Michelle in MI
05-23-2004, 12:48 AM
We adopted a 5 month old puppy (Lucky) this past Wednesday and for the most part he has been great. He is simply amazing with the kids. He doesn't jump up or play rough, he is almost completely potty trained, he has no food aggression issues and he allows you to put your hands in his mouth, roll him over, and examine his ears....all while remaining totally calm. However, he is afraid of my husband and he barks at him whenever he walks into the room. He is wary of strangers in general, but he really seems to be afraid of men.
Lucky was slated to be used as a bait dog in order to teach other dogs to fight. He was rescued during a police raid and put into foster care. We know he suffered some abuse at the hands of his previous owner (a man) but we don't know all the details. Lucky's foster mom says he just needs time to get comfortable, but it really bothers me that he barks at my husband like he does. I'm afraid he will bite him or that he will become aggressive with the kids. Today he started barking like crazy at our neighbors when they came to the fence to see him and there was nothing I could do to calm him down until they left. I guess my question is, does anybody know whether or not Lucky can get over his fear of men, including my husband, or is this something he will be dealing with forever? My husband gives him special treats and has taken over feeding him in an effort to earn his trust. We don't want to give up on him yet, but we talked to a few people in the neighborhood today that said they have had rescue dogs before and the dogs never got over their fears. What should we do?!
Michelle :confused:
Lucky was slated to be used as a bait dog in order to teach other dogs to fight. He was rescued during a police raid and put into foster care. We know he suffered some abuse at the hands of his previous owner (a man) but we don't know all the details. Lucky's foster mom says he just needs time to get comfortable, but it really bothers me that he barks at my husband like he does. I'm afraid he will bite him or that he will become aggressive with the kids. Today he started barking like crazy at our neighbors when they came to the fence to see him and there was nothing I could do to calm him down until they left. I guess my question is, does anybody know whether or not Lucky can get over his fear of men, including my husband, or is this something he will be dealing with forever? My husband gives him special treats and has taken over feeding him in an effort to earn his trust. We don't want to give up on him yet, but we talked to a few people in the neighborhood today that said they have had rescue dogs before and the dogs never got over their fears. What should we do?!
Michelle :confused: