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echosierratwo
Aug 5, 2005, 04:32 PM
A little too nervous. I always joke that our dachund (chance is her name) has it made. She is well fed. Well groomed. Well loved. Well played with, etc. she has never, never ever been abused. Yet when I am walking in the house and she is near where I am walking she tucks her tail in and acts as if I am going to hit her. I just learned about the submissive urination. Did not know that. Makes sense though. Anyway, are dachunds nervous by default? Or is this a flaw in my dog. She is also very nervous around people in general. I guess we can take the blame for that. We did not have her around a lot of people. With time though, she warms up to you. Anyway, thanks in advance for the answers.

labman
Aug 5, 2005, 09:45 PM
There are several standard confidence building things that should help. Start obedience training if you haven't. When you praise her for her success in following the commands, that builds her confidence. It also helps establish you as top dog. If you are top dog, then all she has to worry about is pleasing you. 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/. When strangers come around, relax and welcome them profusely using as much physical contact as human decorum permits. It is hard to hide any tension from the dog. If the top dog is happy the strangers came, they must be OK.

Try playing tug of war with her and lose. She will feel she is big stuff. However, at the end of the game, make her give you the rope or toy and put it up. You do not want to confuse her about who is top dog.

Finally 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. If she is a trustworthy, mature dog, leave the door off. Her den will be there any time she thinks she needs to retreat to it. 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 just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. If you have been able to trust it with any bedding, put that in the crate.
Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at feeding
time for more than one dog.

Try not to be upset if she urinates. Just quietly clean it up. First blot up all the urine you can with a dry towel. Keep moving it and stepping on it until a fresh area stays dry. Finish up with a good shot of carpet foam. Note, do not let the puppy lick up the carpet foam.

Keep up the grooming too. Depending how old she is, these things will in time help her feel she is a valued member of a well run pack. Just what she instinctively needs. Remember dogs retain 95% of their wolf ancestors' DNA. She is trying to be best little wolf she can, but her pack is so strange.