# Adopted Wheaten scared of everything!



## KansasCitySal (Sep 29, 2014)

Hello,
This is my first post outside of the new members access area. My wife and I just adopted Sal from a breeder. Sal is a soft coated wheaten terrier, is about 40 lbs and is a few months over 2 years old. He was up for adoption because he would not breed with the other females the breeder had and after a year and a half of trying they gave up. He was very lively and friendly when we drove up to meet him with the breeders. When we pulled up he was in his kennel jumping and barking, eagerly wanting to greet us. We spent about 30 minutes with him and the breeders asking questions and socializing with Sal. He was lively and happy the whole time. The breeders said he was in good health, has had all of his shots, eats a cup of food in the morning and a cup of food in the evening. They let us know what they were feeding him and even gave us food to take home. All in all they were extremely nice, the lady even teared up as we were saying our goodbyes and getting Sal into the car. Sal is untrained, and his name the breeders gave him is Doc, however he shows no recognition to that name, even when the breeders used it.

He has been home with us for about 24 hours now and is just as afraid of everything as when he first came through the door. He will not go through doorways, he is terrified of the stairways, he has maybe had 2 very small treats and a little bit of peanut butter since he has arrived home with us, other than that he has not eaten a bite of his regular food (Iams smart puppy, which is what he's had his whole life with the breeders), and won't take treats outside of the two small treats he ate last night. He has not drank any water since leaving the breeder. He cowers in fear anytime you get near him, and if you reach out to touch him he will jump back. But once you start to pet him he will calm down a bit. He loves the living room, and generally stays in there, he will follow me around the living room and come up to me at different times. When I was napping in the living room he slept next to me on the floor. He'll warm up to me if I spend time with him, but if I leave the room for an amount of time and come back it seems as though I need to start over from scratch to be able to pet him. 

We live on the second floor apartment of a six plex. So to take him on walks or take him to potty we have to tackle the stairs, which he wants nothing to do with. So I have been carrying him up and down the stairs. he is very curious when outside, and explores and sniffs and urinates freely. He is very scared of some objects (Bbq grill, Patio table, stairs up to the fence) but not everything, and seems generally happy outside, but he will not go through the doorways to go back inside. 

My main questions and concerns:
1. How long do I let him get used to his surroundings before I should start worrying about him not eating or drinking water? This is my biggest concern. 
2. When I carry him up and down the stairs, is that helping or hurting the situation? (I don't think he would go down the stairs at this point unless you dragged him down them, which I'm not going to do)
3. What are things that my wife and I can do to make him feel more at home and help him relax?
4. Is it too early to change his name from Doc to Sal (being untrained, my wife and I don't think he had any recognition that his name was doc, atleast from what we observed with the breeders, and as we use it at home)?

Been looking for info, haven't been able to find much that specifically relates to my situation. I could be just a new owner freaking out and need to give Sal time to adjust. But I am very worried about him not eating or drinking. 

Any help would be appreciated, thanks community!


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

Sal sounds a whole lot like a puppy mill survivor. Read this: http://www.nowisconsinpuppymills.org/mill-survivors.html

A breeder doesn't have to be a typical, multi-dog, multi-breed, puppy mill to have a puppy mill operation in practice. These dogs are effected the same way.

Puppy mill survivors don't know how to climb stairs and they have never been through doorways. These things are all new to them. For now, carry him through the doorways and down the stairs. You can try to coax him through doorways with treats, but that often doesn't work. Try a high value treat like hotdogs or cooked meat or chicken... but don't be surprised if that doesn't work.

Regarding the food, feed him twice a day and leave his water out all the time. If he likes his crate, feed him in there. Do not watch him eat or stay in the room with him while he eats, for now. That may be part of the problem.

Also, wheatens should eat food that is free of wheaten, corn, and soy. This is because so many of them are allergic to those ingredients. First thing I'd do is transition him to a much higher quality, grain free, food.

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

When you take him on walks, he should be double leashed -- one on the collar, one on his harness. This is because dogs who have never been pets are an extremely high flight risk. At the rescue I work for, we require that these dogs not be walked for several months because they will bolt if frightened by just about anything. Since they are afraid of so many things, they are extremely hard to capture. This is especially true of wheaten terriers.

It is not too early to change his name. He never really had one if he doesn't respond to it. Another red flag regarding puppy mill operations.

I sent you a PM. I work with a wheaten terrier rescue, and we can help you.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Hmm, they started trying to breed him at around 6 months old? Not the best sign of his prior socializing and experiences but any dog can be scared in a new home.

Name changes are easy but he will have to be relaxed enough to take a treat. Get some really yummy treats like bits of cheese or lunch meat (tiny!) and say his new name and when he glaces at you, give him a treat. Repeat over time. If he won't yet take a treat, just use his new name and gradually, he will catch on.

I would set water out in a quiet part of the kitchen or living area (on a spill tray like a boot tray if you have carpet) and let him watch you fill it and set it down so he knows where it is. You can also entice him to drink with a little homemade chicken broth (just boil a little plain chicken with no added salt or anything) but if he was a quiet chance to drink, he probably will.

You can try hand feeding, it is good for bonding with the dog and good for reassuring him. You can sit on the floor and offer a bit of his food and let him approach you to eat it. Then offer a little more until he eats his meal. If he won't take food from your hand, I would set the bowl down for him and give him 20 minutes of peace and quiet to eat. If he is drinking water, I wouldn't worry too much about food for about 2-3 days.

Just take things really quiet, calm and easy. Let him set the pace. If he hasn't been out and about to a lot of houses and visiting other people's properties, then all the object and smells and sounds in your home are new and strange and potentially (in his mind) scary/dangerous things. 

If you need to leave him alone, a radio on some easy listening type music or a fan running can help be calming white noise to any outside/neighbor noises.


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## KansasCitySal (Sep 29, 2014)

If it helps this is where we got him from 
http://westwindwheatens.com/


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

One year health guarantee, recommends the Monks of New Skete, at least a few of their breeding dogs had litters before 2 years of age, dogs are kennelled and not kept in a house, well, lets just say there are a few red flags on that breeder IMO. 

But that is neither here nor there in that you can clearly see that you'll have to take it easy with the new boy and give him time to adjust. All dogs take time to adjust to a new home, dogs that don't really understand houses and such will take a bit longer. When people adopt dogs from shelters, I usually say to expect a MINIMUM of 3 months adjustment time for a dog to settle in.


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## KansasCitySal (Sep 29, 2014)

K, thanks for the advice! Just took him on a walk and he loved it, as it is warm outside I thought this would get him to drink some water. However he still will not drink. I will try the boiling the chicken in water next.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

If you have some packed in water canned sardines or mackeral, draining a bit of that fishy water into his water bowl is another way to encourage him to drink. But don't fuss too much around him and the water bowl or he might think there is something worriesome about the water. Like, dogs don't understand that the human is worried that they aren't eating or drinking but instead can associate a humans freting about and worrying to mean that the food or water is the problem, if that makes sense.


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## KansasCitySal (Sep 29, 2014)

Chicken water and the chicken that I boiled in the water worked! first time he has had something to eat and drink since leaving the breeders! Thanks so much for the help.


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

You received some excellent advice above. I agree that he is exhibiting many behaviors shown by puppymill rescues. My male, Murphy, was born into a puppymill. I don't believe he was there too long though, luckily, before his first family purchased him. They ended up dumping him a shelter, probably because of some of his minor "issues", and I found him through a wheaten rescue. Murphy is afraid of everything that he has never seen before or experienced before. Luckily, he trusts us enough that he (typically) allows us guide him through those situations. 

Wheatens are very, very sensitive dogs. In my opinion, this is one reason why a poor beginning has such a lifelong affect on them. This doesn't mean that your boy won't bounce back quite a bit, I'm sure he will! Just understand that he needs patience and kindness. Also, I second the high quality grain-free food option. Also, Wheatens commonly have seasonal allergies too, so keep a watch for itchy paws or runny, red eyes. Best of luck!


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