Cowering :(

[COCatMama]

Juneau has always cowered if I swear (even quietly) and it's not directed at him! He also cowers if I hiss in mock disgust on the phone with a friend. I think he must have been abused at his previous home, the poor guy. I sure have cut down cursing around the house because of him :)

[aly]

Maybe you could try giving him a treat every time after you swear. That way he might start associating those NAWTEE words with good stuff and he'll stop cowering.

Depending on your mouth though, he could get fat from this tactic :eek:

[COCatMama]

ROFL!!!!!! a little fat wouldn't hurt him anyway! he's much too skinny tho the vet says he's fine! he only weighs 50 lbs!!!!
I work at a trucking company....how much do you think I swear? let me put it to you this way, avoiding swearing HERE is a real chore for me!! *snicker*

[Hbrika]

Our Gully is a rescue and she did the cowering thing when we would try to pet her on the head.

Letting her sniff our hands and praising her with treats helped a lot but she still does it.

Now I usually let her sniff my hand then rub her tummy and scritch her back through her fur (which she really likes) until her tail goes nuts then I can rub her eye ridges like I want to.

It makes me sad to think of how she must have been treated before.

Food when you swear sounds good to me because even if you stop swearing sooner or later someone else will.
So maybe swear , lots of praise and play his favourite game and give him treats? :)

[LoudLou]

Could be tht it's just his personality?
Louie cowers sometime too when you go to pet him. I have had Louie since he was 7wks old and that boy has NEVER known pain or abuse in all his 4yrs. He is extremely spoiled and pampered but sometimes cowers just the same.

[Hbrika]

That relieves me.

I hate to think that someone beat my dog :(

I do think she was thrown down the stairs though because she is absolutely petrified of any stairway.

And it isnt a fear of new things. That dog will follow me everywhere else, in a car a lake the forest, the garage at night looking for lost tools :) You get the idea a real family hound