[Our guest post today comes from Katrina and her miniature dachshund, Enzo. Enzo is wonderful; he plays gently with their 10-month-old son, he runs to the door when he wants out, he shows you his food when it's empty, and he snuggles any chance he gets. He is their perfect little dog except for one thing...]
We've had Enzo since he was 10-weeks-old. He was house-trained in two weeks (he is now a year-and-a-half, and in total he's had three accidents since...I admit, they were our fault), he learned how to sit in an hour, sit pretty in two hours, lay down in about 10 minutes, and he always looks your way when you call.
He still seems to think he doesn't NEED to come, still working on that one.
He loves everyone he meets, and is great with other dogs. But for all of the good in him, there is one very, very annoying quality. He is afraid of EVERYTHING. He's afraid of the frying pan, he's afraid of the pots, he's afraid of pop cans, he's afraid of clear bowls (he wont come closer than about 5 inches), he's afraid of his food bag, he's afraid of a few of the kids toys, he's afraid of boxes (whether or not they are open), he's deathly afraid of the vacuum, and if you try and give him a bath he screams.
Now, I could understand fear if we had taught him not to go near those things, but he has been this way since we got him. He's slowly been getting used to water, but it has been a very very slow process. The vacuum makes him go crazy. He puts the top of his head on the ground, kicks his front legs back, and runs sliding on his head all over the room.
Whats with that?! Does anyone else's do this?
We love him to death and all we want is for him to not have a mental breakdown every time we vacuum, or cook, or drink a can of pop. We've tried the treat thing when they come out, praising him with it a little closer every time and he just does not want to be anywhere near these things, or even look at them. I think they might even give him nightmares.
HELP! How can we help him deal with these every day things?
[Have a dachshund story you'd like to see here? Click over to our submissions page to send in your guest post! Need to warm up before a full post? Get started by uploading your dachshund photos to our Flickr group!]
We've had Enzo since he was 10-weeks-old. He was house-trained in two weeks (he is now a year-and-a-half, and in total he's had three accidents since...I admit, they were our fault), he learned how to sit in an hour, sit pretty in two hours, lay down in about 10 minutes, and he always looks your way when you call.
He still seems to think he doesn't NEED to come, still working on that one.
He loves everyone he meets, and is great with other dogs. But for all of the good in him, there is one very, very annoying quality. He is afraid of EVERYTHING. He's afraid of the frying pan, he's afraid of the pots, he's afraid of pop cans, he's afraid of clear bowls (he wont come closer than about 5 inches), he's afraid of his food bag, he's afraid of a few of the kids toys, he's afraid of boxes (whether or not they are open), he's deathly afraid of the vacuum, and if you try and give him a bath he screams.
Now, I could understand fear if we had taught him not to go near those things, but he has been this way since we got him. He's slowly been getting used to water, but it has been a very very slow process. The vacuum makes him go crazy. He puts the top of his head on the ground, kicks his front legs back, and runs sliding on his head all over the room.
Whats with that?! Does anyone else's do this?
We love him to death and all we want is for him to not have a mental breakdown every time we vacuum, or cook, or drink a can of pop. We've tried the treat thing when they come out, praising him with it a little closer every time and he just does not want to be anywhere near these things, or even look at them. I think they might even give him nightmares.
HELP! How can we help him deal with these every day things?
[Have a dachshund story you'd like to see here? Click over to our submissions page to send in your guest post! Need to warm up before a full post? Get started by uploading your dachshund photos to our Flickr group!]
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6 comments:
Hello little Enzo!
Adorable little guy for sure, unfortunately he lives with this handicap. I call it a handicap because, well, that's what it is. All of what you explain comes from a lack of socialization. When most people hear socialization they usually only think well he's great with other people and other dogs, but for a dog to be well rounded he needs to be around lots of sights and sounds when he's a pup as well.
What I really want you to be honest about first before you try rehabilitating him is, what is your reaction? Do you coddle him when he's afraid? Do you pick up the vacuum thinking oh no, Enzo is gonna freak! That is the first thing you need to work on. He is picking up on your body language and energy, whether you realize it or not. So think about what you do and how you feel when you pick up a pan..do you try and do it slowly so he doesn't hear it? or do try and soothe him when he gets scared?
All of these fears can be worked on, however it will take time and consistency on your part. And he will probably never be what he could have been, but you can definitely make tons of progress. I would start with the vacuum. My doxie was afraid of the vacuum and after slowly working with her she is finally ok around it. I kept the vacuum out in the living room for a week or so, just kept it there. I fed her next to it, I played with her next to it. Then I would put some treats on it, encouraging her to come and get the treats, lure her over with a treat. Praising all along the way. Then once she was confortable I would switch it on then off, making sure to treat right away. I kept doing that until she was ok with it being on. Then I told her to go up on the couch. Now, when I vacuum that's her spot. She chews on her bone and is totally fine with me vacuuming. Sometimes you have to find what works for your dog rather than what you think should work. What's important here is going SLOW. You do not want to rush this because you do not want to get a stress response, that will only be a set back. If you do get a stress response in him, back up and slow it down.
You are not going to get through this in a few days. It will take time but in the end you will have a dog with more confidence and more trust and respect in you for showing him he doesn't have to be afraid.
Peanut has a few fears as well - but they are also linked to her location. Example - deathly afraid of pots and pans at home, but at my parent's house, pots and pans don't phase her one bit. Strange.
We have had many of the same type of issues with our Max, who is a puppy mill rescue and spent his first 3 years in a cage. He didn't even know how to walk stairs. Skittish as all get out- still doesn't like to go outside alone but will go to the door automatically for the walk before bed. It's taken us three years to get where we are- where he doesn't snap at my husband when he makes a sudden move or pee every time I pick him up! That was a big hurdle! He's good about using puppy pads, esp when we aren't home, but still not good at saying he needs to go out. Just now I'm watching him slowly inch his way onto hubby's lap. Such a milestone.
And it is patience. And not getting angry when there's a set back. And rewarding, especially with love (although treats are always a plus). Watching his tail wag when I tell him he's a good boy always makes me smile.
Did I mention patience and persistence???
In your shoes I would talk to your vet about this issue.
Some of us (humans) have inherent anxiety problems we deal with through positive reinforcement and medication. Not out of line to consider a dog having the same issues and treatment options I would think.
Some behaviors yes are learned but some may come from the genetic make up of the dog (or human).
I would talk to my vet and would hope he could recommend an appropriate dog trainer and the possibility of anti-anxiety meds for a time until your dog feels more comfortable and empowered.
Worked for me!
Sounds like Enzo may have super sensitive hearing as one of his issues.
Sounds like my Lisel. I wrote a short e-book story about this and how we coped with it.
my blog: ute-endler.blogspot.com
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