How Do I Get My Rescue Puppy to Change His Behavior?

I rescued a 7 month old corgi/lab puppy from an abusive home and am having a little trouble trying to figure out what to do in order to change his bad habits.



I already have a fantastic, well-trained and well-adjusted 9 month old collie/pit puppy and he and the new pup get along great.



Rossko (the rescue pup) adores me and follows me everywhere (I've had him for four days). He's a great dog and listens very well.

Problem 1: When we go to the dog park, he sits between my legs and refuses to leave my side, even to play with my other puppy. I've taken him when it's not crowded and when it is crowded... it doesn't make a difference. He doesn't mind other dogs coming over and sniffing him and isn't the least bit aggressive, he just refuses to leave my side.



Problem 2: He's very apprehensive of men and small children. His abuser was male and I doubt he's ever been exposed to children. When we're going for walks and encounter either men or children, he barks in a protective manner and raises the hair on the back of his neck. However, once he's deemed that there's no threat, he calms down (and has sniffed at a few children out of curiosity). Again, he's never been aggressive about it (he's actually extremely submissive), just very protective.

*I don't know anyone with children to expose him to in a controlled environment

*He's started warming up to my boyfriend, but Rossko is even more clingy when the boyfriend comes around (climbing onto my lap when we're on the couch, wiggling his way between us on the bed, sitting at my side when I eat, etc.)



Any suggestions for solving either problem would be fabulous!!How Do I Get My Rescue Puppy to Change His Behavior?
He's not barking in a %26quot;protective manner%26quot;, he's afraid. The best thing you could do for this puppy is to take him to puppy kindergarten classes to get him socialized in a controlled setting with a knowledgeable instructor. Dog parks aren't good for a lot of dogs because there's too many unfriendly and out of control dogs there so that's not a good place to take this puppy. You'd be doing him a huge service by taking him to classes where he'd get socialized. Also, puppies gain confidence from success, so as he's learning he'd gain confidence and that's what this little guy needs.How Do I Get My Rescue Puppy to Change His Behavior?
It will just take time and patience. He's obviously uncomfortable with those situations as they have been unpleasant for him in the past, he just has to learn that it's okay now and that he can trust his surroundings now that he is with you. It may help to bring a treat he likes along with you on trips to the dog park and such to give him other more positive things to think about, and he will eventually associate being at the park with getting treats.How Do I Get My Rescue Puppy to Change His Behavior?
Time is your best friend.

She just came from an abusive home, so she will be nervous of anything new for awhile. You are safe, so she will cling to you.

We went through the same things with our rescue dog. It took her about 4 or 5 months to get used to men.

She was very protective of me, and still is, probably because I 'saved' her. I would assume it's the same with your new puppy.

4 days isn't very long for her to adjust, give her a few weeks.

Good luck!How Do I Get My Rescue Puppy to Change His Behavior?
My shelter dog is from the same situation as yours. Mack would always stay by me at the dog park, eventually (I would say about a month after I had him) he ventured away to play. He would always glance back and make sure I was there, and if I moved to grab a toy or talk to another person he came back to me. Now (2 years later) he could care less where I go. Our vet said when you get a shelter dog, they have already been left by their previous owner, so they're making sure you won't do the same thing. Give him time and he'll ease up.



As to the problem with the men and small children, we had that problem but with women. He was fine with me but if I raised my voice or another woman walked in the house he would run tail tucked between his leg and peeing into a corner. Now he knows that no one is going to hurt him and he's absolutely fine. My husband and I would always push him down if he tried to jump on my lap or sneak in between us on the couch. He knows he can lay at my feet but that's as far as he's getting!How Do I Get My Rescue Puppy to Change His Behavior?
Spend as much time with Rossko as you can. With the abuse you have mentioned he will need all the love you have to give him and this will reassure him that life is not always that bad. It may take months or years for any changes...but he may also never behave like an animal that was not abused. Only time till tell. Your boyfriend is good for him too. Ask that he spends as much time with him that he can...walking, playing, just sitting and petting. This will reassure him that all men are not bad. You will also need a space that is just for him like a dog crate where he can feel safe. This will also be a place you can keep him when you are doing other things that you do not want to involve him in. He need boundaries. When he can have your attention and when he can't.



I too have rescued a dog from a puppy mill. She took a week to house break but she would hide under my bed and not come out. When I changed my schedule and worked out of the house she reverted back to old ways and it was very hard to housebreak her again. I have though. Only because I am no longer working. She has her own space...perfers to be hidden, so she has a pillow on the floor behind my husbands chair. And she sleeps under my bed at night. She has learned from my other baby that it is okay to bark at anyone coming into the house. She would not do this before. She also would not play with the other dogs in our yard. She does a little, but really wants to stay on the porch and watch. She will come off the porch when I go in the yard and bounces around to play with me. She only bounces because she has toned up and can move better although her back legs are bowed from all of the birth she has had. She does move a lot better. I wanted to share this with you to let you know that it will get better but you need to have patience, love, and time to do it.