My New Dog Won’t Come to Me!

This topic really depends on the dog and its past history; where it has been and things or people that have been experienced. If your dog has come from the humane society, you may find many issues once you get your new fur baby home. Most dogs can be rehabilitated; however, it is very important to set rules in place immediately! I cannot stress this enough for any dog owner. If rules are not put into place, the dog becomes confused and will begin a “take-over,” meaning the dog will become the ruler over you. That’s another story, though. This story hinges from a client of mine who got her little dog from the humane society, a very sweet little Chihuahua named Jan. Coming home she was very quiet, reserved, and of course afraid. Once the client got little Jan home, well things changed. Jan was not aggressive or anything like that, she just went under the bed and refused to come out. Weeks went by with little Jan and the owner was becoming frustrated. I went in prepared with the idea she could bite me if I pushed too hard, so I took my time. Once the owner caught the dog, I began to work with her. Within 30 minutes, Jan was following the owner around the entire yard and walking on the leash like a pro! It was simply a trust issue. You have to think of how many owners this dog could have already experienced in her life, and how often she was not shown affection or even held or yelled out which would cause her to cower. Today, little Jan is thriving. She knows who she can trust and has a fantastic forever life.