Acclimating an older corgi

My fiancé has a corgi named Bart. He's 10 and he's a very anxious little guy. Ryan the fiancé got him when he was a year and a half old and he had been abused. He was terrified of everyone, women especially. Bart thinks Ryan is the center of the universe and wants nothing more than to be at his side. It took the first year of dating for Bart to get comfortable enough to take a treat from my hand and another year after that to greet me at the door and play with me a little. I can handle going slow. Bart is also handicapped, an injury to his spine(calcification of spinal fluid or something in near his spinal cord) was fixed as best they could but Bart's back end is a little wobbly and he can't do stairs. They just moved into my house. This is a good thing for Bart, I have carpet and no stairs so he can get traction and run around and go wherever he wants. I also have a yard he loves. Phew, so that's the background! Now the question...

If Bart gets anxious, he chews up something of mine. If I find it and pick it up and look at him he runs and hides. If I say something ( not yell or even speak in a firm voice but just a quiet disappointed voice) he pees. If Ryan does it, which is how we handle now, he just hides. We can't figure out what is triggering the anxiety so we can't fix it. He has his crate which is left available for him ( that's his safe place and he hangs out there a lot). Is there things we can do or idles he just need time? He's been doing this hes been coming to my house over the last couple of years so it's not a new thing.

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Permalink Reply by Lynne Cerny on November 20, 2011 at 11:04am

I have an anxious corgi and what I found works very well is calm shen. It takes a while to build up in their system, but I had a corgi who was very timid around everyone.... that turned in to a happy corgi around people she knows and now even willing to go up to strangers. My vet recommended it and I love how it works!!! Sally still isn't like my Corgi that was never abused and we've had from a pup but she is so much better now!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Herbsmith-Calm-Herbal-Blend-grams/dp/B002KBP4...

PS: The herbsmith smiling dog treats my corgis love!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on November 20, 2011 at 12:18pm

It's hard with older scared Corgi rescues. My Teddy will still go and find a place out of the way to "get away from it all". Any loud voices and he shivers...we just live with it and he does occasionally mark what is his. Do you have a hallway or area that you can make his "safe" place and put his kennel and toys there so he can find quiet? Bart...just like Teddy( a puppy mill survivor) can't tell us how we can help so we just try to make him a comfortable place and gate him off when he wants to get away from it all. Good luck...he is very lucky to have a good home! Maybe treats from you when he is doing well might be a positive thing for him.

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on November 20, 2011 at 2:18pm

Sounds like your botfriend is a "keeper"! Good for him! As for Bart, be calm, continue to give him a safe place and "pick up your stuff". He is probably trying to get used to you by going after stuff that smells like you.