Trying to define behavior.

[LoveOscar]

Oscar is a 2ish year old male purebred GSD, fully attached, adopted from local city shelter back in Dec 2012. He is extremely timid, submissive, lacks confidence, and has absolutely zero socialization. Any confidence building, socializing, training, etc is on hold until he is past his heartworm infestation.

Behavior in question:

Oscar was actively seeking comfort, in a very needy (for him at least) way. He is normally unattached, but was actively trying to lay in my lap, put his head in my lap and under my arms. He was trembling like he was terrified, but I don't know of what. I had just come home from work, and he seemed to have been fine earlier in the morning and on my lunch break. It went on for the evening until I sent him away to lay down because my efforts to soothe seemed to do nothing but continue his behavior. Walking him didn't help either. He was very weird, even ran into the wall twice.

I'm just trying to understand where this suddenly came from. He is not a confident dog, although his baseline attitude with just me home (he has a different baseline when DH is home) is generally upbeat and attentive. He is usually ears perked, strutty (likes to trot and strut a little bit), and tail at half mast (raised level with his back but never higher), and semi playful (likes to slide around the living room hardwood in a teeny tiny game of run with mommy).

It would take me forever and two or three novels to fully describe Oscar's behaviors. He was possibly abused and started as very reclusive and has absolutely zero socialization. He is terrified of people. I just don't understand where the sudden neediness came from and am wondering if anyone can possibly enlighten me. He is not usually so obviously needy, especially when he is trembling like he is terrified of something. He tends to turn in on himself and hide in a corner when he is afraid. He usual go to defense is shutting down, not seeking comfort.



Let me know if I need to explain and enlighten more. It is a constant war trying to learn him, as he is ever changing the longer we have him, as his exposure and health changes.

Thoughts and insights are greatly appreciated,
LO

[Mary Beth]

Something could have scared Oscar while you were gone. It could have been anything (car backfiring, maybe someone knocked on your door or rang the doorbell, and so on). Oscar is going to have his good days - then his bad days - with patience and love on you and your DHs part - his good days will slowly start to outnumber his bad days. If you yawn when Oscar is frightened, that is a calming signal. Turuid Rugass explains other calming signals in her book: On Talking Terms with Dogs. There is also a DVD. You can also search on Turid Rugaas - Calming Signals Community that is her website that give has training questions and answers. I would also give Oscar, Rescue Remedy - 4 drops in his water bowl. It can't hurt him and will him with his anxiety.

[onyx'girl]

I would have him tested for neuro issues. He may have been having a mild seizure? Running into the wall is not normal. What are you feeding him and is he utilizing his nutrition? He may have an imbalance which is causing his brain to misfire.

[llombardo]

He probably has no idea how to handle being in a home that is his home too. I would do the vet check and have lots of patience with him. Is it possible he was abandoned in a home? Like his owners left and never came back?

[LoveOscar]

Sorry for the late reply, I havent been online lately.

Oscar is on Wellness grain free kibble.

Im not worried about the running into the wall. I have hardwood floors and he slides. He was worried, energetic, and not paying attention to where he was scrambling. And yes, he scrambles. Oscar is currently seeing the vet for heartworm treatments. Other than deworming, he is considered healthy. We try to keep scrambling to a minimum, but I came home to him this way. I immediately took him into the bedroom to sit with him and try to calm him. Which is when he saught comfort.

We live near a major hub airport, an air force base, and a large rail road hub. We have a generally secluded neighborhood, but there is a street racing spot nearby, I have neighbors with firearms that randomly fire off, and the guy next door to me parties to bonfires from friday night to monday morning. Neighborhood sounds and mechanical noises generally dont affect him. We do have cats vs raccoon fights on occasion. I can see that riling him up like that, but not in the middle of the day.

Im really curious about why he was suddenly seeking comfort like he was. He normally shuts down when he is overwhelmed. He retreats inside himself after screaming bloody murder when ever anything is emotionally or mentally uncomfortable for him. So actively seeking comfort is a new and unusual behavior.

Thank you for the replies,
LO

[LoveOscar]

We havent had a repeat performance. He is growing, slowy, more affectionate, especially after the last vet visit (2 night stay over). He is more tolerant of hugs and being held, and he has more or less moved from sleeping in a corner to sleeping at the foot of the bed. He is steadily becomming more companionable, which I appreciate. He is kind of doing the Dane thing (behavior of a Great Dane), where he will sit in front of me and curl his head forward into my lap to receive scratches. Its a little backwards, as we tried to teach him to sit upright to receive attention to keep him from continuing cowering behavior (flattening himself to the ground primarily).

LO

[Mary Beth]

Thanks for the update. Oscar is really settling in well and coming out of his shell. I would not discourage the head in the lap, that is his way of showing and seeking affection. I would ignore the cowering completely and give no attention or try to get him out of it. All I would do is yawn and turn away, which are calming signals. For the head up - I would have Oscar sit, I would stand and hold a treat near my eye, when he looks up - I would immediately give him the treat - that way he can learn that making eye contact is a nice thing to do. That also can be practiced while Oscar is standing.

[LoveOscar]

His head in my lap isnt discouraged, more I find it very curious the way he is doing it. He whines when I try to pull him more into my lap though, he isnt comfortable with more than his nose on my lap really. So him trying to crawl into my lap at all was very odd.

Eye contact isnt a problem, although accepting treats is. He doesnt really take them by hand. I have to put them on the floor or in his food bowl. Although lately we are working on that, but all he does is take them from my hand, put them on the floor, then pick them back up again and eat it or stash it qway in his bed for later.

We have sit up, head up. That was a must and very quickly taught. It used to be when you put your hand near him to pet him, he would go from sitting to laying down to flattening to the floor. So he'd get picked back up into a sitting position with his nose up to recieve any petting and scratching. I'm just shy of 6 feet tall, as is my husband. We didnt want to constantly bend all the way over and hover over him to give attention. He is big enough to pet without bending over if he is sitting upright. When you start bending over him, he starts very submissive behaviors (ears flat back, eyes wide and averted, nose pointed away or turned sideways, flattened to the ground which may progress into rolling onto his side and lifting his leg). He is now asking for pets by walking right up to us, sitting down, and stretching his nose up. It is so much better than submitting and petting him while he is submitting so severely, which we heavily try to avoid. I often come down to his level by sitting or kneeling on the floor to give him eye to eye level petting and rubbing.

I'm not sure if his extreme submissiveness is natural to him, or if he learned it because someone tried to make him a more... aggressive or meaner dog, and didnt do it right because they were aggressive in handling him. He is very smart and very stubborn. He picks things up quickly and easily. But there is not an aggressive bone in his body. He doesnt even have a prey drive right now, although he is finally perking up at squirrels and birds. He needs very quiet corrections, and very gentle handling. Even his vet has commented on his lack of any aggressive reaction. I swear he can out shake a trembling Chiuhuaua, hates his legs being handled, and hates his neck/collar being grabbed. Its stuff I have been working on him with, I can now walk up to him and pick up his feet without him pulling away and screaming.

He is quirky. Quirky and special. :-)
LO

[Mary Beth]

That is very interesting and you are making great progress with him. For dropping the treats on the floor - well, my husky did that. She was also very picky about her treats - so would take it - drop it , sniff it, then decide if it would be good enough to eat. On the other behavior, I agree with you that he was handled very roughly in his former life. For his neck or collar being grabbed - he was most likely given very harsh corrections. You may want to use a front buckle harness on him when walking instead of a collar.

[Mary Beth]

Have you tried clicker training? It is supposed to be very helpful with abused animals. There are several threads on it.