i have a 4 month old dachshund,she seems to have taken to me but she really doesnt like my wife at all.when my wife goes near her she runs off and stays in her bed,or stays at the other side of the room,and wont look at her,or come near her .i do all the checking if shes done wrong,my wife doesn't,but she still comes back to me.anybody have any answers because its really frustrating,
david

jodyann

My daschund loves my husband too, and she cowers at me. I've noticed though most of the time its my tone of voice i use, cause everytime i try to call her and pick her up she tiddles. lately when i watch my tone, and by playing with her she has gotten better. I also am the one who tried to reward her with the going out to potty, that way she knows if she is good that i'm the one who gives the reward. her personality has really changed. hope this helps

labman

Usually a dog will be bonded more closely to one member of the family than the rest. Yours seems well beyond normal. Perhaps you wife could try giving her some treats. She could also take over feeding the dog.

labman

Many dogs eventually outgrow it, but you can reduce it by building the dog's confidence up. Start with obedience training. The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ As you praise the dog for following your commands, it will build its confidence.

Play tug of war with the dog and lose. However at the end of the game, take the rope or toy and put it up, less the dog becomes confused about who is top dog.
Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds. Ones I made
lasted much better. Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the
foot. Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie knots in it. Get
them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer. Watch
carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

Finally, make sure it has a den to live in. If you are not using a crate, buy one. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, may take some work.
Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at
feeding time for more than one dog.

RubyPitbull

To expand on what labman is saying, I have fostered dogs of all sizes who have been through many traumatic experiences. I am not saying your dog is one of them.

But, I fostered a chihuahua/mini pinscher mix who had been abused by the lady of the house. It took me a while to get her out of her crate and to trust me enough to start working through her problems. I put the crate on the floor, opened the door and moved away from the crate. I sat on the floor across the room in full view of her. I had a bunch of stinky treats in my hand which I had passed in front of the crate when the gate was closed so she could smell them. For your dog, your wife should use a puppy treat that is smelly. (Just something with a strong odor that she will find tempting). I just sat and waited. I didn't make any quick movements. I did it in the tv room so I could wait it out without being too bored myself and ignored her. The dog finally hesitantly came out, sniffed around. She came up to me and started climbing in and out of my lap. I still ignored her. When she finally settled down next to me, I praised her and offered her a very small piece of a treat. I did not try to pet her but once she settled down, I focused my attention on her. When she sat down or laid down next to me, I praised her very quietly and gave her a treat. It took me a few days but she eventually started following me around and waiting for me to give her attention and direction.

With small dogs, especially puppies, the loud voice, the large figure can be very intimidating. So, you have to get down to their level until the trust is established. As labman suggests, your wife should start to take over some of the feeding responsibilities. She should also start taking her out for walks when the puppy gets over her initial fear of her.

When you are ready, both of you should take her to puppy training classes. Each of you needs to assert your dominance and be involved in the training process.

Until you are ready for training classes, please take a look at labman's full sticky notes at the top of the "Dog" topic forum. He has listed some very good and useful books to buy and read for new dog owners. You should pick a couple of them up and both of you should read them.

Good luck!

Mom of one daughter

I asked a co-worker who owns 5 dachshunds currently and is also a "foster owner" for abandoned or abused dachshunds. He gets them well so they can be adopted out. Below is his reply.


Dogs are creatures of habit (aren't we all) so he really should try interacting (playing with toys) with the puppy along with his wife for a period of time each day (on the floor - at the puppy's level - in a room other than where the puppy's bed is located) and then gradually leave the room so that it's just the wife and puppy toward the end of each session. At the same time, he should make a point of not allowing the puppy to constantly be around only him (on his lap, etc.) - attempt to strike a balance.

In addition, it might be a good idea for the wife to feed the puppy on a regular basis during this period of time as well as provide treats/rewards for being good (going "potty" outside, etc.) which would make a statement to the puppy that the wife is okay - which would help build trust.

It may take several weeks, day after day. If any of this doesn't seem to help, I would recommend that they consult a local veterinarian for information on professional trainers.

According to a professional trainer, training should start as soon as you get a new puppy - from six weeks to four months is a puppy's main socialization time. Formal obedience usually starts at about four months on.

ScoobyD

Dogs live in the now not yesterday that being said when the dog is fearful don't comfort it that only confuses them and causes an unbalanced dog let the dog come to U in its own time no touch no talk no eye contact ignore the doggie he/ she will come around it also helps to have a treat when he is ready to make friends with you. Just make sure the dog is in a calm relaxed submissive state of mind when U have interaction with him ( u should also share the mind set calm relaxed submissive) you will be best buds in no time.

clifford1165

Possibly because you've been the primary care giver thus far. You might try backing off & letting you wife be the person to feed her and take her out for a week or so. I know our daschund is very protective of our family, but of me & my daughter more so than my husband. And I think it's because we are his primary care givers. (just a thought)