- Joined
- Aug 8, 2005
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- 11,048
We have had our mini akita type dog thing for about a year now. When we first got him all the fur was rubbed off around his neck from a collar. He escaped apparently and adopted us. He cringed at just about anything. Obviously abused, he lived in terror of any oppression. Hie could not even eat when people were near. ANY, and I mean ANY attempt to instruct him or correct his actions made him cringe and cower.
And now, a year on, we have gained his trust a little. He will eat in front of us. He is very friendly. But he is still as skittish as ever. Any action that he perceives an attempt to control him and he's back in cover mode. Putting a collar on him, or a harness, is out of the question.
And he has become a total a-hole. No keeping him fenced, he digs under or swims the river. He loves to chase people, other dogs, bikes, anything that moves slowly near the property. He's smart. We yell at him he gauges if we are near enough to potentially beat him If so he cringes. If not, he ignores us.
I won't force obedience training on him. I tried and lost his trust for 6 months. All I got was him lying at my feet in the submissive posture. All I can do is be friendly. He takes this as a green light to be even more of an a-hole. Even the smallest little bits of training, like sit, don't jump up on us, is tested and ignored. Enforced sit and he lies down and submits. Jump up on us, I can yell no in his face loud enough to scare our distant neighbors but he knows it's all sound and I can't enforce without his cringing.
The problem was during his formative life he was anti trained. Anti training in fact. He can't be rewarded. A pet for doing something right makes him cringe. A treat for the correct action has to be put on the ground and take a step back. He will take it, but cautiously, keeping an eye on us as he does. Almost everything we do is taken as a potential harassment. Can't get him into a vehicle. Can't pick him up. Can't give him a hug. Completely non receptive to affection except when he initiates it. An attempt to take him to the vet for a check up and neutering caused complete panic and made him regress months of winning his trust.
Help!
And now, a year on, we have gained his trust a little. He will eat in front of us. He is very friendly. But he is still as skittish as ever. Any action that he perceives an attempt to control him and he's back in cover mode. Putting a collar on him, or a harness, is out of the question.
And he has become a total a-hole. No keeping him fenced, he digs under or swims the river. He loves to chase people, other dogs, bikes, anything that moves slowly near the property. He's smart. We yell at him he gauges if we are near enough to potentially beat him If so he cringes. If not, he ignores us.
I won't force obedience training on him. I tried and lost his trust for 6 months. All I got was him lying at my feet in the submissive posture. All I can do is be friendly. He takes this as a green light to be even more of an a-hole. Even the smallest little bits of training, like sit, don't jump up on us, is tested and ignored. Enforced sit and he lies down and submits. Jump up on us, I can yell no in his face loud enough to scare our distant neighbors but he knows it's all sound and I can't enforce without his cringing.
The problem was during his formative life he was anti trained. Anti training in fact. He can't be rewarded. A pet for doing something right makes him cringe. A treat for the correct action has to be put on the ground and take a step back. He will take it, but cautiously, keeping an eye on us as he does. Almost everything we do is taken as a potential harassment. Can't get him into a vehicle. Can't pick him up. Can't give him a hug. Completely non receptive to affection except when he initiates it. An attempt to take him to the vet for a check up and neutering caused complete panic and made him regress months of winning his trust.
Help!
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