I posted a couple of weeks ago about my rescue dog who is very very stressed and goes crazy when we are out, if anyone comes into the house etc.  I got some good advice here, one thing was to take him to dog training classes.

We've been twice now.  The first week he went crazy as I expected, but settled down after about ten minutes, and I must have had a good 10 minutes with him where he settled down and just looked at the other dogs, so he got lots of praise and click/treating.  Last week, he started going crazy as soon as I put him in the car.  We got to the village hall and he was a complete nightmare.  We ended up being sat in an alcove with him trying his damndest to get away from me (my arms are black and blue from him jumping about).  He had a right go at the trainer (didn't bite her but I don't trust him 100% that he wont), and just wouldnt listen to me, look at me or anything.

She has now suggested that I take him again this week, and if he's still the same, she'll recommend not taking him back as the situation is just too much for him.

I don't know what to do next.  I can't stand the thought of him being this stressed all of the time.  He's been ok in the house, unless a 'stranger' dares to come in!  We can't go anywhere with him, my daughter can't have any of her friends around and he's just got no life.  He even gets really upset if anyone plays any computer games that make noises he doenst understand, certain tv adverts drive him crazy and even some tv programmes have to be switched off as he just can't stand them. 

Any advice on where we go from here?  We;ve had the vet check him over and they've found nothing.  We've had a behaviourist out (from one of the places recommended on here somewhere) and we are following all the advice she's given but it's having absolutely no impact whatsover, and now it seems that the training classes aren't going to be an option either.  We don't want to give up on him, but we're all worried that he's just not happy, and all this is affecting our other dog too (we used to take her everywhere with us but can't now). 

Anyway, any advice greatly received.  I'm loathe to send him back to the rescue place in case he ends up going backwards and forwards and it makes him worse, but I don't think we can do any more for him

Thanks

Val

Be patient, I understand how you feel. I have recently adopted a dog too and you have to remember it can take months for them to adjust.

Ok firstly with the noise issue. How big is your living room? where does he sit when he is in there? where is his bed located?

If his bed is located in the living area try moving it to a quieter area of the house. When not watching TV, leave TV on at low volume to get him used to the noise, very gradually turn the volume up each day, adjust accordingly.

With the training classes. Take him to the third but watch from afar, edge closer if he is comfortable and praise. Walk to the door if he gets afraid step back to the more comfortable location. You may miss part of the class, you may not be able to get in ther at all. But you may also find with gentle steps that he will be able to go in there and feel comfortable on the sidelines. If this doesn't work I would suggest finding a training school that trains the dogs outside where you can get him used to everyone a bit at a time.

Would aslo suggest a DAP plug in.

Spitzed x

Hi Val,

I can understand how difficult it must be, and is obviously impacting your life in a big way just now, but if you only posted for advice a couple of weeks ago, it is very early days, it sounds like he is a very stressed doggie and it will probably take months of work for improvements.

Do you know any of his background and what has led him to behave as he is?

What has the behaviourist suggested you do?

With regards to the classes it sounds like it is too much to soon.  Do you have any doggie friends that you can arrange to meet with on neutral ground to get him to meet new dogs in an environment that will be less daunting to him.  Maybe go along to the training class as Spitzed said but just wait outside and let him see the dogs from a safe distance - so that he doesn't feel threatened.

With people coming into the house ask them not to make eye contact with him or look at him, let them have some of his fave treats and just get them to toss them on the ground near him but still not looking at him, continue with this for a while gradually building up to giving him treats from the visitors hand still without any direct eye contact - this should help him associate visitors with good things and help them to appear less of a threat.

The noise problem sounds like it is going to require a lot of desensitzation - having the radio or tele on very low volumes and lots of praise when he is calm and trying to ignore when possible inappropriate behaviour.

Also a DAP diffuser is really worth a try, you can get these from your vets and they make a big difference to some dogs.

Karen

Val - can you describe more what's happening in the training class?

Is he aggressively trying to get to the other dogs, or is he very excited and wanting to get to them?  Or are you not sure?

It sounds to me like he's very excited, but I'm not sure if I'm reading it right.

If he's just very excited, you should definitely continue going. 

If he is barking out of excitement, and you think he wants to go to the other dogs, each time he barks, you could step outside the door and wait.  When he is calm and quiet, re-enter the room.  If he barks - immediately exit.  You will probably spend all evening doing this, but he should eventually learn that if he wants to stay in the room, he has to be quiet. 

If he is barking out of stress or fear, however, be careful - because in that case, if you leave the room every time he barks, you could in fact be rewarding the barking (because that's what he wants - to be somewhere without other dogs). 

So, you need to have a think about what he wants in this situation - does he want to go into the hall when you arrive?  Does he try to pull you in there?  Or is the barking a kind of defence, warning off the other dogs from the stress which he feels, and he's relieved when you leave?  The solution will change, depending on what is causing it.

You might want to take him on a Gentle Leader or Halti or some kind of head collar.  This should give you more control, should he snap at the trainer or another dog, and it will also help you to control his jumping around without ending up with arms black and blue. 

Thanks for all the tips - I'll try and answer all the questions here!

We've had Freddie since the middle of October, unfortunately we know nothing about him other than he was in a pound in Ireland for a few weeks, then in a foster home in this country for 3 days before we got him. We have been following his training plan since the start of November.  The first things we had to do were get him on serene-um tablets and get a DAP diffuser to calm him down, which we've done (neither seem to have any effect at all!).  We also had to clicker train him, and teach him the "leave" and "watch me" commands - he does these brilliantly in the house and back garden, both with a lead on and without.  We use a gentle leader on him, but he still pulls and flips about on the end of the lead! 

According to the behaviourist who came to our house and at the training class, his reaction is purely down to fear.  He's so bad though that I can't even stand and have a conversation with someone, when there are no dogs about, without him barking and growling at them. When I was talking to the trainer last week, she didnt look at him and was throwing treats to him, but he still went ballistic.

Their beds are in the utility room, so they can take themselves away for some peace and quiet, but Fred won't go there, he has to be where I am, which leads to all the barking and madness if I'm on the computer and get an email, or watch something on TV which has a dog, cat, baby, or anything else in it that makes an unusual noise.  We have a house lead and constantly put him in the conservatory until he settles down, when we bring him back and c/t him for being quiet, but all that happens is he's quiet and waits for a treat, then growls as soon as he's swallowed, then is quiet again!  I've tried staggering the length of time I make him wait for a c/t but he just goes loopy if I try to make him wait more than a second or two then the whole process starts over again!

I feel really bad for him, it must be horrific being that stressed all of the time, and he's always being shut out of the room in an attempt to make him realise he can't behave like that, and going out of the front door just about gives him a heart attack!

Hi again Val,

It can take a dog a couple of months to settle into/accept a new place as it's home, without all these extra problems that he obviously has.  When he's had his treat for being quiet in the house and then starts again, try just ignoring his barking or growling, stay calm and be as matter a fact about things as possible.

It sounds like the training class is too much for him to soon, and that he needs building up to this gradually.

With regards to him pulling on the lead - have you tried just stopping every time he starts pulling, jumping around, then when he calms down or stops pulling, treat and walk on.  This method is time intensive and will take a lot of repitition but can be very successful.  Is the gentl leader a good fit on him - doesn't move into his eyes or anything when he starts jumping around?

Try not to force him into situations that he feels uncomfortable in - it's much better to work up to things slowly.  Clicker training can be great and if this is working with him for ""leave" and "watch me" commands then carry on with those, again building up to situations where he is less responsive to them slowly.

Lots and lots of patience and hard work will be needed but if you manage to help him feel happier and more confident it will be such a wonderful feeling.

All the best,

Karen

Oh, something else that I have heard can be great for stressed and fearful dogs, but know nothing about myself as of yet, is Ttouch massage.  Not erverybodys cup of tea, but if your desperate I don't see that it could do any harm and you never know it may help, just make sure if it is something you follow up that it is a qualified and experienced practitioner.  Maybe someone else on here will be able to advise more about that.

You can do T Touch massage yourself & what happens is the massage releases the bodies natural endorphins thus calming & removing the stress. It does work, I was very sceptical when I first learnt about it but having read & received TT myself I had my views totally changed

Have a look here http://tteam-ttouch.com/howttouch.shtml

Hi Moonmaiden,

Have you tried it on any dogs yourself - Like there was with you, there is a little bit of me that's sceptical about it, I'm hopefully going to a workshop in March so I can get an idea for myself.  I just suggested that the lady get someone professional and experienced because if she's worked up about the situation I thought maybe that might be transfering to the dog, but also if he's that worried about strangers then maybe it would be an idea for her to do some reading and give it a go herself.

I'm looking forward to learning more about it anyway.

Karen

I use it a lot on my dogs & rescue dogs & strangely enough I tend to chill out myself whilst doing it. it was explained to me that it also helps to build the relationship between masseur & dog too.

I used it on one of my cavaliers who needed an X ray & his heart was too bad for even light sedative so I did the TT & he actually fell asleep whilst they did the X rays. He was never the bravest of dogs & I used it to help him relax

A TT qualified masseur has techniques to overcome the problem with strangers & will show the owner hope to use TT themselves. LTJ is very keen on owners building relationships with their animals using TT

Val,

I'd recommend that you don't go back to the training classes until such time as he's properly settled into your home.  Its all still so new for him and he needs time to get used to the goings on of the house before anything else.  If I were you I'd concentrate on getting him used to 'vistors' to the home (a poster before me gave some good advice on how to do this).  You say he's happy with you at home (when there's no "strangers" there) and that he's happy out in the garden.  What's he like when out on a walk?  Is he happier in a 'quieter' area?  If he seems very fearful while out of the house full stop then for the time being, until he's used to you, your house, your routine and "strangers" I don't see any harm in just giving him the run of the garden for exercise.  If you know of people with dogs you could start socialising him with them (after he's settled and better with visitors).  Its just going to be a matter of taking things slowly with him but with patience and perseverance I'm sure he'll make a lovlely family pet for you :)