Nervy Dog - coping and caring strategies?

[MrsMozart]

The wee terrierist (eighteen month old JRT x Patterdale) is settling in nicely, however I'm a little concerned having learnt more of her past.

Not concerned in that I think we have a problem, more a 'how do I make it right for her?'.

At some point in the past she's had a tough time of it. I gently shook a carrier bag out near-ish to her yesterday. Oh gosh. My heart bled for her. Her back end right down, ears down, slinking. Body language enough to make you cry. If she's told off, as she sees it, she shakes. The word No leads to her licking and on her back.

She's not always worrying. She is happy and excited to see us, likes to be near one of us but will equally curl up on a comfy spot. She's almost stopped growling at the other Hairies. She's eating fine, etc., and hasn't had any accidents inside.

I expect all the dogs to have good manners, which would be the same if there was only one of them, and I want them to feel safe and secure, and to be calm when required, i.e. no jumping up unless invited, each one having strokes without another one sticking its head in, not tripping people up, etc.

I'm wary of either not correcting the wee one properly or often enough as she's had a bad time of it and because she's so diddy it's almost easy to ignore any unwanted behaviour. I sure as hell don't want her cowering away from me in fear if I've said No too sharply! The others would just look pained and go "I'm going, no need to get huffy" as they removed themselves or stopped doing whatever it was they shouldn't have been doing.

Not really sure what help I'm asking for. Firm, kind, fair, consistent. The key words. But are they right? Enough? Should I be doing something else?

Tahnk you, lemon drizzle cake on offer (if you can beat the terrierist to it! ).

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would just continue as you are doing, she will get used to your rattling a carrier bag and the world not falling in, she will copy the others and soon get to know what is expected behaviour in her new home. Has she been with your relatives all her life? Can you ask them what is behind her rather extreme behaviour? I would also let her know when she is doing the right thing - I'm sure you do but perhaps make more of a point of doing so until she seems to be a bit more resilient.
Terriers, however are not like Rotters, ime, perhaps more like GSD in their emotions.

I'm sure she will be fine with you after she has got used to you.

 

[ihatework]

My cocker arrived like that and still does a very good line in upset/submissive. To be honest I just carry on and ignore it. I’m reasonably firm but fair, she has a bit of a naughty streak but then goes into complete drama queen mode if corrected.

 

[twiggy2]

Just carry on and ignore it, just try to be mindful and a little softer with your voice, you can't start watching every movement to accommodate her, if she is sensitive she will pick up on your hesitation and that may upset her too.

 

[TheresaW]

If i come in from being out, and the dogs have stolen something (that OH was meant to put in bin before he left) off the worktop and shredded it all over the floor, I give them both stern words. Not loud or telling them off, just the usual, “I’ve been out for an hour and look what you’ve done, I despair of you two, I really do” type thing. Luna will look at me with a “yeah, so” look. Bo will act like it’s the end of the world and I’ll never forgive him.

I think I would just go about your day as usual, obviously be a bit mindful, and see how it goes. It is very early days and she will settle.

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you all folks.

I should know how to do this. It's just been a long time since had new nervy rescues.

Lightbulb moment re. being l like the GSD! She is. The Rotties usually just have a vaguely bemused expression, though can get worried, whilst the GSD will disintegrate if she has a loud voice aimed at her. We're her fourth(?) home and whilst the last was good I don't know about the first two.

Will keep doing what we do ?

 

[CorvusCorax]

Resilience is generally genetic/combined with an owner not teaching a dog to cope with low level negatives, so it's not a given that something terrible happened to her, she's just never been taught how to cope.
You could change the word you use for 'that is not a behaviour I want' to remove any negative connotations, and try and keep emotion out of your voice and pity out of your reactions.
Dogs are non verbal, so if she is doing something non desirable, you can simply calmly physically stop her by lifting her, blocking her or removing her, using a light house line.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

First of all I would say don't try to fix everything at once, building confidence sometimes just come naturally with adjusting to living with their new family. If it doesn't, then there is still no reason to stress, hopefully you'll have years to train on it with her.

Personally, I try to use No as little as possible. Both because it is so easy to overuse it, and also because often there is actually not much need to use it. Since she has learnt that No is something so negative, that she reacts that way, I would simply try to save on the No's as much as possible.

If you see that she's about to eat rat poison, or running, unleashed straight towards a motorway - go ahead, use No! Preferably in a tone that screams imminent death.

But for example at home, hypothetically trying to claim your spot in the bed, does one really need to use No? Why not just go straight to Get down/Move over, and then making her move.

Out on walks if she tries to go in other directions than you, just say This way, if you want to, you can add an Oi, this way. There is also no need to say No, not right, we're going Left. Just say Left, and then turn.
If she pulls the lead, either stop, or turn and walk in another direction. And if you feel after perhaps 30 minutes that you've had enough, ignore the rest of the lead pulling, finish the walk, and instead continue the training the next walk/day.

If she jumps up at you, instead of No, use Down, Sit, Not now, whatever suits you/the situation.

If you notice that she might be thinking of trying something with one of the other dogs, tell her to go to her bed, or distract her/diffuse the situation by doing something else. No need to add a No.

If you come into the situation when she's already started to try something with one of the other dogs, perhaps try using the water spray bottle someone recommended on the other thread/throw a metall lid on the floor (note, not on her)/rattle a can of dry beans/try what you can think of to break her behaviour. When you've stopped it, ignore her, behave as if she is invisible, and presuming the other dog was a good dog, praise it calmly.
Even though one instinctively wants to give the dog a telling off with No, bad dog, that is actually also giving her attention, and such bad behaviour makes her unworthy of your attention.

Etc, etc, I presume you get my point. None of this means that you let her get away with bad behaviour because she's a wee little thing that has had a bad time, it simply means that you use an alternative way of dealing with it, which doesn't include you saying much No this, No that, and No don't do that either.

Try to focus on what it is you want to her to do, and you should get less unwanted behaviour at the same time.
Whenever possible offer her alternatives, and try to set her up for success, so that there is as few opportunities for her to do wrong as possible, especially now in the beginning of her living with you.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

By the way, my phone is going nuts, and keeps opening Google assistant, and closing HHO, so I've only read the first post on this thread. I have no idea what suggestions you've already gotten.

 

[MrsMozart]

Thank you. All very much appreciated.

It's all much along the lines of what we do, with a few tweaks, so it's good to know we're on the right track.

I think it was the cowering. I've only seen something like that once before with one of our rescues. We got her onside and all was grand, then one day I was super sharp with her and her body just did the fear thing. It was years ago and still cuts me up. Thankfully it never happened again. I think because all she got was the voice and then a brisk Come on! that it maybe helped reset her response. She certainly got told off on the odd occasion after that, but she never did the fear thing again.

 

[meleeka]

Just carry on and ignore it, just try to be mindful and a little softer with your voice, you can't start watching every movement to accommodate her, if she is sensitive she will pick up on your hesitation and that may upset her too.

My Springer had had an awful life. Over the years she did get a lot better although certain things really worried her still. I learnt not to shout, ever! A firm voice was all that was needed if she did something wrong but praise when she did right was much more effective.

 

[MrsMozart]

My Springer had had an awful life. Over the years she did get a lot better although certain things really worried her still. I learnt not to shout, ever! A firm voice was all that was needed if she did something wrong but praise when she did right was much more effective.

The GSD is like that. She'd be a state if she ever got loudly shouted at. It's a balancing act as she can, on the odd occasion, be a rude bobber and think the rules don't apply to her. Stern voice is more than enough.

 

[{97702}]

Well everyone has said most of what I’ll say already, and it sounds like you are doing exactly the right thing ??

I treat any new rescue just as I treat my other dogs - firm but fair, and full of love. You learn which ones have little foibles - Marty greyhound screams if you so much as raise a hand to him, with George you could metaphorically beat him with a big stick (particularly when he is barking!) and he actually wouldn’t notice ??

Ace was interesting because he was so shut down and introverted for months and months that I had absolutely no idea what he was thinking ?

It is so sad when they are scared - and I’ve seen it with my rescue dogs over and over again ? - but when they learn to trust you it is like nothing else ???? I’d just avoid being ultra sharp and loud with her, but otherwise treat her like the others.

what’s her name by the way? Don’t worry if you’d rather not say, but I’m nosey ???

 

[Cinnamontoast]

We have a sound as opposed to a word for Zak-ahh! He can be weirdly submissive and has air snapped at visitors when he felt cornered. He’s loads better as he’s got older and we know his likely triggers. I don’t allow visitors to touch him until he’s relaxed. I used to praise hugely when he reacted well and ignore any unwanted reactions. It’s tricky with a nervy dog who’s never been exposed to volume/normal life (Zak has, he’s just an odd little lad sometimes)

I think exposure is key, she has to fit into your life. Having other dogs is brilliant: she’ll soon learn that things aren’t going to hurt her.

 

[Karran]

Just picking up on the comment about being scared of the carrier bag. Have you thought about possibly setting up scatter feed obstacle courses to help her learn that such things ain't worth worrying about?

I do them with my two, Mrs Spaniel is neurotic and its helping the Collie learn that novelty things and noises dont mean a complete breakdown!!

Ps - carrier bag split in half and supervised so no risk of her suffocating on it!

 

[MrsMozart]

Ooh! I like that idea, thank you ? Will give it a go. They can all do it ?

Do you just hide treats in amongst the things?

 

[Karran]

Another thing I do is also put tennis balls or empty bottles/drinks cans inside their paddling pool so they can ferret about for the feed and have noisy things around them, Mrs Spaniel has suddenly decided in the last year to be scared of loud noises so it was just another way of trying to help her with that.

 

[Karran]

Do you just hide treats in amongst the things?

Yeah I started small with a few cardboard boxes and open egg boxes and scattered some treats in and around and then built it to have more things to stand on and then put treats where I wanted them go go, so standing on the balance pads, or on bubble wrap etc or so they have to put their heads inside the box. It's good fun as to how inventive you can be once they get used to it and its always different for them every time you build it! ?