Very scared GS need help please

dazhard69 · #1 11-11-10, 01:03 PM

Hi everyone, we have a 4 year old GS bitch named Zena, she was rescued by us from GS Rescue in Glasgow and to me she is a typical GS, very loving, protective but to my 20 yr old son she is extremely scared,everytime she sees him her ears go back, her head goes down and she urinates where she is, i need help to understand how to help her, we love her to bits but cannot let this behaviour continue.Any advice would be appreciated. p.s my son has done nothing that has scared her.

Derek

Sylvieliz · #2 11-11-10, 01:15 PM

Poor dog he may remind her of someone who ill treated her in the past. Do you know much about her past and how long have you had her.
How was she when you got her was she nervous with you at all.
Does your son live with you if so can he not go with you and take her for a walk and feed her. Anything she enjoys which will help her relax around him.

Don't scold her when she does this its not her fault. If he does not live with you but just visits perhaps he could meet her outside and give her a treat. Don't over fuss it will re enforce her fear. Act calm.

Perhaps the rescue you had her from may be able to give some insight into this.

There is always a reason dogs don't act like this for nothing.

dazhard69 · #3 11-11-10, 01:22 PM

Hi there and thanks for posting so quickly, my son lives here but he is agorophobic so cant get out, the gs rescue told us that she was one of a group of 15 dogs who were so badly treated by their owner that he was putting them all into a shed and feeding with 2-3 bowls of food per day for all of them and then beating them up, when we got zena 7 months ago she was fine with everyone in the house and then just suddenly changed, she even sits staring at my son incase he moves towards her, he has tried giving her treats and she does take them from him but then just moves away again and wont go near him, we are really worried.

gsdlover4ever · #4 11-11-10, 01:28 PM

Did you get her from this rescue?

German Shepherd Rescue Scotland - Rescuing and Re-homing German Shepherd Dogs and Puppies in Scotland, Saving GSDs

What is she like with people outside the home?

Is it just young men that she doesn't like?

dazhard69 · #5 11-11-10, 01:35 PM

Hi, yes that's exactly where we got her from, outside she seems ok with other people and dogs its just inside the house.

GypsyGSD · #6 11-11-10, 01:54 PM

If she is taking treats do your son then try to smooth her or make any move towards her ?

dazhard69 · #7 11-11-10, 02:05 PM

Hi, yeah she takes the ocassional treat from him and sometimes he does try to smooth her but doesn't make any movement towards her as he is now scared to go near her.

Caryll · #8 11-11-10, 02:10 PM

Have you tried getting your son to give her her meals? I don't mean just putting it down, but to actually feed her bit by bit, by hand? Every time she takes a bit he could calmly & quietly tell her she's a good girl.

dazhard69 · #9 11-11-10, 02:12 PM

Hi, yep we have tried that and she either just runs away or urinates where she sits with her head down and her ears back.

gsdlover4ever · #10 11-11-10, 02:38 PM

Try your best to ignore her behavour of being scared, don't confort her or speak to her.

Only praise her when she is relaxed.

Tell all the people that she is scared of the ignore her and not to look at her, as this can be quite threatening to a dog. Prevent them from leaning over her as well.

You could get them to come in the same room as her and after a few minutes when she apears more relaxed, randonly throw treats on the floar but give no eye contact.

Also if your son is scared, it will make her even more scared and tense.

You could try: rescue remedy, DAP defuser...... these will help her to relax.

Natural stress relief for pets - Rescue® Remedy Pet i think the human version can also be used.
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