Timid rescue sheltie

S

squall

Forums Regular
Hi everyone,

New to the forums as you can see, but not new to Shelties. I've had one prior to this Rescue dog. I had my first Sheltie from a puppy and had a very happy 13.5 years together. Unfortunately in August health issues took him away.

Yesterday I picked up a rescue dog. He is a very timid little guy. Very sweet, but just very scared. Previously he was tied outside to a tree with no collar...just a wire.

So far I've had a hard time on walks, namely getting him to actually go potty. He hasn't done so yet. It's not been THAT long, since I just got him home at around 3:30pm Saturday. So just over 12 hours. I've taken him outside 3 or 4 times though.

When walking he is just very frightened, and if I stop he just keeps running behind me and sitting down - as if he just doesn't want me to see him. If I turn around he just keeps circling to my backside. If I stand with my back to where he can't be behind me, he just sits beside me.

He has made no attempt to go. I just took him out again...and I'm rather tired, but I didn't want him to mess his crate. No luck. It's a bit cold outside to wait around for who knows how long, especially at 4:30am.

Does anyone have any advice in this situation?

He will sit with me on the couch, and slept beside me earlier while watching tv, so I don't think he is too scared of me personally.

I know it's another major transition for him and he's going to be nervous. Just wondering if there's anything I should be doing, and if anyone may have some helpful hints, etc.

This...I'm sure you can tell...is my first rescue dog.

Thanks! OH, also, I'm sure this is important to know. He is already housebroken, so he should understand what we're doing when we go outside...right? :sleepy:
 
Can you tell us more about him? How old, do you know more about his prior family? What is your home like? Do you have a fenced in yard he can go into, or a long leash you can give him some space with?

I commend you on taking in a rescue. They need people willing to spend extra time to help them come to trust us again..
 
Oh!! and pics. We LOVE pics!!

Until you're a premium member, you can only link them, but www.photobucket.com works well. Pics/videos of what he is doing could be helpful for some of the more experienced on the forum to help give advice.
 
squall said:
Hi everyone,

New to the forums as you can see, but not new to Shelties. I've had one prior to this Rescue dog. I had my first Sheltie from a puppy and had a very happy 13.5 years together. Unfortunately in August health issues took him away.

Yesterday I picked up a rescue dog. He is a very timid little guy. Very sweet, but just very scared. Previously he was tied outside to a tree with no collar...just a wire.

So far I've had a hard time on walks, namely getting him to actually go potty. He hasn't done so yet. It's not been THAT long, since I just got him home at around 3:30pm Saturday. So just over 12 hours. I've taken him outside 3 or 4 times though.

When walking he is just very frightened, and if I stop he just keeps running behind me and sitting down - as if he just doesn't want me to see him. If I turn around he just keeps circling to my backside. If I stand with my back to where he can't be behind me, he just sits beside me.

He has made no attempt to go. I just took him out again...and I'm rather tired, but I didn't want him to mess his crate. No luck. It's a bit cold outside to wait around for who knows how long, especially at 4:30am.

Does anyone have any advice in this situation?

He will sit with me on the couch, and slept beside me earlier while watching tv, so I don't think he is too scared of me personally.

I know it's another major transition for him and he's going to be nervous. Just wondering if there's anything I should be doing, and if anyone may have some helpful hints, etc.

This...I'm sure you can tell...is my first rescue dog.

Thanks! OH, also, I'm sure this is important to know. He is already housebroken, so he should understand what we're doing when we go outside...right? :sleepy:
Click to expand...

We also had this very strange behavior with the chocolate lab we took in. Kasey went almost a whole day & half before she piddled outside. She just would not go. Although no messes in the house,once she found her spot that she wanted to go outside,she did go.

We walked her every hour,in hopes of seeing her go,but I do think it was just the fact she knew nothing other than going on a cement floor (shelter) that she did not know what to make of all the grass. She also was housebroken.

I take it you were able to get a collar on him,poor babe to no nothing other than being wired to a tree. He is just probably so scared.


Maybe try a longer lead,so he's not so close to you when he shows signs of sniffing & finding his spot. Those training leads are quite long,although some juggling on your part to keep it all tethered in,so he,or you do not get all wrapped up in it. And just some good positive vibes,and reasurring words,he'll come around. It's a whole new world to him.

How much has he ate or drank? Did the shelter give you any idea on times he usually eats? If he has'nt ate in a bit,or even drank any amount,he may just not have to go. Eventually what goes in..must come out.
 
Luka didn't go until the night I got him. I finally put some ice in his water to make it more fun to drink and he lapped up so much, his bladder was full.

Not knowing the background of the dog, I would probably give him a treat while you're outside. Just a small piece of a piece coupled with a "good dog" so that he can start to associate outside with a positive thing.
 
I think Michelle suggestion of a long training lead is a good one for the potty situation, along with Lukabear's full bladder. Use ice or chicken broth to get him to really drink before you go out.

The running behind you to 'hide' behavior is interesting. Since you're so new to each other, I think it may resolve on its own. A very timid dog probably needs to be introduced to new people and situations in a very controlled manner. I suggest keeping him on a lead in the house, so that he right next to you all the time. Then, when you try walking outside, if he still runs to hide behind you, lure him into a heel position on your left with a treat. Make that position the most enjoyable and profitable one for him.
 
First off, thanks for the advice and encouragement.

Second, here is the link to his profile on the rescue web page. His name was Razzle, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to rename him Apollo. The rescue gave him his current name just a month ago, so I don't think he's too attached. His foster mother told me to give him a new "respectable" name. Haha. He has a bad haircut, can't really tell in the pictures, but when rescued his fur was apparently very matted, so it was cut off. So it's unevenly colored, and uneven length, and all pretty short. Hopefully it grows back in quickly!
http://www.rosas.rescuegroups.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=2045917

I got up this morning, and took him out again for 1.25 hours. He sometimes would seem a little more comfortable but mostly still want to just sit behind me when I stop walking. If he shows interest in something and starts smelling, which he doesn't do much of...then I stop to let him have his time to go. As soon as I stop though, it seems he thinks he has to come over and sit. I feel like he might think I'm going to punish him if he goes.

That being said, I'm also worried to just leave him tied up and not close by...because of his background. I don't want him to think he's being tied up and left outside again. I have 2 different leashes. I started with my old leash from my previous sheltie. One of the retractable type, to try to let him get some distance. I had similar results with it, although he would go out farther...he also would run back behind me as soon as I stopped. The main reason I switched to leash #2 (just a regular 5 foot nylon leash) is that the retraction mechanism makes a clicking noise when he gets to the end of it and it gets pulled. The clicking scares him and he comes running back.

He has eaten a serving of food. Yesterday he did throw up after the 3.5 hour drive home from Kentucky. So that's where some of the food went. Not sure he has drank much water though. Maybe I just gotta get more into him...and wait.

Other than this issue, things aren't going too badly. Inside he just wants to sit with me and watches TV very intently. He is a bit jumpy, but hopefully that fades soon. He seems very sweet, and I think eager to please...but I think he doesn't understand that I WANT him to go. I've tried to use different words outside in case one is familiar...but no luck.

Lastly, here is also a picture of my previous sheltie, Dakota.
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb131/squall_ishida/dakota/2000_0068.jpg

Thanks again! I know I shouldn't get frustrated so soon, but it's hard to see a sheltie that seems to have a great heart be so scared and anxious about everything...he hasn't even barked once. So strange for a sheltie, but maybe once he's comfortable he'll start speaking...probably a lot!
 
Welcome to the forum. My Angel is a rescue sheltie. Although we didn't have any issue with her going potty outside we did have an issue with her running behind me and hiding during the walk. It worked itself out over time. Now she is wonderful on a leash. She tends not to use the walk as potty time now but more as energy release. She stays focused ahead and just enjoys the walk. Cars still intimidate her. We continue to work on getting her to ignore them. (she wants to chase them). Christmas lights this year seemed to spook her a bit but over all she does very well. With Angel I think it took time for her to trust that she wasn't going to be given away and that I wouldn't let anything happen to her. Love and time seem to be the best medicine for rescues.
 
You could try using a clothesline. Those are long and light but also strong. And they're cheap. I think some dogs don't like to do their business with an audience.
 
Razzle/Apollo looks very alert and quite handsome! At 3 years, he may have a lot of rough memories to overcome. Hang in there :)
 
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