# Puppy not active at all, fearful and little aggressive



## Ashwin_patch (Apr 25, 2021)

Hi, I just adopted Patch who is 10 weeks old. He's a rescue and is very quiet and fearful. He just lies on the bed all day and only gets up to relieve himself. He doesn't play and is not active at all and sometimes gets a lil aggressive when pet. He does eat very well though. I would love some advice on making him feel more comfortable around me and being more active. Thanks!


----------



## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

This is abnormal behavior. The good news is Patch will likely to warm up to you and behave like a "more normal" puppy within a week. However, when this kind of behavior is seen at this age, there is a high probability that Patch will have some degree of fear for the rest of his life. Fearful dogs act normally in familiar situations but may have a hard time adjusting in new situations, may have handling sensitivities with certain actions or certain people, may display aggressive behaviors towards some people or dogs in some situations. Again, I am not saying this will absolutely happen. But the chances of it are pretty high that some or all of these traits will be present in adulthood to some degree. And it is easier to accidentally socialize a fearful puppy in the wrong way. For example simply touching Patch more or bringing him around more people and dogs may not be the best way to socialize him. And if done wrong, it can make Patch more fearful/anxious/aggressive as he grows up.

I recommend that you consider what your ultimate lifestyle goal is with Patch and decide now whether a fearful dog is compatible with your lifestyle. Fearful dogs can do all of the things normal dogs can - play, hike, walk, etc. But they may not do well in extremely social or stimulating situations. So it could mean - not bringing Patch to social situations like when friends and/or their dogs hang out for a BBQ. Or Patch may never be trustworthy around children. It is impossible to tell, and I can't emphasize enough that I am not trying to say 'the worst case scenario is going to happen'. But it's better to consider the possibilities now before Patch gets older. I am speaking from having a vast amount of experience with puppies, behavior, and sheltering. I saw or worked with over 100 puppies last year and none of them behaved this way. I can think of only a handful of puppies over the last 6 years that were reserved, fearful, and sensitive to handling like this - and they did grow up to have some level of fear and subsequent behaviors. Professionally, I only recommend fearful puppies to families that have a lot of dog experience, a mature home, rural/quiet lifestyle. And at the very least, if you keep Patch I highly recommend you enlist the help of a certified professional trainer who uses positive reinforcement methods. (CCPDT.org is a good place to start).

Best of luck!


----------



## storyist (Sep 19, 2019)

While I basically agree with Canyx, you don't say how long you've had the puppy or what kind of vet checks it's had. Eating well seems to preclude the onset of illness, but still.... If possible and you're willing, see if the rescue you adopted from will give you 30 days* to decide on keeping or returning. If this is behavioral, my experience with rescue dogs is that it takes 30 days to see what you really have, and a puppy coming from a rescue may not have had the best of starts to help it love people or have confidence in how life will go.

I'd try to leave the puppy alone as much as possible but be available to let him come to you. For instance, sit on the floor near that bed and read, watch tv, work on PC, etc., and when you need to go to him, make it as pleasant for him as possible, cheerful words and attitude (no "poor baby"), gentle but not hesitant touch.

* (Susan Garrett, a well known and successful trainer, says 2 weeks.)


----------



## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

I was going to start by asking how long OP has had the dog too. But even if they just got the puppy today, this is still extremely abnormal behavior for a 10 week old puppy. I've worked with plenty of 'more reserved' litters of puppies that momentarily display periods of fear or will growl at certain stimuli. But for a puppy in a home to "just lie on his bed all day" and "get a little aggressive when pet" is unusual. And even a less-than-social or lazier puppy will show more of an inclination to bond with an immediate person.


----------



## storyist (Sep 19, 2019)

Canyx said:


> But even if they just got the puppy today, this is still extremely abnormal behavior for a 10 week old puppy.


Yup, I agree, but I can't help but think of 2 rescue dogs I fostered. One was an adult but pretty much as the OP describes this puppy, kind of blotto, but she ate and eliminated normally, and I was just very disappointed in her for the first 24 or more hours. Who's going to adopt a no personality dog? She broke out with symptoms of kennel cough after that and was a different dog even during the k.c. once it got going. My guess is she was running a fever that first day and it broke as the cough came on.

The other was a puppy parvo survivor, but older. It was years ago but remembering the size of him I'd say at least 6 months and maybe as old as 8 months. The vets who got him through the parvo didn't vaccinate him and said he should not be vaccinated for another while - can't remember how long they said now either. Anyway, he suddenly got quiet and mannerly, and was showing signs of distemper within a day of that. (The next parvo survivor I got was vaccinated before the vets released him, and IMO that's the way to go.) The distemper puppy had to be euthanized.

Anyway, if OP has only had this puppy a day or 2, I guess I'd be inclined to give him a few days and see if he comes out of it or comes down with something treatable. Maybe OP will let us know how it comes out. Sad if the puppy has some genetic behavior abnormalities or has suffered some experience he can't recover from.


----------



## Ashwin_patch (Apr 25, 2021)

Canyx said:


> This is abnormal behavior. The good news is Patch will likely to warm up to you and behave like a "more normal" puppy within a week. However, when this kind of behavior is seen at this age, there is a high probability that Patch will have some degree of fear for the rest of his life. Fearful dogs act normally in familiar situations but may have a hard time adjusting in new situations, may have handling sensitivities with certain actions or certain people, may display aggressive behaviors towards some people or dogs in some situations. Again, I am not saying this will absolutely happen. But the chances of it are pretty high that some or all of these traits will be present in adulthood to some degree. And it is easier to accidentally socialize a fearful puppy in the wrong way. For example simply touching Patch more or bringing him around more people and dogs may not be the best way to socialize him. And if done wrong, it can make Patch more fearful/anxious/aggressive as he grows up.
> 
> I recommend that you consider what your ultimate lifestyle goal is with Patch and decide now whether a fearful dog is compatible with your lifestyle. Fearful dogs can do all of the things normal dogs can - play, hike, walk, etc. But they may not do well in extremely social or stimulating situations. So it could mean - not bringing Patch to social situations like when friends and/or their dogs hang out for a BBQ. Or Patch may never be trustworthy around children. It is impossible to tell, and I can't emphasize enough that I am not trying to say 'the worst case scenario is going to happen'. But it's better to consider the possibilities now before Patch gets older. I am speaking from having a vast amount of experience with puppies, behavior, and sheltering. I saw or worked with over 100 puppies last year and none of them behaved this way. I can think of only a handful of puppies over the last 6 years that were reserved, fearful, and sensitive to handling like this - and they did grow up to have some level of fear and subsequent behaviors. Professionally, I only recommend fearful puppies to families that have a lot of dog experience, a mature home, rural/quiet lifestyle. And at the very least, if you keep Patch I highly recommend you enlist the help of a certified professional trainer who uses positive reinforcement methods. (CCPDT.org is a good place to start).
> 
> Best of luck!


Hi @Canyx thanks for your reply. I've had Patch for 4 days now. Regarding the lifestyle, I'm not a very social guy either but yes ideally I would love for him to grow to be more social around other ppl and dogs and children. I work from home and I am ready to give him time and be patient but if only I could figure out the reason for his fear or how to get him out of it. Today he somehow tried to leave the house and I had to end up chasing him around and use a bit of force to get him back in. I'm afraid events like this would only increase whatever trauma he has. I am seeing a vet tmrw to get more advice. I stay in a small city in India and professional trainers and pet behaviourists are almost nil here.


----------



## Ashwin_patch (Apr 25, 2021)

storyist said:


> While I basically agree with Canyx, you don't say how long you've had the puppy or what kind of vet checks it's had. Eating well seems to preclude the onset of illness, but still.... If possible and you're willing, see if the rescue you adopted from will give you 30 days* to decide on keeping or returning. If this is behavioral, my experience with rescue dogs is that it takes 30 days to see what you really have, and a puppy coming from a rescue may not have had the best of starts to help it love people or have confidence in how life will go.
> 
> I'd try to leave the puppy alone as much as possible but be available to let him come to you. For instance, sit on the floor near that bed and read, watch tv, work on PC, etc., and when you need to go to him, make it as pleasant for him as possible, cheerful words and attitude (no "poor baby"), gentle but not hesitant touch.
> 
> * (Susan Garrett, a well known and successful trainer, says 2 weeks.)


Hi Susan @storyist , thanks for replying. Ive had him for 4 days now. The vet said to give him deworming medicine and then after 4 days get the necessary vaccinations. So I'm taking him to the vet tmrw. My understanding is that he has been shifted to two foster homes within a week and a half and he probably expects the same to happen here as well. I'm completely ready to be as patient as it takes but I just need to know what I can do to make him better or rather what I shouldn't do to make it worse.

I shall try to do as you say and give him that space.

Thanks for your advice


----------



## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

There are a lot of reputable trainers in the States who do virtual consultations these days. I recommend finding someone and getting their help asap. Yeah, transition can be hard for puppies. But this behavior is still not normal even though your puppy has moved from two foster homes into your care. 

You wrote "if only I could figure out the reason for his fear or how to get him out of it."
The reason is likely partially genetic (ie, he probably has always been and will always be somewhat fearful). And there is no "getting him out of it". I'm not trying to be a downer. But I am trying to present a realistic picture for you. The best chance you have to help this puppy improve is to find a trainer to help you as soon as possible. There is a small window for improvement that closes in 2-4 weeks and that's why you should hire a trainer now.


----------



## 3GSD4IPO (Jun 8, 2016)

I agree with Canyx. It is likely the fear is built in genetically and will be with your dog the rest of his life. This is a dog that you would crate or baby gate into a separate room when friends visit and separate from children. Fearful dogs are more likely to bite in (even imagined) self defense than a stable dog. You can improve the fear but it will never go away. When the dog feels threatened he will revert to that fear state.

I have a breed that, it they ever bit a guest, would immediately have to be euthanized (even though both dogs are stable and social and _unlikely_ to bite (all dogs can bite). I separate them into dog kennels or crates when any guests come. These dogs are both HIGHLY trained and I still separate them.


----------



## Addctd2Dogs (May 11, 2021)

I strongly disagree with those saying this is a dog who will have problems. I have specialized in fostering terrified and feral dogs, though I have done hundreds of normal puppies and normal dogs. First, the pup needs to be checked by a vet. Puppies are active, unless sick or in pain. Scared dogs and pups are the exact same as any dog, except they are very sensitive to body language cues. Though they may always be sensitive, they do learn to be normal dogs, IF rehabilitated correctly. Fostering them has taught me so much more I can use on all dogs. One way to reach a dog that is shut down is through massage. Massage is not petting. It is using the flats of your hands and finger tips to massage the muscles and skin. It releases Oxytocin, which is a powerful "feel good" and "bonding" hormone. Many shut down dogs will not immediately show they like the massages, but do them every day for at least 20-30 minutes. I usually wait till between 9-10 pm. Sometimes I hum as I do them and sometimes I just talk soothingly in a low soft voice. Both work to calm the dog and help them to know you care about them. I have personally witnessed dogs so traumatized everyone said to put them down. Those same dogs became my BEST DOGS! One helped me rehabilitate over 500 other dogs. She told me as clearly as if she spoke to me, if the dog was stable and could be trusted with other dogs. Another that I honestly thought might kill herself trying to get loose, is my farm greeter dog today. I defy anyone to try to figure out which of my pack this dog is. She looks like she's always had an amazing personality. I did the same things with her. I used massage, play, and training. I took her everywhere with me, even if she was afraid. I made the sessions shorter, and always gave her a break in her crate for 30 minutes when we got home. I first teach a scared dog three commands, instead of "sit" and "down". I teach "TOUCH", "WATCH ME", and "COME". These commands teach a scared dog to touch you hand for a treat, and that it's ok to touch you for comfort. "Watch me" teaches the difficult skill of making and holding eye contact. And "come" is literally a life saver. Other commands are not so proactive and are teaching more submissive behavior in the dog world. 

Scared dogs and shut down dogs are the best dogs! They can interpret subtle cues and are very eager to please and to learn. They respond very well to praise. Never once has one of these traumatized dogs bitten. They give back 10 fold whatever you put into them training, massaging, and love wise. And having one makes you a much better dog person. You learn dog body language and it makes you better with all dogs.


----------

