I got a dog about a year ago. He has special needs. How do I train him?

Question

He's a small dog and he hates being yelled at. He comes and sits but he doesn't know who to trust anymore because he was abused. How do I get him to stop nipping at people and snapping?

Answer 1

oh boy, sounds like my girl.

The answer to this queston will fill several books, and take a lot of patience and several years.

The main thing is to use nothing but POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT.  Always reward him for good behavior, IGNORE (do not scold) for unwanted behavior.  Initiate your petting from below the chin level, then move your hand slowly to the shoulder and neck.  If he is not trusting, he probably doesn't like being petted on the head.  When training, speak the command firmly but not loud.  Reward with a good boy, a smile a spread of your arms if he even looks like he is thinking about what you said.  That's positive reinforcement.

My dog had been abused and feared everyone.  She would shake so much with strangers or in strange places, I joked about her causing the next 6.7 earthquake.  She absolutely hated obedience school because commands were spoken loud and sharp.  I found agility, where we worked together on the couse, and she absolutely loved it.  There, she developed her confidence, met friends (pups and people), and got lots of exercise to boot.  She leared to trust me most of all, and to trust that I would protect her from "bad things" so she learned to relax and let me take care of all the evil in her world.  I've had her 8 years now, and while she still doesn't trust a lot of people, she does come out to say hi, see who's here, then she goes to her safe haven and relaxed.  

Oh, almost forgot -- safe haven.  There must be one place in the house where he can go and no one is allowed to bother him, not even look at him.  You, the master or alpha dog, can go to him in this place, but tell everyone else that if he is in that safe place, they must totally ignore the dog.  My girl's safe place is her bed (she has one in almost every room of the house).  If she is on the bed, no non-family are allowed to touch her or look her in the eye.  Then she relaxes, comes from the bed to them and initiates the contact.  So, she indicates that she trusts these people enough to venture from the safe place.

See, told you it was not simple.  

Really, you should ask around, especially of people who have had a LOT of experience working with timid dogs.  Timid dogs are scared and non-trusting, and you don't want to shift that non-trust into a fear that makes the dog aggressive and a biter (the severe reaction to mistrust).

Good luck.  Worked with correctly, the dog will outgrow its problems, and you two will have a wonderful time together.

Answer 2

In your situation I would Call an animal shelter, they are happy to help free of charge on training needs and advice. Or go to the RSPCA web site im sure they have pages on training different types of dogs.

Here follow this link you can call or email (if you dont like in the UK still Email). Fill out the questionare

http://www.battersea.org.uk/help_advice/...

Answer 3

Of course he hates being yelled at.

I can't think of anyone or anything that likes it, can you?

That only means you need to get some new training techniques.

Because he's been abused, and because of the snapping issues, I really recommend a trainer.

Another alternative is a book or video from the library, but a trainer will work with you 1 on 1 and solve his issues.  You could make him worse if you don't handle him correctly.

Answer 4

It might help to have some friends over, and have them quietly and subtly offer him something yummy, like tiny bits of cooked chicken, so that he associates people with goodness.

Also, if you have company, just ignore him. Try not to comfort him to much, or hold him or anything, because this could be telling him that he should worry and be scared.

You could also try to contact a qualified trainer in your area. You might be able to find someone really good, that's willing to work hard for this case.

Answer 5

I think you just have to consistentaly show him love.  When dogs feel loved they want to please you.  Here are some links to some training tips for abused dogs:

http://www.lucythewonderdog.com/train-ab...

http://home.ivillage.com/pets/dogs/0,,mh...

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content...

Answer 6

There are a few issues in your question... if you're yelling at him much more than "NO!" if he is doing something bad, then you're yelling too much.  (don't hate, just saying)

If he's both been abused, and is nipping and snapping at people, it could be anything from a fear reaction to a territoriality/dominance reaction... it sounds too complex to answer here IMO.  I'd find yourself a dog behaviorist and see what they have to say.

Answer 7

Abused animals need so much more attention and patience. You have to earn his trust if you haven't already. Once he loves you and understands you can protect him, slowly introduce him to new people, (BUT ONLY if you know how to do so). You can always look up dog training tips on the net and there is shows on Like the "Dog Whisperer" and "It's Me or the Dog" that you could learn from and use the tips to help your dog meet people. Eventually over time he will become comfortable with people and move on from his abuse trauma. Best of luck.