The little pup that wants to?

[haver79]

About 2 1/2 weeks ago this little guy entered our household. The couple that had him are divorcing. She is from Australia and she needed to find a home for him as she was moving back there. My daughter owns a sibling to this one and so she called on her to beg her to take him. She agreed. She met with her the afternoon before she flew home. This dog was absolutely, pitifully, terrified. She gave us his wire crate and food etc. He cowered in his crate and shook for hours.
It was obvious my daughter couldn't take him home as she has his brother and a very energetic blue healer. Way to much for this dog to handle. So guess what, I felt so bad for him I agreed to take him.
Here is the little stinker.

I had to beg DH to let me try to give this a try. He wanted no part of this dog and his issues. I have never had a dog so timid. I don't think he was abused. Just must be his breeding. Half pom, half pappion. She said he didn't like heights. Didn't like to be picked up. (so sit down to cuddle) She also said he didn't do well on a leash. (understatement!!)
So I have turned my screened in porch into his personal kennel. He does very well with pee pads. So it is tolerable to have him on the porch. He sleeps in the house at night, out on the porch during the day. Sometimes challenging to get him into the house. He is scared of my husband and I think thats the problem there. I cannot take him outside to potty until I am sure that if something scared him he would not take off. If he did, he would probably be killed by coyotes.
So I guess I'm just venting a little as I have been a bit stressed. (daughter is also getting married at the end of June)
We have made progress. He is happy to see me, crys and barks when I leave him to go tend to something els. Even acts playful when I'm gone for awhile. But no touching. I have yet to pet him. Trying to take it slow. I'm also trying to spend as much time with him as I can but hard to do right now. Needless to say the pond and other spring chores are not being tended to like normal. lol
I am being patient but what have I gotten myself into!

 

[Lisak1]

Oh my! What a sweet face. I think you will win him over with patience and kindness.

 

[addy1]

What a beautiful little pup. Treats work wonders, have a pocket full of just little ones. I cut up the bacon begging strips into 1 inch pieces. Our stubborn smart yorkie is treat driven. She got one every time she did her thing outside, now she dances to go out and pee so she gets her treat.

I had a abused sheltie, I saved from the pound, treats being offered for the slightest show of interest to me really helped.

 

[michey1st]

We have 2 Papillions and I can totally sympathize! They are a definite handful. They were originally bred to sit on the lap of French royalty and bark if they hear something. Mine bark at practically ANYTHING. Leaves rustling outside... BARK BARK. Bug tapping on the window... BARK BARK. It. Never. Stops. The good news is they are very affectionate and playful. And as Addy suggests, they respond well to treats. Your pup is GORGEOUS... with some patience and stability, I am sure she will come around!

 

[Tula]

Awwww, poor little pup...and you two. You're both going through an adjustment period. Keep things simple and routine, it will help both of you This from a lady with 7 dogs and works in dog rescue!

 

[C-Note]

So good of you to take him on, and to have such patience and optimism! I'm willing to bet he'll turn out to be a really sweet and happy little pal after a while. Best of luck!! I feel like your approach is good... not forcing yourself on him, or asking too much of him. Just giving him the time and space to adjust to a new lifestyle.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

He is so cute and you are wonderful for taking him in and giving him a home

I look forward to updates

 

[sissy]

My puddles was abused and I could tell he was cowering and every time you went to pet him he would lay flat on the floor and shiver .He was skinny and would not even eat .He came home to a pitbull and my other chi. and now he knows love .But is still afraid of being beaten if you raise your hand or talk load .He will only let you cuddle him if seated .

 

[haver79]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I will keep you posted on the progress.

 

[Dave 54]

Haver we take in recue cats Betty being just the latest of a long line of cats all rescued.
My point is with recue animals you also have to take on what they have been rescued from Suki who we sadly lost to moth cancer a year ago was a total mess when she arrived , [we were her fourth owners in two years] with at least one of those people who had prior owned her having maltreated her..
We turned her around with one hell of alott of TLC but even then she had periods of depression so you may well not cure all of her ills but at least your giving it a go and I wish you the very best in this .
I know LisaK1 is one who doesnt like my use of the words experts or books[hopefully she will forgive me this time], but by reading books and talking to the experts we really worked on her issues and it was a pleasure to see her come out of her shell.
In the short time we had her "6 years", she bacame apart from these bouts of depression a totally different cat .
Keep on in there with her and she will respond in kind that I promise you .

Dave

 

[snoozer]

Time and patience. One day you will realize that he has started trusting you. My son brought home a schnauzer/yorkie mix (best guess) in October. The poor guy came from a hoarding situation and was terrified of every sound and movement. It took him a couple months before he stopped hiding when he heard something. He is just now starting to play with my son. With your little guy it may help to not make eye contact with him. You will be much less threatening that way. All my critters are rescues, 3 dogs and 4 cats. Best of luck and thank you for taking in the fur baby.

 

[haver79]

We have 2 Papillions and I can totally sympathize! They are a definite handful. They were originally bred to sit on the lap of French royalty and bark if they hear something. Mine bark at practically ANYTHING. Leaves rustling outside... BARK BARK. Bug tapping on the window... BARK BARK. It. Never. Stops. The good news is they are very affectionate and playful. And as Addy suggests, they respond well to treats. Your pup is GORGEOUS... with some patience and stability, I am sure she will come around!

Mickey its funny you mention the barking. He also came with a little bark collar. She said he would bark like crazy at squirrels. I wondered to myself why anyone would put a bark collar on a dog with his timid personality. But they lived in town and I suppose had to keep the barking down for the neighbors. I'm in the country so he can bark his little head off if he wants. lol as long as its not in the middle of the night. Plus he lived with his mother and another sibling which probably added to his stress of not having them with him. The husband kept those two. He is a truck driver and planned on taking them with him when he drove. Wife was worried he wouldn't be able to handle two of them.

 

[addy1]

My yorkie barks at the squirrels she sees eating in our deck squirrel feeder, barks at the hot air balloons flying over, but is quite usually, unless someone rings the door bell.
When she is out being walked and sees rabbits, she goes into stalk hunt mode, no barking but that slow sneak one foot at a time. So much fun to watch her. They run just far enough to sit and look back at her for her next sneak attack.

 

[michey1st]

Mickey its funny you mention the barking. He also came with a little bark collar. She said he would bark like crazy at squirrels. I wondered to myself why anyone would put a bark collar on a dog with his timid personality. But they lived in town and I suppose had to keep the barking down for the neighbors. I'm in the country so he can bark his little head off if he wants. lol as long as its not in the middle of the night. Plus he lived with his mother and another sibling which probably added to his stress of not having them with him. The husband kept those two. He is a truck driver and planned on taking them with him when he drove. Wife was worried he wouldn't be able to handle two of them.

We tried a bark collar and it didn't work.... that's how rambunctious one of our two is. And once he starts barking, the other one starts. We call it the "Canine cacophany". The good news is they both sleep like the dead, unless there's an obviously loud, out of the ordinary noise. Makes for a great theft deterrent system, and in a tiny, cute little Papillion package!

 

[haver79]

Well we are making some progress! He now goes outside regularly with me. Loves to be outside. And loves to bark. Barks like a little fool immediately EVERY time I let him out. So trying to be quiet in the morning isn't happening. Follows me all over the yard what ever I'm doing. Comes when I call him. But still no petting. He will jump on my legs and smell my hands, take treats easily but not yet there with the petting. He still doesn't like to be around hubby but more at ease around him outside. (freedom to flee if necessary. lol)