Sensitive Dog - Page 1

I'm new here and I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful job you are doing in helping others. A 22 month old Malinois bitch was cargo to me after a trusted friend inspected her on my behalf. She was stable and a very high energy bitch that has even started her bite work for protection training. I got her 2 months ago and she has being living in fear and scared of everything. I can't walk her because she will fret and any site of someone. She will not willingly leave her crate if someone is around. She is ready to play with balls and rag with when we are completely alone and have a very silent moment. I need help in rebuilding her confidence back if possible and your input will be grately appreciated.

Unless I am understanding you wrong, how did this dog go from being high energy and in training for protection to what you currently have? 
Tell me, what has happened since you got this dog and more importantly, where exactly did this dog come from?
 

That's the mystery I'm facing here also.The dog came from Serbia from a reputable breeder and I saw a lot of youtube videos of her and all her ground work was perfect. I was scared maybe she was abused somehow during transit or so. You can not win her in a rag fight provided it is indoor and no one around. Her breeder was so sad because she never show any sign of fear or unstable with him and I'm doing my best to work with her everyday to bold with her. I really need help to get her back to her normal state.

I see...and the breeder never offered any help or to take the dog back since it has all these issues? Here is what I think happend and you may not like it, but, maybe. The Malinois is a very non specific breed, no clear markings, it looks like a mix breed. The dog you saw on youtube is NOT the dog that was sent to you, unless you have proof in something like a tatoo you saw on the video that matches one on the dog.

You may not be experienced enough to be able to tell one dog from the next and you were taken advantage of. Its very easy for someone to show one dog and sent another. Another possibility is that the dog acted great in its own environment, but, once removed from that, it showed its true colors which is how its acting at your house.

I dont know if this is a nerve or socializing issue, at 22 months, the dog is an adult and although socializing now may help, it wont affect the way it sees life and how it reacts. Contact the breeder, tell them you are not happy and ask pointed questions that you need answers to.

The dog came from Serbia ...

Serbia is a very poor country, and what you likely paid for this dog would represent a good portion of a person's yearly income. Unfortunately poverty increases the risks of scams. I would guess that Hired Dog is correct. 

Genetics and temperament are a funny thing.  Without getting too technical, many dogs "carry" the genetic makeup necessary for us to label them as nervy.  These genes do not get exposed (correct term is activated) until a specific event happens which causes a reaction in the dog. This event caused the dog to stress and in stressing, the dog releases proteins and hormones into their system which then activate these genes which now allows the dog to display his before unknown genetic thin nerve.  Very possible that just the shipping caused this.  Nobody's fault and no way to predict.

This is one of the reasons that travelling and trialing dogs is so important.  It exposes the dog to more stimuli and gives a better chance of activating these undesired genes.  That's why many dogs look like Champions in their own field/backyard but never compete outside of it.  They can't. Your dog fits this category.  You can't win a tug of war with her by yourself. 

Once these genes are activated, you can  try to condition over them but that is much like putting a bandaid on an injury.  It looks better from the top and bottom, but underneath, inside of your dog, there will always be this weakness. The best you can do is to help her learn to deal with it. 

I wish you the best with your dog. 

I experienced this with a boxer. My sister contacted me about the dog who was one of her regular groom clients in Alabama. He was stable, happy and outgoing at home. But the owners had health issues and the dog had to be rehomed. I gladly took him, thinking he might be a good house dog for my mom.

But that didn't turn out that way. When i met them at the state line of Florida/Georgia he was a quaking mess. Scared to death, tail tucked, no eye contatc at all. And i know for a fact he was not abused in any way.

I spent 3 or 4 month working with this dog. I just about had to pry him out of the kennel to go potty. Taking him for a walk was a battle. He did his best to get back to the kennel,  and when he realized he was half way back home he dragged me back to the house. I spent a lot of time taking him to work, obedience classes, out to meet friendly people, he would not look at strangers, or accept any food. He really looked like i must have beat him daily because he was so sad looking.

His only bright monents were playing with Gladys my Am Bulldog as she seemed to like him.

Finally i got to my whits end with him, called my sister and told her i was taking him to boxer rescue. At first she was mad, but finally i convinced her he was just too broken and would never be happy. Not here clearly. Last i heard they found an elderly couple to adopt him and he seemed better with them.

There is a chance your dog is just as shaked up about the transfer as Jazz was. I don't know if you'll ever get it right. Or if others have suggested you got taken by a scam. I wish you luck.

Fry

Sounds like a dog that was raised in a kennel situation;  not properly socialized to the world and probably some genetics involved also.  Don't know about the scam part but would return the dog or rehome the dog in a home not asking too much of him/her just let her be their sweety pet.  Not anything you would want to breed or work in the public, too much stress for the dog.  Unfortunate but it does happen.  Good luck  Nan

Do you have a link to the video you saw that was supposed to be the dog you purchased? Can you get some video of the behaviors you describe of the dog you received? It might be helpful for experienced Mali people such as Hired dog to view the two dogs and compare.
Imo, after two months with you, the dog, if sound, should be settled in.

I'm glad with the amount of response I'm getting from this board. The issue of scam is out of it and I'm very sure she is the same dog with different attitude. The breeder suggested i play a lot with her and said maybe the dog has been working with her all her life and she couldn't handle change easily. Maybe I will give her some more time before rehoming her if their is no changes in her behavior, because it will cost me a lot to send it back to her.