whippet problems

[pinguu 169]

I have taken on a little whippet dog from a couple who also had a lurcher which was attacking him all the time, he is nearly 9 months old 19 tts and in extremely good health, fully vacs etc etc.

My issue is that the previous owners used to scald him every time the older dog attacked him i witnessed this whilst there, they put him on a lead when near other dogs and rarely walked him due to work commitments and because he always chases squirrels rabbits and cats, so....... he is very timid and shy.

He seemed reasonable when i got him but once home he has become very skittish, even more vocal and acting very scared of my other dogs.

i know that this is normal new dog new environment new owners and i am aware this can cause alot of stress and understand that. My question is how would you guys approach this as i have had dogs that may be off in one way or another when introducing them but he seems so disconnected entirely.

Before anyone says well why take him...... I believe with time and alot of effort there is potential for a good little rabbiting dog and im a sucker when i see a working dog wasting away i have the room and i wanted a small rabbiting dog. so why not. all advise offered will be gratefully received

 

[gnipper 6,467]

Let it get used to you in its own time and then when he's bonded with you and realised your not gonna bollock him every 2 mins you can work on any other issues he's got

[broonball 38]

I'd imagine having his own space to get away from it all might help?? Good luck

[sneakysod 4]

i ad a simlar problem mate rescued a 12 month old bitch that was a pet and was mistreaten she didnt get on with other dogs she shit her self all the time so put her out in a kennel she became a different dog think she liked the piece and quiet tbf but she soon settled dwn after a few months and was in the house with the other by winter as sheed got used to them

[redtailhawk1 84]

As said just give him time and spend as much time with him as you can, he will soon come around. Nice looking dog by the way

[pinguu 169]

Well the wierdest thing just happened, my terrier pup run up to him playing and barking and he was all stunned then from no where he was bouncing and yapping with the pup, as soon as me or the missus move he stopped and cowered down, it seems as if he hasnt been allowed to play. he is sat fixated but too scared to join in.

[iworkwhippets 12,543]

Whippets dont need scolding, if ever mine need chastising, body language does it with mine, so the previous owners are at fault, the dog will be wary of you, so be careful of how you handle the dog, all will come good with kindness

good luck, and keep us updated

[bird 9,894]

let it come round in its own time, and make sure your dogs are ok with it (not rough or aggressive with it. and just chill with be nice+ steadt with it) Its great what you have done by getting it away from (poor dog owners) , but my self i would always go for a bold temp of dog or pup not a nervous one, because its hard bringing up a norm tep (confident) pup, never mind a fawning one. i dont like nervy dogs or pups never have, but we all differnt. My pup like a big timber wolf cub lol, but very loving + daft, good job the size he may get .!

Buck 22in 19 weeks old

[Brian-911 210]

I myself bought a 6 month old pup a couple years back that had the same type of up bringing maybe even worse. She was very nervous, scared of absolutely everything and everyone but never at all aggressive with it. Anyhow the recall was an absolute nightmare, she never came back I put months of work into her, and in the end she became a million times better with everything, everything but her recall ! I gave her to a family up north with 2 young boys and they love her to bits one of the boys had learning difficulties and was very shy, she's made an excellent dog for him! She never made the grade as a working dog but At least I got her out of the shit she was in before and turnt her into a animal that made a lovely family pet. Morale of the story....give the dog your best if she turns out well for you brilliant if not you have given it your best and the dog a better life and chance to be rehomed as a pet. All the best with it pal

[hillbilly boy 109]

Give him time to settle in hopefully he will grow out of it he is only young and is now in a good stable environment atb with him mate

[paulus 26]

whippets are whole different ball game to other dogs when it comes to temperament they are very easy to ruin. once this damage is done its very rare for it to be totally undone, more a case of damage limitation, all you can do is build up trust over time and see how far it takes you, dont be surprised if you dont achieve 100%, or upset if at some point in the future you have to concede defeat and rehome as a pet, at least it will have had a chance, good luck and all the best however it works out. ive had a few whippets over the years, one or two came as adults only one ever came good, the other wouldn`t leave my side when outside even if a rabbit was 6 inch infront of him. cracking looking dog called dell (brindle aswell) but useless as a worker, he was rehomed as a pet and you couldnt have asked for a better pet. The other a blue bitch called mistrel went on to be one of the best little bitches ive ever owned

[baw 4,360]

Don't know anything about whippets, wouldn't have one for all the tea in china but it sounds like the dogs not scared of other dogs but its scared of humans. I'd use the pups confidence in you to get the dog to realize your ok. Sit on the floor down at there level, play with the pup ignoring the dog. If it wants to play let it if it don't, ignore it. It'll soon realize your an alright c**t. Gonna take a lot of time though to heal the wounds.

[J.DOG 1,355]

Let if get used to you , play with it around other dogs a d encourage them to mess about throw a ball tug games whatever just keep bonding with it and make sure it has fun ,when in the house call it to you give it a treat and make a fuss this helps, as it will know when it's around you it ain't a bad thing.

 

Atb with it mates

[3175darren 1,100]

That dog can sense,everything about you and your reactions,dont pity what happened to him,forget it move on,if you do he will, relax if you had walked in got a cup of tea and walked out, without looking at him,totally ignoring what he was up to, the play would probably have continued if not restarted very quickly,he has a perception of what the human reaction will be,dont do what he expects and his perception will change,its a time thing,and he is young enough,he will move on if you let him,

[skycat 6,173]

Time, patience, time and more patience. Sounds like the poor little thing has been thoroughly terrorised by humans It can take up to a year for a dog to unlearn the bad things it has experienced, but it may never fully trust people and may always remain jumpy if someone moves fast or speaks loudly. Living with another happy, confident dog may bring it along much faster than if it had no other dog to reference regarding you.

Don't try and hurry things along, let the dog soak up the goodness in its new surroundings, and treat each tiny step forwards as a huge milestone. I personally wouldn't try and do play things too soon. Try and leave the dog alone as much as possible, but make a point of each day trying to achieve something new, even if it is simply getting the dog to accept gentle contact. Don't try and groom it straight away, and try to keep the dog away from any situations which may remind it of its past, for the moment anyway.

Don't completely ignore the dog, but allow it its own space and try not to give it commands, if possible. I once took on a young lurcher bitch which had been badly abused and never walked, left in a kennel until it was 9 months old after it ran off (FFS!) at 4 months of age. It took the owner 3 hours to get it on the lead, and after that they never took it out again. She ran up and down my garden for 24 hours before finally stopping and watching my own dogs interact with me. After that, very slowly, she began to de-stress, taking her cue from the other dogs, and by the end of the week she was coming to me for treats and a little stroking. She is now in a calm pet home where her initial lack of socialisation doesn't come into play. She will always be nervous of new situations and strangers, but she's happy with the people she knows. Hope this helps.