# How to deal with high anxiety from rescued dog



## LallaW (Mar 4, 2017)

We just adopted 2 puggles, brother and sister, that came from a defunct puppy mill in Kentucky. Their names are June and Jake. Jake has high anxiety and will not get closer than 6 ft to any human. He is totally dependent on and only trusts his sister. He refuses to come into the house even during the coldest days. He will sit outside the doggie door or outside the glass slider, sometimes spending 12-14 hours outside. We have to feed him outside, as he even refuses to come inside to eat. June on the other hand is the totally opposite and will seek human contact at any chance she has. Jake will eventually come inside the house at night to sleep with his sister, but even after 6 weeks now we have no control on him. The only way to get hold of Jake is to corner him. When we do get him, he shows no aggression and do not bite. 

So how do we deal with and train Jake so he will trust us? We are experienced dog owners but have never had a dog with this type of anxiety problems before.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

I would create a setup where you don't have to handle or corner him at all for a few months. My biggest suggestion, if you don't have a separate room you could basically make his room, is to get an exercise pen and set it up in a used but not chaotic part of your home. Put up a crate, some potty pads, chew toys, and a water bowl. The crate is for him to retreat whenever he wants to (cover it or angle it so that he can be totally out of sight if need up). You ONLY go in to change potty pads and water bowl.

For 5-15 minutes 2-4 times a day, just sit outside of the pen, talk to him gently, and toss him bits of his meal. It's OKAY if he does not come out to eat it in your presence and waits for you to retreat before eating. It's okay if you don't see him at all for the session. He is still going to learn that your presence means food appears, and more importantly... You're not pushing him to do anything. 

It may be a few days or even weeks down the line, but you will start to see him stay out of his crate and be with you. At this stage you can crack the ex-pen and see if he wants any light handling like a gentle chest rub. If he wants to retreat, let him. Don't let him just 'come out'. He may wander into a different room, get spooked, and you will have to chase him down and lose all of your progress.

Eventually he will let you clip a leash on. Hang out RIGHT outside of the pen with him on leash for a few minutes. Talk to him, give him some treats, return him to his pen. Each time he is confidently coming out with you, go slightly farther, eventually to a different room, eventually outside. 

Basically, create one safe space for him, let him acclimate and come out of his shell. Expand his bubble slowly.

He does not get to be unconfined or unleashed until you KNOW he sees you as a safety net and trusts you. Well, you can... But again, you won't be setting you or him up for success if you do that.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Everything above but also - and I know this will sound mean - don't let him rely on his sibling for confidence/comfort all the time. It sounds like this is almost an extreme case of littermate syndrome on top of the rest and even if it isn't, being able to rely and depend on her entirely is going to mean he has no reason to even attempt to interact with you, much less look to you for it.


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