Hi! I recently took in a foster dog — a 75-ish lb Husky/Shepherd mix — and the rescue didn’t tell me until pickup that he had been hit by a car and had two dislocated hips in the past few months. He’s incredibly sweet and affectionate, but he is terrified of cars and the road. Because he’s such a big, strong dog and I’m a pretty small person, managing him outside has been really difficult.
I’m running into a few problems and would love advice if you got it:
He paces around the house at night, which is keeping me from sleeping. He hates being in the crate, but letting him roam also stresses out my resident dog. I’m trying to balance helping the foster feel safe without overwhelming my OG dog.
He’s extremely scared to go outside of our home, he cowers at cars and runs back to the house after making it a few feet (he does act like he wants to go out the front door at first but we don't make it far). He’s only 2 years old and I don’t know how to give him proper exercise when he’s so fearful, but I definitely don’t want to force him.
I feel a bit unequipped to help him, but I really want to support him while he’s with me. Should I let him stay inside and skip walks for now if he’s scared? Are there ways to slowly and positively build his confidence without pushing him too far?
Any advice or experience is so welcomeeeee and so appreciated
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