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Originally Posted by whitney69  I adopted my yorkie on 3/13/17. He came from a hoarding environment. He has yet to bark, doesn't give kisses and appears indifferent when I leave or return home, shakes quite a bit and jumps at the lightest noises. However, he always finds a way to sit or lay right next to me and makes eye contact. Should I be concerned or is this just his way of acclimating to his new environment? |
He's likely still traumatized by his previous lifestyle of harsh treatment, lack and no loving personal attention and has no basis for trusting anything different from what he's always known, even when right now it's beginning to seem way better. No doubt he's quite confused and likely still misses his old crate-mates and home as that's all he had for so long. I've fostered hoarded, abused dogs that came up to me with squinty eyes, wagging tail and stuck their heads under my hand for attention and then bared teeth with wide, round eyes, erect tail when they felt the touch they'd sought out, so I learned that early on most foster/adopted dogs are very often still so traumatized, confused, hurt and/or distrustful that they behave quite irrationally until they learn how to trust you. I'd continue to let him make all the overtures to which you gently respond with a light, loving touch and perhaps a surprise treat from your pocket and allow him to move away as soon as he wants. This type of gentle, psychological grooming will nurture trust in him, given time.
Continue to teach him to want to approach you if he doesn't come along normally in the trust department by getting down to his level on the floor, placing treat bits all around you and under the edges and on your legs and sit calm, confident and still as he approaches and takes his treats with no talk or touching until he's happily coming to and on you with soft, relaxed eyes, a squirmy body and happy tail. You'll know then that he's learning how to trust.
This is a great time to begin short sessions of happy, upbeat obedience training so that he learns that by doing what you teach him greatly pleases you and forms a wonderful team to which he's a bona fide member. Obedience training with quick, happy, smiling praises, happy dances and treats shows him how smart he is and he knows he will always be celebrated for his wonderful achievements. The oxytocin levels and the loving pleasure he feels from your beneficial communication in obedience training quickly become addicting to him and propel him to love and crave those nurturing sessions.
Once he actually trusts you and his new living quarters, finds nothing bad is going to happen to him there, he'll begin to take ownership of his own territory and begin to growl and bark when he senses an outside threat. LOL, this is when he can teach him the "Quiet" command, to which he'll happily respond as he'll have learned that obeying you is always a win for him. Even dogs from reputable, kind breeders don't often bark until they form trust and take personal ownership of their new territory, which can take months for some dogs, though highly motivated, more dominant or nervous dogs will occasionally bark quite soon.