PLEASE HELP! Really frightened Corgi

I just received Ace into my home today. I've noticed, and the woman who had him before pointed out to me that he isn't exactly trained well on a leash. He pulls and sits down so he doesn't have to move and I'm going to have to get him a harness so he won't pull his collar off.

Do you have any tips for me?

EDIT:

I discovered he walks fine when no one is near by. When people come near him, he tries to bolt to our door, he whines, he shakes, and he just overall is looking for a place to hide. He will not go anywhere near other people, I have to carry him if I want to take him somewhere. He's just so frightened, and it's surprising. The lady told me it's just cause he's a country dog, but this seems like something more..

Any ideas? Tips?

 

Thank you! 

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on January 28, 2011 at 9:58pm
Hi Sierra, no harness. Adjust the collar to 2 fingers gap, tether Ace to your waist, leash length equal to the bottom of your foot. Walk him, change direction often, he'll learn to pay attention to you and adjust himself according to your move.
Permalink Reply by Atlas & Trinity on January 30, 2011 at 10:50am

Loop Martingale - A collar consisting of two loops. One goes over the dog's head and a smaller loop contains the D ring for leash attachment. When the dog pulls, the collar gently tightens, preventing the dog from backing out of it. Very popular with sight hounds, it is suitable for any breed. Excellent choice for the collar escape artist! You can also add an extra D ring that doesn't tighten the collar when in use.  I got a custom collar made by collarshop.org

 

http://www.amazon.com/Buddy-System-Hands-Leash-Regular/dp/B0002ZAGH... waist leash !

 

Permalink Reply by John Wolff on February 1, 2011 at 1:56pm

http://www.mycorgi.com/forum/topics/some-info-about-collars

I removed the chain from the Martingales to save weight and noise, although I've heard that the sound of the chain clinking through the D rings is an auditory cue.

Permalink Reply by Sierra on January 30, 2011 at 2:18pm

I think I've figured out what the problem really is - he's TERRIFIED of other sounds!

I took him out this morning on the leash. He was fine with it, walked around and went potty.

Then some girls from my neighborhood came by laughing, and he bolted under my legs. It wasn't too bad, but after that some girl came running with her sandals and he ran straight for my door and started whining to go back in. He was panicked! To top it off, one woman came by to say good morning, and he lost it. 

 

When I opened to door, he ran straight for his crate and WILL NOT come out. He's too scared. He won't even come for some treats or food.

 

I believe he's just extremely skiddish, and this isn't good for my neighborhood. Any advice?

Permalink Reply by Jane on January 30, 2011 at 4:02pm

If you just got him he may just be overwhelmed with all the new experiences. I'd give him some time to adjust.

I would also look into a training class you could take with him, if he is still acting nervous it should help him with his confidence, and I'm sure the trainer will be able to provide you with additional support as well.

I use martingale collars for my dogs and love them. I would try one before going to a harness. If you look on etsy.com there are many sellers who make them in tons of nice colors and patterns if you can't find one locally.

Permalink Reply by Sierra on January 31, 2011 at 7:50pm
I'm not sure what it is - two people were playing basketball and he went extreme with his fear. He wouldn't go to the bathroom until I made sure they were out of sight, and even then he was so scared of anything that moved. He would not go back to my apartment unless I carried him because they were there; he was pulling and yanking to get away. I don't know if it's just fear or if he's naturally scared of things...?
Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on January 31, 2011 at 8:21pm
Maybe you can "set up" some quiet meet and greets with a few friends where he can  get a treat from them when he comes close? This will help him realize that people aren't "so bad"!
Permalink Reply by Sierra on January 31, 2011 at 8:23pm

When people are inside my home, he's okay. But when he steps foot outside, he'll bolt if someone comes near or even closes a door. Any little movement or sound will set him off. He's gotten to the point where he stands up to try to slip out of his collar.

 

I want to take him to a park to let people pet him, and let him realize he isn't going to get hurt.

Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on January 31, 2011 at 8:27pm
If he has never been socialized to noises crowds and things as such he probably is very scared and it will take baby steps and some time for him to learn this. I would just go very slow.  Good luck!
Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on January 31, 2011 at 8:18pm
I use the martingales for my rescues when they leave as  I have heard several stories where they spook and run. The martingale will not let him slip out.Once you get going with this you will want to NOT let him sit but keep him going but I understand your fear of that with a regular collar.I actually use these collars on mine in certain situations if I am not sure of my own dogs reactions. It may be that he was never socialized. Good luck!
Permalink Reply by Beth on January 31, 2011 at 8:49pm
I agree with Jane that it sounds like he was not socialized a lot. People who live in the country really need to make a great effort to socialize pups to noise and crowds and people when they are still only 10 or 12 weeks old, and his first owner may not have done that.

His newness is probably making a natural shyness worse. When we brought Maddie home at 4.5 years of age, she seemed very afraid of other dogs. I know she had been around lots of other dogs, so that surprised me, but after a couple weeks her fear disappeared. She was unsure of her security in her new "pack" and that made her seem more fearful than she was.

I would use the martingale collar so Ace does not get away, and for the next week or so keep outdoor activities short and positive. Try to minimize contact with noisy, yelling people.

After a week or so, I would take him someplace where only a few not-so-noisy people will be, and keep him quite far away from them so he can watch and smell and listen without feeling like they are approaching him. Maybe take him to a sleepy little store on the outskirts of town or something and hang out, or to a park that is quiet due to the time of year and sit at a park bench, feed him treats and let people walk by. Don't have strangers come up to him if he seems nervous. If he was socialized at all, you can progress to having people walk up quietly outside and talk to you but ignore the dog.

Alternately if you have a safe outdoor area (a porch or deck or patio) where you can sit and he can feel secure while watching people go by, that might work.

He's probably just a bit overwhelmed by all the new sights and sounds.
Permalink Reply by Mary and Rosie on January 31, 2011 at 10:57pm

There is a really good pamphlet called The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell, she gives step-by-step advice for helping dogs to overcome their fear of people/strangers. Best of luck to you, keep us posted

                                                                                               Mary

 

Here's a link for the pamphlet on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Cautious-Canine-Patricia-McConnell-Ph-D/dp/18...

 

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