Help, chihuahua mix.

[packyluvadik]

I have a 2 month old chihuahua mix and when i first got him he was playful and social.. and recently hes been acting scared. Hes shaky and runs away from me and my boyfriend.. as if someone is/has hit him. We havent hit, spanked or even shown any aggression towards him. but then sometimes he will be his normal self again. Is this normal and is he going to grow out of it.. or is there something wrong? HELP.

[robotics]

You could quite easily scared your dog without you even knowing it., have you played a bit ruff, have you had an argument recently

When your dog is afraid of something or someone, you need to overcome this fear gradually by arranging for your dog to encounter it in mild form first. This usually means keeping distance between your dog and the thing they fear. Use games and titbits during these exercises for good behaviour and help them start building positive associations. Make sure that everytime you see that object/person/dog you become happy and start interacting positively with your dog. Over a number of sessions start to reduce the distance, but increase the distance again if any signs of fear are shown.

Your dog will eventually look forward to encountering what it once feared as it will know that something pleasant will happen to him and that there is nothing to fear.
Be prepared to take your time over this. Just imagine your worse phobias and fears (snakes, spiders etc) and how long it would take you to get over these. Have a relaxed attitude with your dog, but don't comfort, pamper or reassure him when he is being fearful, as you will be rewarding the fearful behaviour. To your dog, this sort of 'different' behaviour can often reinforce the reasons they are fearful. So, during exercises be upbeat and use relaxed voice tones.



joanne
mygermanshepherd.co.uk

[kita1]

He is only eight weeks old, I presume you have not had him for more than a couple of weeks?

He is only a baby and in the past half of his life there have been a lot of changes. His world changed totally when you got him, his litter mates all disappeared, his familiar surroundings went, his food bowl and water bowl changed and he is totally dependant upon two complete strangers! He is in a massive house (how would you feel if someone kidnapped you, did not say a word to you and left you in a castle all alone) and he does not know where anything is or even if you intend to kill him or not!!

I would be scared!!

His mum used to show him everything, what to be scared of and what to play with, what to eat etc. Now she has gone and he is left to his own judgement!

He will grow out of this phase as he gets a little older and gains confidence in himself and gets to know you both and feels that not only can he trust you but he can love you too. Soon he will become the big dog in a tiny dogs body that chihuahua's normally are!

Don't worry, he will grow out of this phase, just be consistent, giving him his own little 'den' where his bed is might help (something like an indoor kennel with a blanket draped over it and the door left open) somewhere he can call his own that he can come and go when he wants to, rather than having to be in a massive (to him) room.

Good luck, enjoy him while he is still a pup!!

[lankeela]

Although he is a chihuahua mix, this may be of interest.
There is a condition called Transient Juvenile Hypoglycaemia. This hypoglycaemia in Chihuahuas is apparently very common in the USA � it comes on within 48 hours of puppy going to new home. Puppy gets loves, cuddles, snuggles � and lots of new (but nice) stress which needs lots of frequent doses of grub. These tiny dogs can be very susceptible to changes in blood sugars and when going to a new home, the idea is to feed every couple of hours with something to keep them up to speed.

Don't know how long you have had the dog, buy you could try giving lots of little feeds to see if that helps his stress levels.

[wee-janine]

Daft question but could he be scared of the fire works going off? I know my 16 week old JRT is a bit quiet just now.

[certainage]

I think a timid stage is normal for most puppies, to varying degrees, and it takes different forms from dog to dog. And there's no telling what set him off; a certain sound or smell. Think back to when you were very small and would get a strange idea in your head, like the neighbor woman was really a witch or toads were rocks that came to life!

With care and patience, he will get better. To ensure that he becomes a well-socialized adult dog, expose him to as many different environments and experiences as possible. (But don't force him! This will make him more timid and eventually, snappish.) When first introducing him to a new place, person or dog, allow him to remain in your arms, if he prefers. This is where he feels safe. As he matures and becomes more confident of your affection and protection, he will become less timid and more exploratory.

If you keep him continually sheltered at home until he is 6 months or older, he may be very frightened and/or aggressive with people and other dogs.