[Dailydrool] Martha and Abner

[Pamela McQuade]

Martha:

I know how frustrating it can be to deal with a fearful hound. Our 
Horton is a carbon copy of your Abner, except that he does not bark as 
long as Abner does.



Understand that overcoming fears takes a long time. You and your husband 
probably know how that is. If a person loses your trust, it takes a long 
time to reestablish it. I would not be surprised if Abner was abused. If 
he was, naturally he's going to avoid something he believes has been 
untrustworthy. In Horton's life, that's most people, but especially men 
with baseball caps on. We are working hard with him to get him to trust 
again. I am certain Horton was abused, especially since his brother 
Buddy, who came into rescue with him, has some of the same issues, 
including the baseball cap one.



I recommend three books about dealing with fearful dogs, since it's 
obvious fear is Abner's problem.



A Guide to Living With and Training a Fearful Dog, by Debbie Jacobs

Help for Your Shy Dog, by Deborah Wood

The Cautious Canine: How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears, by Patricia 
B. McConnell



The first two authors, who are also trainers, describe how they have 
dealt with fear in their personal dogs. Patricia McConnell has a PhD in 
animal behavior, and her pamphlet (for it is quite short) simply 
outlines the behavioral method you will need to use. In concert with the 
other two books, it's very helpful, since all the directions are in one 
smaller place. But if you want encouragement and inspiration, you will 
find more them in the other books.



I would tell your husband not to worry if Abner will not take the treats 
from his hand. Horton goes back and forth with my husband, Drew. 
Sometimes he will come right up to him, especially if he's lying down or 
sitting back in a chair. These are less threatening positions. But if 
Drew stands, Hort often barks. Also, if your husband stands with his 
back to Abner or stands sideways, it is less likely to be threatening. 
Though we have had Horton more than a year, he is still working on 
trusting Drew. Drew was working two states away and only at home on 
weekends, so they had little contact, which did not help them bond 
quickly. Since Drew came home in November, they have been working at 
confidence building, but it all has to go at Horton's rate. If Hort is 
not comfortable coming close, Drew throws the treats. Soon Horton starts 
coming nearer. That trust thing seems to go back and forth, and it takes 
a lot of patience. Drew too gets discouraged. But I try to show him that 
if he were in Horton's shoes, he would not rush to be friends. Your role 
in this probably will be one of encourager for both sides.



Another thing you may need to be aware of is that it's good to train the 
dog in all kinds of places, not just one spot in the home. Drew mostly 
does this in our living room, so Horton has not always carried over the 
love to other rooms. Dogs do not learn the way we do and a command given 
in one place may not automatically work in another. So try doing the 
training in as many spots as possible.



I would also suggest that you have your vet prescribe some medications 
that will help. If, as with my vet, this is not possible, have a 
behaviorist visit you. It is not all that expensive to have a 
behaviorist in, and the medication may help Abner to learn more easily. 
Even so, it is likely to take time to build the trust.



I think this kind of situation's very hard on the person whom the dog 
does not accept. Horton bonded to me within twenty-four hours, but it 
hurts to see how he will not trust Drew, who has never harmed him. I can 
only believe that Drew's larger size and louder voice cause more fear. 
Drew also yells a lot more than I do, and Horton seems most fearful of 
him after one of these episodes. It does not matter that Drew was 
yelling at the cat, who was getting into trouble, or getting mad at the 
computer. Horton takes it all to himself.



Encourage your husband to be patient. He might want to read HELP FOR 
YOUR SHY DOG, since there are many encouraging stories in there.



I always tell Drew he's not the one Horton is responding to, it's 
someone in Hort's past who did awful things to him. Still, it's sad that 
Drew has to pay the price for the awful person who hurt him.

Pam McQuade, food slave to the Dashing Bassets (who once also had an 
Abner)