I want to start off with a disclaimer that I am not an expert by any means, but I studied animal behavior in college and worked at a vet clinic for several years. I also recognize that the situation below require A LOT of patience, I just want to help my parents and their new dog.
My parents recently decided to foster, with the goal of eventually adopting, a Scottish Terrier. They have owned the breed before, but it has been over 15 years. This poor guy is a bit of a mystery. From what we know, he was brought into a shelter as a stray and has gone through two other homes in about a month. Both previous owners said he was too shut down and could not relax in their homes, so he was returned. I believe he was in one home for 3 weeks and the other for 2. Because of that, we knew he would be very shut down and require a lot of patience, which my parents are aware of and fully on board with.
Here is where things get confusing. When he first arrived, he was actually quite inquisitive. He greeted everyone and seemed curious about his surroundings. Going outside was very exciting (we are not sure if he had access to a yard before), and he even knew how to play fetch. However, he was unwilling to follow us back inside, and if we approached him, he would run away. This was just the start:
A few behaviors just do not make sense to us:
- He loves going outside and is like a completely different dog. However, he will not go out on his own even if the door is open. He will come inside on his own only if we are not visible in the doorway.
- He actively seeks interaction with new people and dogs but does not seek interaction with the people in the house
- He cries and whines when left alone but cowers/hides if he is brought into the same room as us.
- He will occasionally follow us around the house but hides once we stop in a room.
- He will sit with us and relax/fall sleep but only if we put him on the couch next to us
The two oddest interactions so far:
- He was sitting on the downstairs couch while I was working upstairs. I could hear him whining, so I went downstairs and tried to encourage him to follow me. He wouldn’t, so I went back upstairs, but I could still hear him whining. I went down again, picked him up off the couch, and he immediately followed me upstairs to sit next to me, going past his kennel in the process.
- My parents took him to a friend’s house that has two dogs around his size (against my advice). I wasn’t there, but they said his personality did a complete 180. He was playing and loving on everyone in the house, both the people and the dogs. They were there for about two hours, and he ran and played the whole time. However, as soon as they came home, he became nervous again and went straight to his kennel.
Some behaviors do make sense given his history and new environment. His appetite is limited, loud sounds startle him, and his kennel is clearly his safe space.
He is also not food motivated at all. We have tried all kinds of treats, including high-value ones like chicken and small pieces of steak, but he will not eat them even if we leave them near him and walk away.
On the positive side, he has never shown any aggression, even when he is clearly fearful.
He has only been with my parents for about a week, so we know this will likely be a long process of helping him feel safe and comfortable. My parents committed to a 90-day foster, so they are ready to give him time and consistency. It just seems like he wants to interact but does not know how.
Is this just a patience game, or is there something we can do to help him feel more secure? We don't want to push him too much too fast but worry that ignoring him will not help him improve. It really feels like he wants to be loved but is just too scared.
(He does have a vet appointment in two weeks so will also be discussing options with them)
submitted by /u/insanedachshund
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