I just adopted a black lab puppy he is 15 weeks old I was told his mother was a stray and he was bottle fed and never bonded with his mother. He does not play like a pup of his breed should he acts like he was abused because he cowers when called and won't leave my room to explore and he does not interact with children he did go to the vet last week because he has kennel cough my husband is getting frustrated and I do not want to give him up please help I do not know what to do since I have never owned a dog.

You could consider him a baby of the family and needing help for sure. Fifteen weeks only qualifies him as needing a mom. If he was bottle fed then he is more independent, from experience I know this, already been there many years ago. Don't let your husband get frustrated, little thing needs love, attention and good food, so explore the web, I won't tell you what to feed but it should be nutritious. Have you had a dog before ?

He is cowering because is not sure of his surroundings, children may oppress him right now because they are probably curious. So is he, but not willing to give all he has yet.

What do you mean, he does not play like a pup ? Could be he doesn't know how to play yet.

He has to be left to explore on his own and not forced out of a place he is comfortable in. If he is in your room, your scent is there, so that is what he is happy with for now. It is all he knows for now.

Be patient, his is a baby.

Tick

Remember:

Water
Food
Shelter

Are basic needs

He is a pup and he needs a pack leader. Get down at his level to play. Make sure he has a den (basket) that he can feel safe. Don't bother him in his place. You might try two baskets. One in which play is allowed and one where it's not.

You could try crawling with him to leave the room. Stay on his level.

Just remember, pups need leadership, not necessarily cookies and treats.

Sounds to me like he is very shy. He will probably never out grow that trait. There has been some trauma in his life that has him scared. What you need to do is try and help him overcome those issues with lots of love and attention. This sort of dog is not for every one. Our last Lab was a career changed guide dog and was really timid through out his entire life. All you can do is learn to accept him as he is, love him to death, or if he is not for your family find him a home really soon with a family that understand his needs and is willing to accommodate him.
BTW a really timid dog will be frightened of small children, so if yours are small and noisy he is probably not for your family.

Yes, he never got the bonding experience from his mother, and he was never socialized. Please ask your husband to be patient. It's not this little guys fault. He wasn't taught by his mother how to be a dog!

I would make another visit to your vet, and ask him if you could bottle feed him a little while longer, on a specific puppy milk, to supplement his regular food. That will help you bond.

He needs to have that bonding experience with you. Also, do you have a hot water bottle or a heating pad? If you do, fill the bottle with "warm" water, or put the heating pad on the lowest setting, and wrap either of them in a sweater or piece of clothing that has your scent on it. Let him lay in your lap, or be near him in his doggie bed which should also have something with your scent.

To enhance the bonding experience, get a soft warm cotton washcloth, or even a cotton ball, and just like a mother would lick her babies just relax him by washing him. Concentrate on his abdomen, the inside of his legs, and his anus. This is what the mother would do for her puppies.

Just make sure you spend a lot of time with him, and don't leave him for very long periods. He is not only missing his mother, he is missing his littermates too.

Good luck, and let us know how it all goes. Please don't abandon him like the others. You need to be his Momma now.. :)

tickle:

I will disagree with you and here is a reference:

http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_Shy.php

The reference does ADVOCATE a helper getting down at the dog's level. Yes, there is a misunderstanding here between you and me.

I ALWAYS greet any new dog at their level, palms down. And I NEVER try to pet the new dog without them checking me out first. I come down to their level to let that happen.
THEY ARE ALWAYS CALMER AND MORE RELAXED AT THEIR LEVEL, therefore they should be more easily led into new surroundings when led at their level.

So, the above is a reference. Whether I conveyed my intentions properly is another story.

I suppose their canine counter-parts walk out on their two feet too.

I absolutely stay by what I said. I never get down on a my hands and knees to bond with a new pup. I sit in a chair and let the pup come to me when ready, offer a treat, speak with the new name given to the pup. And I would never ever crawl anywhere near a new pup. You are supposed to be establishing yourself as a pack leader, not being subservient. That is not a way to earn respect. Puppy shy or not, has to come to you when he/she is ready.

I don't see this as a misunderstanding between you and me.

You will never see people working in animal shelters with some of the sorry dogs they get in, ever, ever getting down to the level of the dogs they handle. They can't control them if they don't establish authority and you can't do that on your hands and knees around dogs.

I couldn't open up your URL.

Tick

There were two URL smashed together. Here is the link:

Dog Tip: Help for the Shy and Fearful Dog