I really need help

[drmom777]

You know, when we got Uncle Fred he was practically catatonic. He would do nothing but stand plastered against the front door, quivering. But this was a serious abuse case. healing him up physically was bad enough, but it took a full year before he was really normal.

On the other hand, the results could hardly be better. This is now a happy, healthy, playful, downright silly family dog. Right now he is snoring in thje chair next to mine after a vigorous romp in the dog park. He is also way more tightly bonded to us than you would expect from a typical hound. I believe that to him I am a cross between Mother Theresa and lady Bountiful. it is very gratifying.

So if his health is good, just try patience, patience, and more patience. And if he was neglected, as Uncle Fred was, he may not have ever been housebroken properly, but housebreaking an adult dog is IMO easier than a puppy any day.

I hope you succeed, I feel so sorry for the poor boy.

 

[BerryBye]

This sounds familiar to my situation.
When I got my dog, he was incredibly shy and submissive. He also lived in a kennel before I got him, and had NO concept of the normal sights and sounds of the world.

When I brought him home, he ran away and hit under a bush for about 6 hours, then I went and picked him up and brought him inside (where he sat still for the rest of that night). Having had him for 6 months now, I can tell you that he was in a stake of extreme shock. As an already submissive dog, he had no idea how to handle the situation – so he just shut down. I think that is what you are seeing when you describe that he is dead behind the eyes.

I can relate to that feeling of helplessness, I was sick about it when I brought him home. After years of research, how had this happened to me? I thought he hated me and would never be the kind of dog I desired.

So, I started to do my research. I talked to professional trainers, read books and even posted on this message board. I worked slowly with him, quietly petting him and getting him used to things around the house. It took months for him to go for more than a day without shutting down. If something/someone startled him he would just lay down and that was it. Sometimes he would even pee.

I had to find little keys to unlock his fear and bring him back to me. I started carrying toys/treats/bells in all of my coats/pant pockets so that when he shut down I could quickly distract him and “wake him up†again.

When I felt he was ready, I enrolled him in an introduction to agility course. For the first few weeks he would just lay there and watch while other dogs his age quickly learnt to navigate the tunnels and other equipment. I stayed calm and just rewarded him for the smallest step forward. I didn’t care that we weren’t keeping up with the class, we just took our time.

Now we are in level 3 and he zooms through the tunnels, climbs the dog walk and is learning the weaves, among other things – all with pep in his step and a happy wagging tail.

Agility is a fantastic tool to get them used to weird stuff! After agility, other things don’t seem so scary!

It took 6 months for him to walk into a room with his tail up – and I know we have a fair way to go yet but that’s ok.

Long story short, you need an incredible about of patience and a fair bit of money (professional trainers) but there is a good dog in there just waiting to come out. My dog is now incredibly friendly, affectionate and smart. We do everything together and he is without a doubt, my heart dog!

Good luck with your decision, I know how daunting it looks at the beginning.

 

[wcladymacbeth]

I had the same problem when I got my little sheltie mix, Maggie. She was SO fearful... the first several days, she wouldn't come up to us at all, she just hid under the table and shook. And now she's my happy, normal, sweet baby girl... still a little shy around strangers but she's so much better than she used to be. And there's not really anything specific that I did at first, I don't think.. I just tried giving her treats, petted her as much as she would let me, etc. All it really seemed to take was time, for us, I think.

 

[Jeffery777]

Does the puppy have any interaction with other dogs? Do you have other dogs in the house? It will make a huge difference in the puppy's demeanor.

 

[Gguevara]

Only read the OP's post but I agree that another stable dog would be a good role-model, maybe you can work with a neighbor's if you don't have one?

 

[dogsarebetter]

your puppy sounds like my Ruckus was.
He didnt move for a few days. he would just stand, and then lay. he didnt even potty! he wouldnt eat, or drink.

sadly we have always had issues with him. He used to be scared of anything from socked feet, to words starting with the letter "v"
he even turned aggressive. I never even seen this dog wag his tail

he then was diagnosed with a chemical imbalance and is now medicated. he is a new dog now, thank goodness.

unless he improves I would honestly try to return the puppy if you can. I have had three years of hell and heart break with Ruckus. I dont regret keeping him, but its ALOT more than most people can handle

 

[colliewog]

Only read the OP's post but I agree that another stable dog would be a good role-model, maybe you can work with a neighbor's if you don't have one?

They have an adult male Collie. It was buried half way in the posts ...

 

[Laurelin]

I just saw this... I used to have shelties and I had a boy much like yours that passed away this year.

First of all, it's only been a week. Herding breeds in general tend to be one person dogs, and shelties more than usual. I know the sheltie rescues here will tell you not to expect anything for the first 2-3 weeks. This is a VERY naturally suspicious breed, they are very aloof with people that are not theirs. It can take a long time to win a sheltie's favor. Many are shy and timid (not correct by the standard but it happens). Any sort of lapse in socialization can bring this out as well as just a dog with a faulty temperament. They are also extremely sensitive dogs and they can shut down pretty easily. I would be hesitant to say he's been abused...

My boy was a very unusual dog. He was very very shy. If he met someone strange, he would shut down and go 'catatonic'. (usually he would shove his nose in the corner and not respond to the person) He also had a really weird way of gazing a hole through you without any sort of emotion or thought going on behind the eyes. We called him robodog because of his lack of displaying emotion. I won't lie, it took a long time to really bond with him but once I did I had without a doubt the most devoted dog in the world. Once he did open up, he was a very sensitive, kind soul who loved his people and home incredibly. It took me years to get him to be able to be held. We got him at 11 months old, which isn't too far off of your dog's age.

Anyways, your post reminds me a lot of him. Most shelties are not like my last (I've had others that were much more normal). I think it's likely he's just taking his time to adjust to a new life. As an entire breed, they tend to need longer adjustment periods. Once you DO win a sheltie over though, you'll likely have one of the best dogs of your life.

 

[Laurelin]

Also, one of my current dogs (papillon) we got because she was rehomed back to the breeder when she was 2. She also didn't show well because she was scared. She was kept kenneled a LOT of the time and wasn't exactly abused but wasn't treated and socialized well. She came to us very shy and timid and would actually snap and try to bite people that got too near her face. Literally a couple weeks down the road she had completely turned around. She is still very wary of strangers. She wants to trust them, but she doesn't quite and so it takes her a while to get to like people. She is incredibly affectionate to her family however.

Anyways, what I'm trying to add here is that if it's inborn temperament (like my sheltie) it can be a hard fix, but if it's JUST from neglect/bad situations the dog should be able to rebound fairly fast.

 

[Zoom]

You've gotten some great advice from some knowledgeable people. I would just give it more time...even 2 weeks isn't very long. Shelties are...quirky. I would give this dog at least a month of a set, solid routine without expecting a whole lot out of him. If after a month he's still going "catatonic", I would do a vet visit and make sure everything is ok physically.

 

[bubbatd]

I really think it took about 6 months before Ollie really settled in here . We got along fine from the start , but things got better every week . My gain , as his first adopted family only gave him a week ! Maybe he was extra bad there for a reason !

 

[doggieideas]

I would agree with taking the dog to the vet. I wondered if something is wrong neurologically that it doesn't respond. There is no chance that the dog is blind or maybe deaf. We had a dog that we got from an amish farm one time. It took her two weeks to start showing what I would call normal dog behavior. She had never been in a house and probably not given much attention, but she turned out to be my all time favorite dog. I had a bond with her that I have yet to recreate with any of my other dogs.