JAMJTX (Mar 10, 2010)

Thanks. I'll try this approach.
He did come out to go for a walk. Now he's back in there. I just don't want him to spend all his time in there.


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## Thracian (Dec 24, 2008)

You say that he was fine for the first week without a crate . . . was he showing any fearful behavior then? If so, what? Cowering, shutting down?

To be honest, if he truly was fine without a crate, I would be tempted to remove the crate except when company is over or some other reason for it. But more information would help before I feel comfortable recommending that.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

Your problem is that you're looking to use force and "dominance" with a dog who, right now, needs the complete opposite. 

His crate should be a safe haven for him. Leave him alone when he is in there. If he wants to spend a lot of his time in there right now, then so be it. "Forcing" a fearful dog to do things is really injurious to the whole process of rehabbing them. Things need to be done at their own pace.

A growl is hardly pushing you around - in fact, it should be considered a good thing. A lot of dogs go straight to a bite when they're feeling threatened. This dog is giving you signals and letting you know that he is scared, so please, do not punish the growl, because it can save you and other people from getting bitten. It is normal dog communication.


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## chrisn6104 (Jun 8, 2009)

JAMJTX said:


> Thanks. I'll try this approach.
> He did come out to go for a walk. Now he's back in there. I just don't want him to spend all his time in there.


This is perfect. Exactly what you should be doing. If all he wants to do is spend every minute of the day in that crate so be it. Trust me he will eventually come around. 

I personally would not remove the crate. I would let him have his safe zone. He needs this for right now. Over time as nothing bad happens when he comes out he will gain his confidence and and trust in you while still enjoying the crate. 
Use the fact that he likes his crate to your advantage. 

I love working with this type of behavior. Look at it this way. You just rescued a traumatized fearful dog. He probably bit you with the peanut butter because he knows that trick. Bad things always happened after he came out for the peanut butter. When you start to see results and he becomes more brazened to grace you with his presence it is a wonderful feeling. You will always remember how he used to be and what you saved him from.


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## JAMJTX (Mar 10, 2010)

Thanks again. He is out of his crate today and acting like he has all week long.
I'll take this advice and report back soon.


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## chrisn6104 (Jun 8, 2009)

Just for an example. I rescued a staffordshire from the pound nearly a year ago. He is just now starting to not be afraid of an incoming smack to the head. 

He was obviously hit .... many times in the head before I got him. I can tell not because he's slow to learn things but every time I raised my hand or even just went to pet him on the head he would wince waiting to be hit. It's taken him nearly a year to get used to not being hit. Oh and he was even worse when I had something in my hand. I'll take a paper towel center and play hit my other dogs with it. They will grab it and we tear it apart. I tried this with him when I first got him and he ducked for cover. So I can only imagine he was not only hit with a hand but by objects as well and probably much harder.

It's a feel good thing for me. I like to take dogs like that and give them something better. Show them there are good people in the world even if they are few.


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## JAMJTX (Mar 10, 2010)

I went to the SPCA twice looking at dogs. The second day I decided on Sammy. He played with me in the room. Althoug he was a little bit skittish, he was not growling or biting. When I went back 3 days later to pick him up, he seemed to remember me. He sat in my lap on the way home. 
He was fine all day long. He never left me and slept with me that night. Early in the morning, I did reach for him too fast and he bit my hand. That was my fault. I always call him before I reach for him. This never happened again until day 7, when he got his crate. 

He went into the crate on his own, as I was putting it together. He knew what it was and wanted to be in there. Once he got in there is when the problem started.

Today he is active and has been coming to sit on my lap. For about 14 hours, he was very anti-social.

Thanks again for all the input.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

He sounds pretty fearful. You likely cannot change the aggression response from that fear in this dog, better and easier probably to remove the fear instead.

All you can do is try to not reward/reinforce the fear response, and actively reward any confidence he shows and reward giving you attention.

A regular schedule for all activity so he can build confidence in what to expect and when in his new life.

And positive reinforcement marker training so he can build confidence in what to expect from interacting with you would likely help a lot too. You may not be able to use a clicker for a marker though with a very fearful dog, I know I can't with mine.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

chrisn6104 said:


> I love working with this type of behavior. Look at it this way. You just rescued a traumatized fearful dog. He probably bit you with the peanut butter because he knows that trick. Bad things always happened after he came out for the peanut butter. When you start to see results and he becomes more brazened to grace you with his presence it is a wonderful feeling. You will always remember how he used to be and what you saved him from.


The side I like is that fearful dogs seem to tend to be the most attentive, affectionate and eager to please dogs if handled well, and very easy to train.


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## k-9 (Mar 10, 2010)

JAMJTX said:


> But he has to learn that I am in charge and will not be pushed around by him.


This is the wrong mind set!



JAMJTX said:


> He also needs to learn to trust me.


Very very true. He needs to know he can trust you. In his mind you can be another kid thats gonna throw him around like a doll. He likes his crate because that is where he feels safe. Find something that he really likes, a ball, toy, or TREATS. 

Open his crate and try to get down to see him. Dont tower over the crate, if you can just lay down by him. Call him by his name and try to "persuade" him(show him he can trust you) to come out with treats or something he really likes. Every time he comes out PRAISE him over and over. Tell him hes a good dog! Keep doing this over and over. After awhile he'll know that its not a bad place outside his crate. Good luck!


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

JAMJTX said:


> Thanks again. He is out of his crate today and acting like he has all week long.
> I'll take this advice and report back soon.


Good news 
If the kids of the previous family didn't exactly handle him the right way, he might be a decent little dog who put up with so much from the kids and took an opportunity to go to his crate when he was able to, and learned the kids would back off if he snapped once his back was to a wall. Hopefully he'll find out that you mean him no harm.
My mom adopted an ancient longhaired chihuahua a year and a half ago. She snapped at her the 2nd day she arrived when mom went to pick her up. Since then she's never shown she has a mean bone in her body, and even put up with stuff like this for our amusement..


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Lots of good advice and support here..good for you all!

Just want to recommend that you check out www.fearfuldogs.com there is LOTS of good information there as well.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

chrisn6104 said:


> I love working with this type of behavior. Look at it this way. You just rescued a traumatized fearful dog. He probably bit you with the peanut butter because he knows that trick. Bad things always happened after he came out for the peanut butter. When you start to see results and he becomes more brazened to grace you with his presence it is a wonderful feeling. You will always remember how he used to be and what you saved him from.


I feel the same way with Wally.

While I do wish he never had the issues in the first place, I'm glad he's been able to come so much past them and now that we are like best friends. He used to "hate" me.




TxRider said:


> The side I like is that fearful dogs seem to tend to be the most attentive, affectionate and eager to please dogs if handled well, and very easy to train.



This seems true with Wally as well. Once he learned I will protect him and handle stuff with/for him, he's like "hey big brother, see that dog over there? What are we going to do about him?" 

And if I "say" nothing by just having him come in the other direction, he's like "okay, let's go sniff something" LOL


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## slickooz (Mar 9, 2010)

i think all you have to do is have the dog know that everything belongs to you, even the crate is yours. you can do this by having your hand in the crate even before the puppy goes in it. leaving your hands in the crate before the puppy goes in, can help him get use to your hands being in the crate. you should do this exercise a lot until he is comfortable with your hands in the crate. and remember to exercise the dog, by long walks before putting him in the crate, so that when he is in the crate he would be too tired to care that your reaching for him. hope this helps


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

slickooz said:


> i think all you have to do is have the dog know that everything belongs to you, even the crate is yours. you can do this by having your hand in the crate even before the puppy goes in it. leaving your hands in the crate before the puppy goes in, can help him get use to your hands being in the crate. you should do this exercise a lot until he is comfortable with your hands in the crate. and remember to exercise the dog, by long walks before putting him in the crate, so that when he is in his crate he would be too tired to care that your reaching for him. hope this helps


*soooo* not the way to deal with a fearful dog.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

www.fearfuldogs.com

I can't recommend this site enough. Really. 

Plus, you've only had the pup for a week. He doesn't trust you. He doesn't know you. Building a relationship will take time, patience and lots of work. Make everything from you special and fun but take it really really slowly. If his only history of people has been being mistreated or harassed it's going to take some time for him to overcome this, if he ever FULLY does overcome it. 

Please go and check out the site. You will find it enlightening and very helpful.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

slickooz said:


> i think all you have to do is have the dog know that everything belongs to you, even the crate is yours. you can do this by having your hand in the crate even before the puppy goes in it. leaving your hands in the crate before the puppy goes in, can help him get use to your hands being in the crate. you should do this exercise a lot until he is comfortable with your hands in the crate. and remember to exercise the dog, by long walks before putting him in the crate, so that when he is in the crate he would be too tired to care that your reaching for him. hope this helps



He'll comfortable with you reaching for him also by building trust.

Once a dog trusts you, you can do basically anything (good or bad) to him and he'll accept it.

Worry about building up trust and confidence before worrying about owning everything (if worrying about that at all).


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## slickooz (Mar 9, 2010)

whats wrong with teaching it getting use to your hands in the crate? just exercise the hell out of the dog so its too tired to care your hand is in the crate. it worked for my dog, every time you introduce your dog to a new thing you should always do it slowly, and do it with treats. that how i fix my dog from anything it fears. let the dog sniff it and have it around so he knows it wont harm him. also use treats while its sniffing the fearful item, so it will get use to it.

alright after reading a chapter on fearful aggression from Cesar's Way. it says you should never back down from the bit. it will only empower the dog, by letting him know if he bits, you will go away. right now the dog is unbalance for some reason thats why exercising would help by raising its self esteem. and remember never give affection at the wrong time because you are going to nature that behavior. only give affection when deserved. when he is calm and submissive. being sorry for it's past is not doing the dog a favor. it is actually hurting its chances to becoming a balanced dog. never give in with a fearful dog. either you wait out the dog or let the dog come to you or you can get the dog by going in and geiting it. you must remain calm and assertive and cant get angry. and no amount of affection is going to help the dog, its is only going contribute to the problem when giving it at the wrong time. i truly believe what Cesar's methods. if you have a chance you can watch come episode of the dog whisper on hulu.com.
http://www.hulu.com/search?query=Dog+Whisperer&st=0

hope this helps. i know many people dont like his method with treating dogs. but you have to remember they are dogs and not humans.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Slickooz,
There is nothing wrong with what you suggest, except that the concept of "ownership" falls semantically within the type of training that is dominance focused. So anyone who is more a positive trainer tends to get sticky about that wording...even though the second post you posted is more clear about you using positive desensitization (Classical conditioning) rather than forcing the dog to accept your hands in the crate. Wording when you are in a written media is very important and very easily misconstrued (happens to me frequently..lol).

Your idea has merit..but it's suggested far too soon. This is an extremely fearful dog, very new to the owner and who is very likely to bite the owner..which not only sets a precedent for the dog, but reduces the level of trust for both of them. The relationship has to come FIRST before sticking one's hands in the crate, no matter how good the treats may be. A truly stressed and terrified dog will have NO interest in the food and wil be overthreshold...priming for a very bad experience for all involved.


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## slickooz (Mar 9, 2010)

if you cant get the dog out by you getting it with your hands, try using a rope, making it into collar at one end and try to get it around his neck. gently tug and it should be able to help the dog move forward.


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## chrisn6104 (Jun 8, 2009)

slickooz said:


> if you cant get the dog out by you getting it with your hands, try using a rope, making it into collar at one end and try to get it around his neck. gently tug and it should be able to help the dog move forward.


Better yet use one of those things dog catchers use. The pole with the loop at the end. That way you can just jerk the dog out of the crate and manhandle it. 
That will teach the dog who is boss for sure.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

slickooz said:


> whats wrong with teaching it getting use to your hands in the crate? just exercise the hell out of the dog so its too tired to care your hand is in the crate. it worked for my dog, every time you introduce your dog to a new thing you should always do it slowly, and do it with treats. that how i fix my dog from anything it fears. let the dog sniff it and have it around so he knows it wont harm him. also use treats while its sniffing the fearful item, so it will get use to it.


Absolutely nothing wrong with getting a dog used to your hands in his crate. I just disagreed with "show him you own everything" and also think that building trust almost automatically solves fear issues, at least in regards to the dog viewing his handler as a potential threat. Fear and trust incompatible emotions, much like jumping up and sitting are incompatible behaviors.

Building trust will make fear impossible because trusting something and being scared of it can't happen at the same time. Just like rewarding sitting for greeting makes sitting happen more and jumping disappears because a dog can't sit and jump at the same time.

And you are very right - introduce slowly and reward for any interest/acceptance of the item - when then builds trust. The dog starts to trust that you won't let unknown items harm him but will show him how to interact with these items, and he'll probably take the behavior and run with it (at least Wally did).


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## slickooz (Mar 9, 2010)

i only suggest using a light tug then relax to get the start brain moving. this works well because you wont get bit. and yes if you do have a dog catcher pole use it! 

and i guess i was a little harsh with my earlier post about fearful dog, about teaching you own everything, the dog still needs a calm assertive leader. you shouldnt nature this fearful behavior. and you have to WALK the dog for at least an hour a day. it help tired the dog out and build a bond between you two.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

For training purposes keeping a light line on the dog for getting in and out of the crate safely is a good thing. Be careful not to leave the dog unsupervised, leashed, though. Safety first. 

You may want to check out the DVD "Crate Games" by Susan Garrett. It's very helpful for teaching in and out of the crate on cue and making the crate a rewarding experience for all.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

slickooz said:


> if you cant get the dog out by you getting it with your hands, try using a rope, making it into collar at one end and try to get it around his neck. gently tug and it should be able to help the dog move forward.


The thing you have to understand with fearful dogs is that nothing in any way can be forced on them. Force has probably what has been going on their whole lives and put them in the position they're in and is what will keep them right where they're at, and most likely with negative consequences (for them AND you. It's called a bite.) 

At this point in the game, there is no reason to force a fearful dog from their crate. You know why they're in that crate so often? They're scared and that place is safe. If you force yourself into their safety zone and don't back off when they've sending you all the signals in the world, they have no where to run and will likely bite. Not backing down means nothing to a fearful dog. They don't see you as any thing but a big scary thing that they want to get away from. Your sole job in taking in one of these dogs is showing them how to trust again- in POSITIVE ways. There is also a huge difference in fearful dogs and truly aggressive dogs. The last thing a fearful dog wants is to have to fight and the way one gets bitten by one is to force it into a situation and then the bite is your fault. The only time I've been bitten by a fearful dog was entirely my fault and I should have never put him in the position he was in. 

You're also touting the wrong trainer when it comes to fearful dogs. Never would I allow any one to use Millan methods on my dogs, let alone my fearful Dachshund. Try Pamela Dennison.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

To me a lot of the fearful response is the dogs anticipation. 

A fearful dog anticipates bad things in any situation it does not have any set expectations for. They react to something unknown like an environment, person, other dog etc. with fear instead of curiosity or normal reactions most dogs have.

To me the best thing to do is to set those expectations asap. Get up at a certain time, eat and feed the dog at a certain time, go out at a certain time, make a routine schedule of good things so the dog learns what to expect and when and starts anticipating this routine rather than a scary unknown.

Don't coddle the dog, don't talk to it too much, try to keep all your interaction calm and positive an get it in a set routine so it knows what to expect and when to expect it and starts looking forward to your routine and looking forward to you interacting with it and trust and bonding will develop quickly.

The fearful dogs I have had experience with seem to bond quicker and a lot more deeply than other dogs if handled well and seem to be some of the most affectionate and eager to please dogs around.

You do have to learn to read their body language and be sensitive to their level of stress and carefully guide them through a lot more than normal dogs though.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

As others have said, take your time and build a relationship with your dog. There's nothing wrong with allowing him to have a safe place to retreat to. Force has no place when handling a fearful dog, it can cause him to shut down further instead of coming out of his shell.

My pup is an almost 13 month old, 150lb male Saint Bernard. I have never seen a pup as fearful as my boy when he came home. I praise calm, curious behavior. I ignore timid, fearful behavior. The fearful puppy that once cowered at every little sound now walks beside me with his head and tail held high. 

Using force will cause my boy to shut down. He'll "melt" into a lump of fur and thats the end of it. Reward the good behavior (treats, verbal praise, physical affection) and this boy will do anything I ask of him. Im not a professional dog trainer, Ive never even attended an obedience class. I have simply found what works for my puppy and run with it. There is no quick fix

One morning while out walking Buster shied away from a lump of concrete. Instead of just continuing by, leaving him with the impression that that lump of concrete was scary, I walked over to it (leash completely loose) and pet the concrete. Within seconds, Buster came over to see what it was (praise for being curious) and we have been able to walk by without any sign of fear ever since.


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## chrisn6104 (Jun 8, 2009)

slickooz said:


> i only suggest using a light tug then relax to get the start brain moving. this works well because you wont get bit. and yes if you do have a dog catcher pole use it!


I have another GREAT idea. If the dog wont come out and you don't have a dog catcher poll taser it. I'd use the kind that shoot like the police use. Excellent way of removing a scared dog from a kennel.


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## JiveDadson (Feb 22, 2010)




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## JAMJTX (Mar 10, 2010)

Sammy is doing a lot better.
I leave his crate door open and he can go in and out as he pleases.

When he goes into the crate, he is a completely different dog. His ears go down and he gets very defensive, He will bite if anyone sticks a hand in the crate.

He can be sleeping on my lap then, for no apparent reason, just get down and go into his crate. Then he'll come back out to play.

I talk to him while he's in the crate, but that's about it.

I guess it's just going to take time.


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## TxRider (Apr 22, 2009)

JAMJTX said:


> Sammy is doing a lot better.
> I leave his crate door open and he can go in and out as he pleases.
> 
> When he goes into the crate, he is a completely different dog. His ears go down and he gets very defensive, He will bite if anyone sticks a hand in the crate.
> ...


Yes it will take time.

There are two ways of approaching the crate issue. One is to force the issue every time it gets aggressive and reach in and get the dog or keep a leash or line on it at all times and go through whatever violence it throws at you without a flinch. The dog will realize that the aggression doesn't achieve it's goal, and that it's fear is not real and it will stop, though it might be traumatic for the dog until it does..

The other is to just leave it totally alone in it's crate, always keep enough distance to never even trigger it's fear response in the crate, and build solid trust until it loses the fear that drives that aggression, and the aggressive response extinguishes through non use.

Personally I would go the second route for at least a few months, build a solid foundation of trust and respect, and then worry about the crate aggression if it still exists later through desensitizing slowly.

My guess would be it will lose the fear response through trust fairly quickly, and unless the crate aggression has been heavily reinforced and is a long time habit it will disappear on it's own.


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## slickooz (Mar 9, 2010)

http://www.hulu.com/watch/74177/dog-whisperer-chihuahuas-from-hell

here there an episode about chihuahuas


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## JAMJTX (Mar 10, 2010)

I love the Dog Whisperer. I never saw this episode before. It is going to be very helpful.

When Sammy is in his crate, I talk softly and smoothly to him, making sure he always feels safe and that the crate is a good place. I never wanted it to feel like a punishment for him. I want him to want to be in his crate; not only when he wants to, but when I need him in there. I also want him to come out when I need him out.

He is already doing a lot better since I started this thread. I got a lot of good advice here.

Thanks.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

JAMJTX said:


> I love the Dog Whisperer. I never saw this episode before. It is going to be very helpful.
> 
> When Sammy is in his crate, I talk softly and smoothly to him, making sure he always feels safe and that the crate is a good place. I never wanted it to feel like a punishment for him. I want him to want to be in his crate; not only when he wants to, but when I need him in there. I also want him to come out when I need him out.
> 
> ...


For the sake of your fearful dog, please don't love the Dog Whisperer. Try loving Pamela Dennison.


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## slickooz (Mar 9, 2010)

whats wrong with his method of helping fearful dogs? he helped many fearful dogs get over with their issue.


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## JAMJTX (Mar 10, 2010)

I have been using Cesar's methods with Sammy and they are working fine. There has been no miracle resolution to his issues, but over the last couple of days, he has made great leaps forward.

He is going on wlaks with my girlfriends dog. He sits out in the yard with her too. He is now sitting here in the living room, outside of hios crate and his playpen 4 feet away from the other dog. They both act like the other is not in the room. 2 days ago, Sammy would have been scared to death and growling.


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## JAMJTX (Mar 10, 2010)

Sammy has been making great progress. He very rarely goes into his crate when he is in the house; at least when I am home. He stays close to me.
When I am going to take him some where, I take his crate. When he sees me pick up his crate, he knows he's going some where and wants to get in it. I try to make him walk to the car, but he really wants to get in the crate. 
I can approach the crate and open the door without him growling. He usually comes right out.
I take him to my Aikido class and had him to the office to meet a couple of co-workers.
This thread, and the Dog Whisperer Chihuahuas From Hell episode helped greatly. Thank you.

Now I just have to work on a dominance issue that he has. I had to get something away from him that he took out of the trash. He can be very possessive and fierce about it.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

I'm glad things are progressing.

What Sammy is doing is resource guarding. You should NOT use dominance based training to work on this. Resource guarding is normal between dogs but some dogs with anxiety based issues will guard from their humans too. In the dog world possession is nine tenths of the law, regardless of "perceived" rank. This is NOT a dominant behaviour, it is a trust issue. Sammy needs to learn that to give you things does NOT cost him and to be trained to GIVE things to you happily and willingly.. the "happily" part is very important, in fact the most important. Anything else is setting up for a bite.

There are plenty of threads on here about resource guarding. As always I recommend getting the book MINE by Jean Donaldson and going through the entire protocol step by step. It is the safest and the least stressful for everyone. Resource guarding does not get better on it's own. 

80 percent of working on resource guarding is management while you treat the underlying behaviour. This means making sure he cannot GET to the trash and if he has a high value item (say a bully stick or stuffed kong) that he be in his crate and left alone to enjoy it. 

Please take my advice seriously. One of my clients tried to dominate his beagle mix into not guarding his food bowl...he ended up with a dog that guards the entire apt and has bitten him seriously enough to go to the ER more than once. Then he called me in to help when it was MUCH harder to deal with. In fact I had to fire the client because he wouldn't continue the protocol and kept setting the dog back even when he was making progress...all because he thought "HE SHOULD WIN"...getting bitten is not winning, even if you have the item. Having the dog trained to give willingly is a WIN WIN situation.


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## MissMutt (Aug 8, 2008)

Yeah.. listen to Cracker. Don't think so much about dominance, just think about the fact that your dog is not yet comfortable about you being around items that he values. Make it worth it for him.. teach him that you approaching means he gets something even better than what he has.


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