My furry kids!

[Bettanewbie60]

Originally Posted by dramaqueen

Billy, you'll have to post pics of your puppy when you get it.
Bettanewbie, those dogs are so lucky to have found such a good home with lots of love.

Thanks DQ...I love them sooo much! I posted the other day how I feel guilty that we were really unable to get Casey to socialize, she had been so traumatized. But, she does have a good life here with us, and she and Cody love each other.

[Shirleythebetta]

It's hard to socialize a tramatized pooch. My sister has one that hates kids and other dogs. You are giving him a good situation and the socialization may come in time.

[Bettanewbie60]

Originally Posted by Shirleythebetta

It's hard to socialize a tramatized pooch. My sister has one that hates kids and other dogs. You are giving him a good situation and the socialization may come in time.

Yeah, Casey is just scared of everyone except us. If we have company, and they don't push her, she relaxes enough to not worry me. However, she has big issues with most men, children, and other dogs. I don't know exactly what she went through, be even after a year with us she cowers if I pick up the broom, or if there is a loud unexpected noise...Poor baby. I'm just glad she has two people in her life that she trusts anyways.

[Shirleythebetta]

That's the important thing. Just be careful to look for signs of agression. My sisters dog is very agressive with kids and strangers. See, I raised this puppy which makes me feel aweful. She was never around strangers or kids for the first two months of her life and my sister doesn't have kids either and is a housewife so, long story short, we screwed her up and now we have to fix her. She still growls at my neices but now if she is made to face the kids she will avoid instead of attack which is better.

My basset on the other hand, she was in four or more homes and abandoned to us. She is very anxious about everything but worst is her seperation anxiety. She crys and crys. She loves everyone but by her actions I think she wasn't being fed. She has minimal food/social manners where she gets mildly agressive with my other two. I think she had to fight for her food. She is learning though. They all do with love and discipline. Now if she gets that type of body language I can snap my fingers and she will calm down and sit patiently instead of attacking the food.

[Bettanewbie60]

Originally Posted by Shirleythebetta

That's the important thing. Just be careful to look for signs of agression. My sisters dog is very agressive with kids and strangers. See, I raised this puppy which makes me feel aweful. She was never around strangers or kids for the first two months of her life and my sister doesn't have kids either and is a housewife so, long story short, we screwed her up and now we have to fix her. She still growls at my neices but now if she is made to face the kids she will avoid instead of attack which is better.

My basset on the other hand, she was in four or more homes and abandoned to us. She is very anxious about everything but worst is her seperation anxiety. She crys and crys. She loves everyone but by her actions I think she wasn't being fed. She has minimal food/social manners where she gets mildly agressive with my other two. I think she had to fight for her food. She is learning though. They all do with love and discipline. Now if she gets that type of body language I can snap my fingers and she will calm down and sit patiently instead of attacking the food.

I have feed both Cody and Casey in different areas, just to be on the safe side. Though we are still trying with Casey, there are times when I have to be content with thinking that her world may end up just consisting of us. I hate even writing that. She has a good life small as it is though...I wish I could get some help with training her. I am pretty good with all animals, but for some, I think they just never let go of the fear. sigh

[Shirleythebetta]

Something that helped my sisters dog is finding a kid who wasn't afraid of her. A kid that can handle a mouthy pooch. I have a shepard that used to be afraid of kids and would back away. My nephew is one of those fearless kids. I told him to walk slowly to him with his back straight and told him to cross his arms to make sure the kid felt powerful. I also told him not to try and touch him and not to look at him. Basicaly ignore him. After the dog got used to that I held my nephews hand and introduced it to snoop and let him smell as long as he wanted. He would sniff then retreat over and over. After that repitition snoop now plays and chases with my nephew.

I don't recomend this with all dogs of course it's just what worked for snoop. You have to be confident in the dog to try what I did. If your afraid the kid and dog will feel afraid too. You have to command the situation. I really have confidence in your pooch though. If he can relax after a stranger is in the house he has hope. I have mild experience with rescues. All dogs I have owned have been rescues. And almost all come with baggage. Except my terrier. He acts like nothing ever happened to him.