New rescue dog

We have recently brought home a new rescue to join our 2 other dogs. we have had our great dane female for 6 years and our greyhound for 5 years. our new female is 2 1/2 years old. she is deathly afraid of everything. she won’t come when called. she just stands and shakes. The previous owner apparently was not the nicest person. how do we get her to warm up to us? also, when she was sitting by me she growled and showed her teeth to our great dane. is this normal? Pg

Answer #1

Unfortunately your good intention might cost you along the way. I can be remedied but you might need professional help. I work in a humane society and I always advise people with pets to bring them to meet the perspective pet just to make sure they will be a good fit. Meeting each other for the first time shoud be in a neutral environment. Its not fair to the pet you have at home to now be in fear of the new guy and likewise to the pet you brought home. Pets who exhibit fear to me are the worst because fear biters seem sad and meek and can mislead you to believe you can do it on your own and in fact he could hurt you family or even your pets. Not to say there is no hope but there is definately going to be a lot of time, patience, and commitment on your part to ensure the safety and happiness of all your family member including the humans. I have done this quite a few times and I have lots of experience on this subject. Each rescue is different and when you rescue you can never know all of the history…Find a professional and start from there. Good luck.

Answer #2

First…give her time to acclimate…the scared-er they are, the longer it takes…Her growling at the Dane, may simply be possessiveness over you…so you can certainly tell her…”NO…shhht” As long as you come off as pack leader, she will learn that it’s not ok to “possess” the alpha…ONLY the “alpha” can possess something… It will also take some time to work out the pecking order within the dogs themselves…Don’t feel bad if she ends up at the top of the ladder, simply because everyone else has been there longer…longevity isn’t a concern with dogs…Dogs are happy to have a pecking order, no matter who it is at the top (that is, of course, as long as you are the ONLY alpha)…

Time…and patience…

You did good…thank you for taking her in!!

phrannie

Answer #3

that behavior is normal, dogs don’t always warm up quickly it could take years. don’t pressure the dog just give her time and hopefully she will come around. however; there is the possiblity that the dog won’t work out, in this case you should look for a loving home like yours where she would be the only dog. good luck and best wishes

Answer #4

I’m glad to hear you rescued a dog and didn’t buy one from a Pet Store or Breeder. So good for you. :)

It will take some time for your Dog to warm up to you, but patience is Key. She may never get over it, but that’s not likely.

-Just be slow and gentle. Don’t come up behind her and freak her out. She may think you’re going to kick her or smack her.

  • When she’s asleep, gently stroke her and talk to her. Dogs love that, I volunteer at an Animal Shelter and I constantly talk to the Dogs when I’m walking them. They all bond with me quickly.

  • Play with her, and when you’re about to pet her, don’t rush your hand. Slowly bring it to her nose and let her sniff you first. Then slowly proceed.

Good Luck!

Answer #5

try giving her healthy treats to get her to come to you and let her have a little time to get used to her new environment and maybe over time she will get used to the other dog.:)

Answer #6

how wonderful! good for you! just be kind and patient. it may take a long time. I have two rescued dogs myself. one was fine right off, the other still gets nervous and it has been 3 years. with a rescued dog, you never know what was done.

Answer #7

be really nice and gentle with her – time will make things better. if you still need help, call a vetinary behaviorist.

Answer #8

I hope my answer helped!:)

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