How to Start Rehabilitating a Feral or Very Nervous Dog

[@SomeMinorDogTraining]

For anyone reading this: I know that dog training can be difficult sometimes, but you're doing great. Keep up the good work, and your dog (and your own sanity) will thank you for it! ❤️💕

[@Carpenterdane]

Aw......bless your heart for helping her.

[@gunpowdergals3135]

Thank you for the video. I am a foster mom, and I have a new dog who is from a hoarder case. I've had her for three weeks and we've had only a little bit of progress.

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

It is definitely hard to get through to these guys! Often people give them too much freedom at first and the dog then doesn't learn the value of people, I have been really happy with the quick progress I see with my feral fosters with this technique.

[@robbierobinson3966]

Been trying to rescue a feral dog for over a year now. Can get him to come within a foot or two of me on good days. That's a long way from when he would run back in the woods if i made eye contact with him. I never face him when I'm trying to get him to come close. I keep a low profile and speak softly. Do the same thing the same way every time. If he doesn't come out and eat. I take the food away and drive down the road for a while and try again. Some days i may leave several times before he comes out. One day we had played the game so many times we were both frustrated. When i returned he was waiting as i stepped out of the car. He shook his head and fussed at me. Not barking but you know how they do. He came right over and ate lol. Hopefully we will get him before something bad happens. A year so the odds are not getting any better for him.

[@noyes-v5b]

so ahhum, ahh, uhum, OK then. Ahum ... true useful patient directions is what I Am sure the dog heard. thank You for good work and words.

[@77490701]

So useful, thanks!!

[@heatherbrocious2409]

Maybe you are willing to help me? I got a feral dog about 3 days ago. She was in the woods from the age of about 3 months to now, 7 months. She's scared to come close and won't eat out of my hand. I can pet her head and even pick her up to take her outside to potty. She fights with a leash. When I went to bring her back in this morning, she nipped at me. I have no other way to take her out than to pick her up and I'm afraid if I just let her go inside it'll teach her it's ok to go inside. Please help!

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

Hello, I actually always hold off on potty training my feral dogs for the first 2 weeks or so. That way we can build a bond and they learn to trust me. Otherwise I am breaking their trust every time I need to over-handle them to go outside. That massively slows down progress because there is a significant chance I violate a boundary the dog has. Instead I build their trust, use pee pads and start potty training from scratch when they are ready to go outside with me. Essentially I would rather work on potty training when they are ready and trust building upfront and it does speed up the overall process

[@lannawallend1274]

thank you for the video and they say never corner an dog

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

Of course. So here Louise isn't able to escape, but I am also not putting a ton of social pressure on her as I am facing away, so emotionally she was nervous just being in my proximity, but I wasn't standing over her or reaching into the crate which would be very overwhelming for her

[@Sophiaahhaahh]

AMAZING!!!!! Thanks for sharing :)

[@rickmccluskey1366]

Hi ,i need help ,i am currently in charge of feeding a dog whose owner has mental health problems and is in rehab . he has in the past mistreated this dog ,it is very scared and mistrusting of people ,i sourced some money and built it a run as it was left inside this persons home for about a month solely inside so you could imagine the condition of this house its a small shack with one large room and bathroom .over the past month i have earned this beautiful dogs trust where by it will take treats out of my hand ,i would like to get her to the stage where i could get a lead on her but i just don't know how to get to that stage ,her life would improve dramatically if i could . shes a big dog sort of cross ridgeback and staffy ,your help would be appreciated any tips would be great .Thankyou :)

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

Hello, I would start much the same how this video progression goes, first, build up a desire for the dog to want to come to you, start interacting with the dog without putting them on a leash, light play or petting, when they get comfortable with that you can start taking out the leash and see their reaction.

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

You can use food as well, but some dogs become iffy with food, so watch body language if you are using treats

[@rickmccluskey1366]

@@pawlitebestfriends7673 Thanks for the reply i really appreciate you taking time to answer me ,the thing is with this dog it just doesn't know how to play ,doesn't know affection ,retreats dramatically at the slightest touch , next week we have teed it up with our local vet to come and get her and get her desexed ,i will have to give her tranquilizers and try and get a leash around her neck so they can take her ,not looking foreward to that , she's a beautiful dog just wish i could give her a cuddle . Thanks Rick.

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

@@rickmccluskey1366 that is very similar to Louise, we taught her to do all those things. It's not just the video she was fearful in- she lived hiding from people for 6 months in the woods and hiding behind a foster families couch for months. Take the time you can to make the dog as comfortable as possible, I'm sorry for the hard decision you had to make.

[@rickmccluskey1366]

@@pawlitebestfriends7673 update : great outcome, after the vet and i eventually got a lead around her neck everything changed ,she is the most beautiful natured dog ,she just lapped up all the attention she was given and everyone at the vet clinic fell in love with her, not once did she snap or become agressive with us ,she is as we speak with a foster couple but they love her too and are just waiting on permission to take her permanently. Thanks for your advice and well just for listening xx

[@Gabbigrl]

I've had my Daisy for 2yrs now and She is housebroke, gets along with my pack and will even play but when she comes in, she goes in her corner of the room and is there till bedtime. When she is in her corner, or anywhere other than bed, she scared to be touched and will cower away. When I am in bed she will lay down beside me and lick my entire arm and will let me pet her. The problem now thought is she needs groomed....badly. How do I get that trust out of the bed?

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

It's hard to say without seeing your dog, is she particularly aloof or a feral dog? Does she play with you or is she generally uncomfortable around people?

[@Gabbigrl]

@@pawlitebestfriends7673 she lived in a barn with her sister and no human contact for her first year. When I have company she stays in her corner and doesn’t make a sound. She learned the doggie door and she will go outside and play with the other dogs only if no one is standing near the door. She will come when I have a treat for her. She will even eat off of a fork. But any other interaction out of the bed is not happening

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

@@Gabbigrl I see, that's pretty extreme then. Honestly, I would start her out just as I am showing in these videos. I saw amazing progress with the feral dogs I have worked with doing this in a few weeks and they genuinely came to enjoy contact from me fairly quickly, then we had to expand who they were comfortable with. The issue is that feral dogs don't see much value in people inherently, compared to normal dogs, we need to show them that we have value. So she can be in a corner (in a crate) not bothered, but anything exciting comes when you are in the room- food, bathroom breaks, attention, etc. The first week is the hardest but unfortunately if you stay on the same course she is likely to do the same behavior as it works for her

[@Gabbigrl]

@@pawlitebestfriends7673 she’s been with me for over a year and there’s been progress but only baby steps. I know she likes me because I see her in the window wagging her tail when I come home from work.

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

@@Gabbigrl slow steps are very common with feral dogs, as most people give them space to come out of their shell, but often they just become acclimated to a new environment but still don't gain comfort around people as they are comfortable enough in the setting and nothing is making the change. I highly recommend you try what I show on the videos, you can see the incredible improvement she had in 3 weeks and we can now take her to stores, on walks and new people can feed her and offer her attention

[@zehrlinds]

Hi! Commenting on another video now ha. I have the door open on the crate for the dog I am rehabbing, she is stepping about a foot out of her crate to come eat out of my hands, but she is eating out of my hands. I have been leaving the door open so that she can potty because it had been hours after I brought her home without her doing anything. So now we have established an 'open-door' policy, is it too late to go back or should I start now? it's day 2

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

No, it's not too late, sometimes you have to adjust for circumstances, letting her potty that first day was a good idea, you can go backwards and you might also go forward at a different pace than Louise if she is already eating out of your hand, so I'd watch a few more of the videos to see where you are and how you can use the techniques. Louise was terrified of people and being in the house and wouldn't take treats from my hands for a few days

[@zehrlinds]

She went a very long time without pottying after last night but she did this evening. I have the door to the crate closed now. I also noticed that she still has some fleas, she’s been on various treatments since her intake at the shelter 1.5 months ago so this is probably just one the last lifestages coming to adulthood. She needs combing and a bath but I can’t do that right now obviously. Would it be better to wait it out or take her to a groomer for a combing and a bath instead of me doing it so I remain ‘the good guy’?

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

@@zehrlinds that one is a bit harder, if she's a dog who is going to need to go to the groomer you'll be in a tough spot next time, or some place similar like a vet. You can also ask your vet for an anxiety med to at least make that day better for the grooming either in studio or at home

[@zehrlinds]

@@pawlitebestfriends7673 good morning! she is warming up to me quickly and is actually sleeping behind me in her room where I set up to do work. She is also pottying more frequently, and I did back up and start closing the crate door when I'm not here and I think that is actually helping with how she views me. Seems cold to keep them crated all the time but you are 100% in the right, I am seeing how this works now. Back to pottying, I am afraid that she will start to think going inside is ok, what signs should I look for to start trying to get her leash on. I do not have a fenced in yard. Or, I have an exercise pen, could I pick her up and take her out or should she walk out (again requiring the leash). We have progressed to her letting me touch her head briefly but full touch is not there yet. Thank you!

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

@@zehrlinds I know, it does seem harsh to keep them in the crate a bit more at first, but it's hugely helpful with building value with people and giving them a safe space, especially feral dogs. When she is willingly coming to you and you can pet her for a few seconds and move a little bit you'll be ready for the leash. If she came from a hoarding situation she likely went in the house there anyways so this won't set her back much for potty training but will help with seeing you in a good light. It's okay if she's a bit nervous with you putting the leash on but I don't want her fighting or fleeing when you reach to put it on. If she is particularly small, you could try the pen outside, but picking her up may be harder than getting the leash on her

[@scottguffey5809]

Where are the follow-ups?

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

Hello Scott, the follow ups should be right after it in my video list, I also have a feral dog series here- kzbin.info/aero/PL_amYn-UfVBQAR6hKNnxdg9b8g5BrD7x4

[@oleyka]

@@pawlitebestfriends7673 Thank goodness I found your channel! Working on rehabilitating semi/feral small dog and advice on what to do is so scarce... Looking for guidance on too early/too much/too little wrt physical contact.

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

@@oleyka I am so glad it's helping you! Feral dogs are not something that is commonly shown, and when they are it's a lot of before and after, so we wanted to show the process for everyone else who takes on these pups so you can make to best progress in a reasonable timeframe! Good luck with your pup ❤️

[@oleyka]

@@pawlitebestfriends7673 I have submitted a training form on your site. I need a consultation from you. I am starting to realize that this dog needs more skill than I have and that I took on a project that's way beyond my abilities... I need a consultation, to set my expectations right and to decide what to do next. 😢

[@MatthewJPerry-uj6fb]

all of these tips assume you can catch your puppy in the first place. she is a handful, we cant even get a collar on her or get her in an enclosure.

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

Louise was brought to our house in a crate after she had spent months on the run, I would look up trapping and keep a very watchful eye on the trap

[@heathergustafson4237]

A cage large enough to stand up in is mandatory

[@pawlitebestfriends7673]

@@heathergustafson4237 this is the cage she was transported in, as she could not be handled she was carried in inside the crate and it would have been extremely unkind and unproductive to drag her out of the only safe place she had.