Nervous Yorkie I have a 3 year old Yorkie that I adopted 2 years ago. He is a very nervous dog at sounds and just about anything he starts freaking out and paces then wants to be in his pen. I don't know what to try to do with him how to calm him. He will also hide under your legs when he is scared. He will also cower down and go hide. Almost as if he has done something wrong. I am open to suggestions on how to help him. |
Aww, the poor baby. :( I have no helpful suggestions, I'm afraid. I've never had one that was nervous like that. Sounds like he's been beaten. I would just baby him a LOT. |
I do that alot and I hug him very close to make him feel secure but it just never seems to make a difference. I was told that someone before us was possibly mean to him. But I would think after 2 years in a more than loving home he would get better. But maybe not. :( |
I suppose it's just like an abused child. They take that with them for the rest of their lives. Dogs probably do too. :( |
I have not heard much feed back or if they are just a gimmick but calming or comfort bands may help .. basically it wraps around the dogs body to make them feel comforted ... Hope there are some answers for you |
Someone on here recently posted about the calming collar and how amazed they were with the results. They said they'd tried the thunder shirt as well, and it didn't do much. Here is the link for the calming collar: Herbal Calming Collars - Calming Collars A few other things you can try as well...Instead of babying the dog(which is our natural instinct), try acting confident as nothing is wrong and there is nothing to be afraid of...If the dog senses you are upset, because they are upset, they may feed off your energy and make things worse. If you are confident, it may help your pet feel more secure in your confidence. You can also try redirecting their mind somewhere else...a treat, a toy...something to get their mind out of the "fear" zone. My dog is afraid of the car and will start shaking immediately when I put him in...but I found out that he really likes putting his head out the window to catch the breeze. So I will let him hang his head out the window for a bit and he soon forgets that he's afraid of the car. |
Dispite what appears to have been an abusive situation some dogs are just nervous & fearful. When I got Sophie, at 12 weeks, I thought she was such a brave pup because she never cried or whined at night when we first brought her home. I now realize she was just too frightened to make a sound. She has always been a nervous nellie. I have to be very careful that people don't approach her as I am afraid she will nip at them. Just because she is small and cute people still want to come up and put their hands down towards her face even though she is barking at them. They would never do that to a larger dog. I wish I had an answer for you but I just try to reassure her that all is well and I do use the thundershirt for storms. Good luck with your pup. |
All of my rescues have come with different levels of nervousness. It can take a year or more to get them to calm down, but they never lost it completely. The best thing I’ve found is to not cuddle and talk ‘baby’ to them. But to calmly say, “stop, it’s ok, you’re safe, quit.” Or something similar in a normal tone and a calm manner. If being in his pen or behind you is his safe zone, then let him, but go about what you were doing and just keep repeating to him that everything is ok and that he is fine. As soon as he calms down reward with a treat or hug then, but not during his anxiety. This is what has always worked best for me. My first rescue, Annie B, was terrified of storms. The first storm that came through she woke me up attached to my face, shaking so badly I thought she was having a seizure. When I realized what it was, I turn on the tv in the bedroom & the closet light & kept telling her she was ok. She eventually became only mildly anxious during storms and to the point where I only had to tell her she was ok and place my hand on her for a few minutes. Boo, like your guy, is nervous of loud or sudden noises. When I know I’m going to make a sound that will scare him, I’ve learned to say, “Boo, Momma’s gonna make a big noise.” :p And he’ll leave the room for a few minutes. If it’s something sudden that scares us both, I don’t make a big deal of it, I just laugh and say, “Wow, that was sure a big noise.” And then go about my business. We’ve had Boo for 7 years, I don’t think this is something he’ll ever outgrow. But I don’t feel it’s because he feels unsafe with us, it’s just a part of his nature. Good luck, and keep loving him. It’s obvious he feels safe with you or he wouldn’t try to hide behind you. He may never get over it, but at least he’ll know you’ll not ‘punish’ him when he does get scare. |
I have a Yorkie I rescued 10 years ago when she was 2. She had been badly abused. She still has some issues, but has come a long way. Just this year she has started coming to me for comfort when she is afraid. Before, she would go and hide in a dark corner. We always made sure she had a nice soft bed in the corners she prefered. She still doesn't like to be held unless it's her idea. She is terribly frightened of thunder storms. Living in Arizona, we have some really noisy storms. She comes and gets in my lap, now. It took her a long time to get to that point. She hates the fly swatter too. My lap has become her haven when my sister is on fly attack. |
I have a nervous one as well. He still hates men and children, he'll cower and shake sometimes. He's ok with family now (4 years later, he was 12 mos when I got him). One thing I learned is that hugging and "comforting" is a human notion. They however feel restrained and it makes their anxiety worse. Give him a safe place to possibly hide if that's what your pup needs, or try distracting him with something fun or yummy. Like going into trick training. It may or may not work. I hope this helps! |
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