Thanks, Flake! I appreciate you taking the time to write that out for everyone. There's a lot of excellent information there, and it makes a lot of sense.
My new rescue pup is a 5 year-old male. As ths story goes (and there's really no way to know for sure...), he was a breeder stud and has lived in a kennel complex for the past 4 years. He was no longer working out, and the breeder was going to put him down. A local rescue found out about him and took him in.
He was neutered a couple of months ago--that I know for certain, as the scars are fresh. He's extremely timid and seems pretty overwhelmed by everything at this point. I think it's sensory overload. All the sudden he's going for walks, riding in the car, being carried and handled much more than he seems accustomed to. The way he dances to avoid my feet when I walk leads me to believe he's been kicked a few times, too. But I feel like I am gaining his trust, slowly but surely.
I've never been big on crates myself, but this little guy seems to really like his for the time being. I think it gives him security at this point, with all the changes going on around him. He's actually in the crate asleep right now. I close the door when he goes in but I never latch it, so he can push his way out with his nose if he chooses to. Perhaps he hasn't figured that out yet. He seems to only go in there when he's tired, or when I tell him "no" about something. (I think the word "no" is the only command he recognizes.)
So...there's some background. I'll probably use a combination of your ideas and the crate ideas, since he seems to enjoy his quiet time in his crate anyway. Any other suggestions you might have are certainly welcome and appreciated.
Thanks again,
addy |