I've just adopted Belle from CL. THey told me she was shy around strangers and would take 3 to 4 days to adjust. And they were correct.
You do need to ask as many questions as you can, to get an idea of the dog's background. Include:
- how old was she when you got her? Here, you want to learn if they got her as a puppy, if she was taken from her mom and litter mates at 8 weeks or 12 weeks. OR maybe they got her at age 2 years, then you know she had a prior owner. This was the response for my Belle.
Follow up: so now, I want to learn what they know about the prior owner. I learned Belle lived with a little boy, a 2d baby arrived when the boy was 2 years old, and the mom couldn't manage. She told them she would be changing the baby and turn to see the 2 year old carrying Belle by her ears with her screaming. OK so now I know she was abused by a child when SHE was young. The younger the dog when things happened, the more impact it has. An older dog will learn that one person can't be trusted. A younger dog learns either children can't be trusted (my Tasha), or unknown people can't be trusted = Belle.
So your questions will be tiered, based on the answer you get. Have the follow up ready, based on the reply you get.
- do you walk her on leash? Here, you are getting into her socialization. Has she always been at home in the yard with family, and only goes to the vet, or does she go to family events, walks in the park, walks at doggie places. You want to learn if she pulls on the leash, if she sniffs on a walk (curious or inhibited), and you are also learning about what physical condition she is in. So you will know if she is ready to do a 2 mile walk, or do you need to build up, let her muscles adjust as well as her paw pads.
- does she enjoy rides in the car? This tells you if she gets car sick, but is also part of the above, lets you know how often they take her out. Does she ride in a crate, or do they use a seat belt (that is what I use). Some of this may not apply to a dog the size of an Aussie, please remember I come from a small dog background!
- does she like to play with a ball, or with squeaky toys? Now you will learn what will get her attention, help you interact with her, and reward her. Remember, in training, some dogs work for treats others work for a chance to play with their fave toy.
- have you ever taken her to any classes? Gives you more info on the sort of socialization she has had, was it group classes or at home? You may learn they had a trainer come to the home because she bit someone.
A 'shy' dog may get into fear aggression. So you need to keep this in mind and try to worm out of the owners if she has ever bitten anyone, or if she is the sort to run under a bed and hide (this is Belle). And, just because she bit someone ONCE ( my Tasha), you need to sort out the circumstances, before you decide if you can work with the dog or not.
During all this conversation, you will be learning about the people, if they are open and upfront, or if they are 'hiding' something about the dog. Belle's owners were very open and up front about stuff. We sat on the ground with Belle, and we talked for 45 minutes, while I attempted to work up to touching her. BTW, I did not get to touch her until she had been with me 24 hours. Now, 6 days later, she is snuggled in my lap as I am typing this.
- what sort of home are you looking for, for this dog? This will help you figure out if you have the right life style, and it tells you if they know about dogs, or not really. If they don't know much about dogs, you will have to sort out for yourself what is good for the dog. For Belle, the family told me they wanted a home with no children, with a 'pack' in place for her to join. They told me Belle needs a calm environment, with routine as the base. As we talked, they liked that I had experience working with a puppy mill rescue (Tasha). Belle was lucky, these people really knew something about dogs, so they could try to get her in a good place. Now, if the folks really can't tell you much about what is best for the dog, this tells you something too. That living with these folks, this dog has not had much understanding, so she will be very open to you working with her -- she will bask in the attention!
Once you have the dog: let her adjust at her own pace, especially during the first week. Use treats and praise as rewards. Belle refused to eat anything for the first 36 hours. So I really was limited in what I could do with her until she calmed down. I found that taking her on long walks helped her burn off her nervous energy so at least she could settle and sleep at night.
Training treats should be high value, things she does not get at any other time. I use cut up bits of hot dog -- SMALL bits. One hot dog makes 66 to 80 pieces. Also I use cut up cheddar cheese, and boiled boneless skinless chicken breast. Using kibble is a no no. That would not be high value. For an Aussie training is easier. Belle is 7 pounds, too many treats and she is full for the day!
You can't make a decision about if this dog needs to attend some group obedience classes until you've had her and worked with her a bit - maybe 3 to 5 weeks. So keep in mind you may need to do that. Or maybe it won't be needed.
I hope this helps! Feel free to ask me any questions, or clarify anything.
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bless you for taking her in. given her history cant say i blame her for being timid/shy. poor girl.
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