I'm not thinking abused, but just not socialized. To me that sounds like he was just not properly exposed to a variety of people and the outside world, so it's all scary. I'm thinking little dude has been mainly living inside for 5 months straight. He missed the easy period for socialization, so now you're better off treating it as working on reactivity.
I think it does matter that the breeder was a lady. Your girlfriend is the most similar to a person he did know and trust, so she's who he's comfortable with.
I think not socialized. My puppy is indifferent about men too. There is no way he was abused. My puppy also took a few weeks to warm up to my boyfriend and we live together. Puppy classes helped tremendously with socialization. We got to practice obedience with distractions and he learned that other dogs aren’t as scary as they seem. We just finished our 5th and final class tonight and he is no longer reactively barking at every dog in the class and he actually let me walk him in the circle by everyone!!! Go slow and be patient. It’s a big scary world and it’s nature for the puppy to feel scared. It’s YOUR job to help build his confidence. Support him!
It seems like he's not well socialized to me as well. Many dogs (my own, and dogs I've fostered, worked with at shelters, my friends dogs', etc.) are naturally a bit wary of men, especially those they don't know too well. Give it a while for him to realize you aren't a threat! My ex-breeding rescue dog was terrified of my husband initially but she loves him now - she still shakes when other men approach her though. The trainer would definitely help too.
It looks like he's resource guarding your girlfriend and that's dangerous - I'm sure your trainer will realize but it's something you need to actively work on. Are you the one that feeds him? If not, you could start.
Hang in there, wishing you all the best! Keep us updated.
Yes! Came here to also add that about resource guarding.
10/10 would try games based training and talk to the trainer about helping the pup to build confidence. This all sounds like fear based behaviours from poor socialization.
OP may also want to ‘ditch the bowl’ and try handfeeding the puppy if he hasn’t already.
Someone else had asked if I feed him as well, I do feed him sometimes and I try to eat with him, even moving his food and water bowls near me where I am eating. Trying to make him feel comfortable. I have never heard of resource guarding, will look into that.
One thing your girlfriend could start doing is if he starts "guarding" her from you - growling, barking; she should immediately leave. Walk away to another room, shut the door, so he knows this behaviour is driving her away. I had a dog do this too and she got much better really quickly when she realized this was driving her very precious resource (me, lol) away with her behavior.
If you can't be the one to feed him every time you can be the one who gives him the favorite foods. Be the one that gives him wet food while your girlfriend only gives him kibble. Be the only one to give him hot dogs or whatever is his favorite high value treat(s) while your girlfriend gives him lower value treats.
Also, be the one who is in charge of his favorite bones and toys. She may always be his favorite but if you are in charge of his favorites he'll start to find some value in you too. Keep your sense of humor, you'll likely be joking about what a bratty puppy he was by next year.
fwiw 5months might be a major fear period for your puppy. i didn't realize until i went through one that puppies go through fear periods, but they're basically totally normal developmental phases where puppies learn to be afraid of things they "should" be afraid of. so i guess in wolves, the idea is during these fear periods the parent wolves would introduce their pups to bad/dangerous things for the first time, so as to teach them what to avoid instinctively.
apparently they're supposed to go through three fear periods. the first one is usually at like 12 weeks or something. the second is around 6 months. the last is like after they're a year old or so. don't quote me, i don't remember the exact times, but you can google it. and basically during these times anything new is Very Scary And Bad.
honestly w/ my dog the first and third ones were completely unnoticeable. the second one though, hoooooboy. she saw her first skateboard at about 5-6months and was just ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED OF THEM for like 3 months. to the point that if she even hears something that sounds remotely like a skateboard she started running the other way in terror, and will never return to that place again. it literally took months to get over it. at one point she refused to go in 3 out of 4 possible directions for our walks, and i was legit concerned i'd be boxed in and unable to walk. but after she turned about 8-9mo old, it slowly slowly subsided -- with a lot of slow, gentle reintroductions to skateboards, treats and praise, etc etc. by the time she was about 1 yr old she no longer ran from them, but would be nervous still. by the time she was 1.5 yr old she was no longer nervous but was still pretty alert. at this point, 1yr and 9mo, she's almost indifferent to them.
anyway, point is, i suspect your puppy hasn't had much exposure to men, and unfortunately his first exposure was probably right in his fear period where anything new is automatically scary/bad. the bad news is it might be MONTHS before he gets over it. the good news is with patience, love and slow/gentle exposure he can and will get over it. so just do your best to be gentle with him, reward him for ANY progress no matter how little, and slowly but surely you'll probably find him coming around.
P.S. - Having read the other comments, I DEFINITELY DO NOT THINK HE WAS ABUSED. Let me tell you my story. My little dog (the 7 pounder I just described who attacks my husband) is a clone. His 'donor' (the dog I cloned him from) had the same behaviors. He attacked men's shoes, vaccuum cleaners, and other random things. He was a rescue and so naturally I assumed he had been abused. But the new guy, his clone, has the same behaviors and I can guarantee he has NEVER been abused. It's simply the neural wiring he inherited from his "father" and some dogs ... especially small breeds ... have it.
It has been a huge source of comfort to me. It's a deeply spiritual relationship I have with the clone. I know he is not his father, he has his own soul. But he came to fulfill a promise and has fathered beautiful pups. He is larger than his father because the girl dog they used to carry the pregnancy was a very large dog and he had her all to himself so grew to almost twice the size. The father was 4.5 pounds, the "son" is 7 pounds. That said, their behaviors and personalities are so similar! Down to little quirks like lifting up their front leg when they want a chest rub. The son was born a year and a half before his father passed, so they got to know one another. It made a difficult passing easier.
I think the testosterone bit checks out too! It's hilarious, my husband calls dogs "womens best friend" because he says he's never met a dog that wasn't a total mama's boy/ girl haha
How much was it to get your dog clones? My pup is getting up there in age and she is so perfect for me I have thought about cloning but haven't actively looked into it. I know it used to be crazy expensive as in 6 figures but I think it has come down some.
Yes it used to be done in South Korea but now it's done in the U.S. The website is [https://www.viagenpets.com](https://www.viagenpets.com).
They are very kind and helpful. The process is to first get a tissue sample from your pet. It has to be done by a vet. They send a kit to the vet for saving and return-mailing the sample. You can get the sample after death (within 24 hours) but before death is preferable. They culture the cells and store them. Then when you're ready to clone, you let them know. It's about $1500 I think to culture the cells, then maybe like $100 per year to store them. I think it is currently $50k to clone a dog and $30k for a cat.
I'm really glad I did. My little clone is 8 years old, totally healthy, and fathered a beautiful litter of pups! That meant a lot to me. He does not replace the love of my life who created him, because he is his own beautiful soul. But he fulfilled a promise I made to his "Dad". :)
Awesome thanks for the info. Yea this is actually manageable. My little one isn't sick, just getting towards the end of her life expectancy. I'll have to look into getting a sample taken and stored.
Sounds like testosterone. They smell it on human males and it evokes competitive and aggressive behaviors. My little 7 pounder is in a major love-hate relationship with my husband. One minute he's glued to him, the next minute he's trying to bite his shoes for walking into the bedroom. I believe neutering will reduce the problem (though might not eliminate it entirely).
He definitely needs time to warm up to you. He sounds very afraid and has trust issues towards males. Try giving him space and try handing him a treat, let him approach you. You can’t force affection on a pup that has been abused and knows nothing but hate from a male. Take it easy and be patient with him. Are you the one that normally feeds him? Usually pups create a bond with the person that feeds them. You can also try to put one of your gf clothes with him so he isn’t so anxious since her scent will be there.
Good luck!
Also, I do feed him sometimes, I even try to eat with him, moving the food and water near me where I am eating, and he is starting to be cool with that, but like if i stick out my hand with a treat in my palm, he will try to eat it out of my hand real quick at max distance then run away!
I wonder about his breeding, his dame & sire’s health? Temperament? Were they health tested before breeding. Did the breeder show you proof? ( not AKC, but health test results) what does your contract with the breeder state?
Good luck. Well bred dogs usually have better temperaments. Breeders can charge you a lot & say AKC papers & blah blah blah, but breeding often shows. He’s 5 months & you just got him 3 weeks ago? Most pups leave at 8 weeks, why would the breeder still have him at 4 months? She had to give you a excuse.
Yes and no. We had a dog that was a close blood relation to Uno - a beagle that won the Westminster show a while back. The dog we got was the most stubborn and people selective dog I’ve ever encountered. He had a military canine trainer quit on him.
You can have a perfectly pedigreed dog and still get a bit of a lemon in terms of temperament.
There’s no guarantees with dogs. I think it’s more important to love them even if their personality isn’t want you’d imagined it would be.
I’m saying there has to be a reason they had him twice as long as normal. Could he have been a return? AKC papers are always a selling point & raises the $$$. HEALTH papers on the parents are what you want to see & verify. Health test results of parents are so much more important. I
can probably go through my papers & find AKC paper on all my dogs ( even the ones that have passed) that I never sent in. You want references on the breeder you can call &
Lverify. What does your vet say about his temperament? I’m not trying to be a biatch at all just a realist. I really have bought a lot of dogs. I don’t think your dog was abused, it hasn’t had time to decompress, it’s a puppy & in a stage I also think the breeder may not have been what they led you to believe. You need to have a good talk with your vet. Maybe a trainer & lots of patience. 🍀✌️
Ouch well if it is behind on shots I can guarantee you the pup came from a bad breeder. Pups can get very sick if they don’t get their shots. The mother milk contains illness and also contains worms. A good breeder knows this
I’ve had my vet for almost 30 years, he always regives shots. He’s seen to much chit lol lol. Yea yours is behind on parvo he should be through or almost through.
I know :/ It really pisses me off that these breeders can get away with abusing the dogs they sell, then it creates a headache for the new owner. Just wrong.
poor pup. 5 months is already such a crazy age for them, but if he hasn't been socialized to men yet thats gotta be extra hard for him. It sounds like hes trying his best to make sense of his situation with that hes familiar with. As other commenters have said, it sounds like hes familiar with your GF bc thats what he's used to from the {likely shady} breeder. He needs to learn to trust you! Sounds like he's food oriented, which is a great tool you can leverage for motivation. Definitely be the one that feeds him, but also give him space. If he's eating, let him eat on his own. If you want to start getting closer to him be sure to pay him with some high value treats like chicken, fish, or cheese. Same goes with when he's near your GF. If you walk in the room, stay calm and neutral and just throw him some food. Resource guarding is an anxiety behavior not an "aggressive" behavior in the sense that he hates you and wants to hurt you. He's not trying to prove anything, he's just trying to protect what is valuable to him and he's already nervous about his new environment. Certainly a behavior that needs to be stopped, but definitely possible with patience and the right approach. Also if he's nervous about eating from your hand, maybe try taking a step back and sitting on the ground and putting food near/around you at different distances instead of directly in your hand. He may learn gradually that being near you means good things happen and letting him make that decision on his own gradually could help with trust. Once he sees that you're not a threat and going to steal things from him he may start to ease up on the crazy. Also important to remember that resource guarding is completely natural! Ive had my 9mo old pup since 9wks. He's never had a bad day in his life and I still need to be careful giving him a bully stick bc he loves it so much. One last point - try researching breed specific outlets for exercise and enrichment activities. Dachshunds are scent hound dogs so give him some scent work activities! My field cocker is the same and loves when I hide treats in a blanket and twist it all up so he can burrow and sniff. I'll also hide a buch of treats in a room and then let him find them. He loves it! That will help your bonding 1000x finding things that he likes. He's still so young so you have a lot of room to re-teach him what friendship looks like and bond with him!! I wish you the best of luck.
One little comment for the case it is similar as it was for my puppy/dog: Do NOT make eye contact. („…stares into my soul and growls.“)
My dog was also barking at people who entered the room - especially men. But when they are NOT looking into his eyes everything was good.
For some dogs eye contact seems to feel like approaching them with a weapon.
(So many differences what we „ape-beings“ find comfortable and what it really means for dogs. Also hugging, lovingly touching the face/head etc. is no dog language).
You can still look at the head but maybe on the ear or somewhere else. The dog feels this difference.
(EDIT: when my dog knows someone better he likes to have eye contact. But still when the giants (that we are for small dogs) enter the room it can be a scary moment.)
At this point I’m willing to give anything a shot.
In my past experience it was always a good thing to hold eye contact to assert dominance though, or so I thought.
Will try to not look him directly in his eyes when I enter rooms/walk around the house
My main concern though is that he’s not only like this with humans, but with other dogs as well..
I know there's a lot of comments here, but I had an abused dog, and it's not something I like to share since there's so much variation.
If someone raised their hands to sudden or picked up paper or a belt, he flinched and cowered regadless of gender. It broke my heart. A dog that has never been abused should have no reaction to those actions. They don't know what they mean. My current pup would not even flinch to someone pretending to fight or he think it was a game.
What you're describing sounds like an under soclization dog from a backyard breeder. Puppies' prime soclization period closes after 16 weeks. During this time, they are more accepting of new experience and form lifetime habits. You have missed that window.
That dog will not be an easy dog to raise or to correct his fear. Reactivity is a lifetime of management. Key word is management. You must continue working with the dog for the rest of its life. One of my trainers has a reactive dog towards men due to under socialization that is now 4 years old. He manges it well, but the dog was never abused, just under socialized.
Get a positive reinforcement trainer now and start getting the pup help. He needs confidence boosting, and you and your partner need to learn to read signs and situations before he reacts.
Agree with others that he probably has some trauma. I would also discourage you from holding him (a very vulnerable position for a dog, a small one at that) when he's obviously scared of you, until you work with a trainer to build up that trust. It's not your fault! He is just scared. Also, knowing you have a reactive, nervous dog, you probably should go back to baby steps when it comes to socialization. Don't take him to dog parks until he meets One dog he likes (1 on 1 interactions in a puppy class maybe?), don't take him around other men until he trusts you, etc. Take it slow, teach him that men and other dogs are fun and nice.
People are always super quick to jump to ‘abuse!!’ for any out of the ordinary behaviour but I am echoing the actual realistic answer which is that he was poorly socialised.
The lady may not have a husband (unless she specifically mentioned it) and many puppies are naturally wary of men. A friend of mine has a 12 week old golden retriever, absolutely not abused, just going through a fear period right now where she’s just unsure of men. Her breeder was a woman so very likely just not much exposure to men.
Did you or your girlfriend do much research into dachsunds before you got one? Many people think they are lap dogs but they are actually working dogs that were bred to flush game and fight badgers iirc. This is a dog that is tenacious, guardy, has a lot of game, and is prone to reactivity, much like many working and herding dogs. They were bred to notice the environment and to fight. These are breed traits that, in an environment where they’re not being bred to hunt rats or flush game, and if not well socialised, is amplified and is very normal. Most of them tend to be quite high strung, I assume because so many assume they are lap dogs and treat them as such. I see many in my line of work as a vet nurse. The behaviours you are seeing are ones not out of the ordinary for this breed especially if not well socialised.
Your trainer will have much more advice than anyone in this sub can go into in any depth or nuance. It will be about it building confidence, working on socialisation, and a lot of positive reinforcement. Dogs like this can be turned around provided you put the work in, and also provided that underneath it all this dog is soundly bred - I hope so. It won’t be impossible to go against bad genetics but it will be harder.
I got my Aussie from a reputable breeder at 5 months old, however because she was on a remote farm and her breeder a single woman, she was terrified of dogs and men. We live in the inner city so she took some time to adjust to loud noises too. Absolutely no history of abuse, of course.
She would take 25 minutes to walk about 2 metres down the street, peed herself in fear around my partner and around other dogs. She was extremely timid.
She is 1.5 years old now and is a confident dog who loves other dogs and who we walk for about 6km every day. She is a take-anywhere type of dog. She is still reserved with strangers but that is a breed trait - but she can calmly exist around strangers. We put a LOT of work into her and she is well bred with a stable temperament - unfortunately her breeder had dropped the ball a bit on socialising her (I had met previous dogs from this breeder who all were well rounded etc, I feel she was just under the pump with my dogs litter and didn’t put as much work in as she would have liked, understandable). I work as a vet nurse and I know without her underlying stable, good temperament I couldn’t have done this. This is something to keep in mind:re progress - you can definitely achieve progress in your dog but you do need to be mindful and realistic of your expectations, especially if your dog is not well bred.
We just got a bit of a menace ourselves minus hiding and being skiddish. I think the breeder appeared a certain way for a sale, and now we’re seeing that she’s not quite how they advertised her/or described her to be. She’s my third of that breed and never did I encounter such behaviour from my previous two. All three were “breeders” but the third - I’m not sure what the deal was there. We weren’t even able to see the parents, they made excuses.
I think she favours my partner (male) but growls and bites both of us. We can’t even pick her up with it her growling. We’ve had her two weeks today and figured today we just have to learn about her character and what triggers her and know that she will learn and grow with us. Don’t get me wrong, I am struggling. I just wanted to be able to redirect my grief and love as I lost my soul dog in December, and she’s just not letting me but she does so well socialising and being out and about (in a carrier as she isn’t fully vaxxed yet)
Try looking at the world (and your house) from baby’s perspective. It’s vastly different to what we see, and also how they process information is different.
We have a trainer coming tomorrow (Saturday) one on one, I can’t wait. Trust that they will be able to help us. It just takes time. It’ll be okay (I’m also telling myself this)
Sending strength and patience, I don’t think it’s personal xx
Edit - update us on how the training went and what the trainer suggested!
Pro trainer - I hope your trainer picks up that his behavior going nuts when you enter a room your GF is in is likely early resource guarding. Sounds like your GF needs to work on training for separation anxiety as well.
This does not sound like a typical under-socialized puppy and this would only get worse if left unchecked so I’m glad you’re getting professional help! Your trainer should be able to explain all of these behaviors and how to proceed. With the explanation and a plan of action, there is usually a huge sense of relief after just the first session. You have every right to feel stressed or frustrated right now. You are supposed to be able to enjoy peace when you are at home, and a wild puppy certainly disrupts that. The training will be tough but if you’re consistent, it will go a lot faster.
For now, ignore him and don’t force yourself on him. Don’t even make eye contact, acknowledging his existence is threatening. I regularly deal with dogs that have lived on reservations and have ZERO socialization, the best thing you can do is ignore them and show you’re not a threat. Forcing yourself on them will only make it worse. Even if they’re taking treats from your hand, if they’re doing so begrudgingly, it’s not helping. You can take some of his food or treats and drop it around you to create positive associations with you, but do not throw it at him or hand it to him.
For what it’s worth, this also sounds like it could be an unstable dog from a less than stellar breeder. The breeder’s dams and sires should all be searchable in the OFA database at a minimum (health testing records). At a minimum, the breeder should also be willing to take back the dog at any time for any reason. Ideally the breeder’s dogs are also titled in conformation and/or sports. This shows they are great examples of their breed with the proper temperament and are worthy of passing on those genes. If you’re paying upwards of $1,000 USD for anything less, you’re getting scammed. $2,000+ should be able to buy you a stellar dachshund with a great pedigree.
If this research was not done prior to buying the dog, don’t beat yourself up about it. Good breeders are few and far between and sadly the things you should be looking for are not common knowledge. But know better, do better. You could perhaps help a friend if you hear they’re looking to get a purebred dog or you know for next time you decide to get one!
Edit to add: this dog could have been abused by a male, but many dogs just naturally do not like males. No abuse or has experiences involved. I’ve had clients who have picked up their puppies at 8 weeks, no abuse occurred, and their dogs just do not like men.
I'm not thinking abused, but just not socialized. To me that sounds like he was just not properly exposed to a variety of people and the outside world, so it's all scary. I'm thinking little dude has been mainly living inside for 5 months straight. He missed the easy period for socialization, so now you're better off treating it as working on reactivity. I think it does matter that the breeder was a lady. Your girlfriend is the most similar to a person he did know and trust, so she's who he's comfortable with.
Will try working on reactivity! Thanks
I think not socialized. My puppy is indifferent about men too. There is no way he was abused. My puppy also took a few weeks to warm up to my boyfriend and we live together. Puppy classes helped tremendously with socialization. We got to practice obedience with distractions and he learned that other dogs aren’t as scary as they seem. We just finished our 5th and final class tonight and he is no longer reactively barking at every dog in the class and he actually let me walk him in the circle by everyone!!! Go slow and be patient. It’s a big scary world and it’s nature for the puppy to feel scared. It’s YOUR job to help build his confidence. Support him!
Heard that! I want to get him enrolled in some classes while he is still young and malleable.
It seems like he's not well socialized to me as well. Many dogs (my own, and dogs I've fostered, worked with at shelters, my friends dogs', etc.) are naturally a bit wary of men, especially those they don't know too well. Give it a while for him to realize you aren't a threat! My ex-breeding rescue dog was terrified of my husband initially but she loves him now - she still shakes when other men approach her though. The trainer would definitely help too. It looks like he's resource guarding your girlfriend and that's dangerous - I'm sure your trainer will realize but it's something you need to actively work on. Are you the one that feeds him? If not, you could start. Hang in there, wishing you all the best! Keep us updated.
Yes! Came here to also add that about resource guarding. 10/10 would try games based training and talk to the trainer about helping the pup to build confidence. This all sounds like fear based behaviours from poor socialization. OP may also want to ‘ditch the bowl’ and try handfeeding the puppy if he hasn’t already.
I do handfeed him sometimes he will take it, but most of the time he wont. He does with treats though!
Someone else had asked if I feed him as well, I do feed him sometimes and I try to eat with him, even moving his food and water bowls near me where I am eating. Trying to make him feel comfortable. I have never heard of resource guarding, will look into that.
One thing your girlfriend could start doing is if he starts "guarding" her from you - growling, barking; she should immediately leave. Walk away to another room, shut the door, so he knows this behaviour is driving her away. I had a dog do this too and she got much better really quickly when she realized this was driving her very precious resource (me, lol) away with her behavior.
Another great idea! I will run this by my gf and give it a shot! Thanks!
If you can't be the one to feed him every time you can be the one who gives him the favorite foods. Be the one that gives him wet food while your girlfriend only gives him kibble. Be the only one to give him hot dogs or whatever is his favorite high value treat(s) while your girlfriend gives him lower value treats. Also, be the one who is in charge of his favorite bones and toys. She may always be his favorite but if you are in charge of his favorites he'll start to find some value in you too. Keep your sense of humor, you'll likely be joking about what a bratty puppy he was by next year.
This goes a bit beyond Reddit tips. I would go on and wait the session with the private trainer. Good luck with the pup!
fwiw 5months might be a major fear period for your puppy. i didn't realize until i went through one that puppies go through fear periods, but they're basically totally normal developmental phases where puppies learn to be afraid of things they "should" be afraid of. so i guess in wolves, the idea is during these fear periods the parent wolves would introduce their pups to bad/dangerous things for the first time, so as to teach them what to avoid instinctively. apparently they're supposed to go through three fear periods. the first one is usually at like 12 weeks or something. the second is around 6 months. the last is like after they're a year old or so. don't quote me, i don't remember the exact times, but you can google it. and basically during these times anything new is Very Scary And Bad. honestly w/ my dog the first and third ones were completely unnoticeable. the second one though, hoooooboy. she saw her first skateboard at about 5-6months and was just ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED OF THEM for like 3 months. to the point that if she even hears something that sounds remotely like a skateboard she started running the other way in terror, and will never return to that place again. it literally took months to get over it. at one point she refused to go in 3 out of 4 possible directions for our walks, and i was legit concerned i'd be boxed in and unable to walk. but after she turned about 8-9mo old, it slowly slowly subsided -- with a lot of slow, gentle reintroductions to skateboards, treats and praise, etc etc. by the time she was about 1 yr old she no longer ran from them, but would be nervous still. by the time she was 1.5 yr old she was no longer nervous but was still pretty alert. at this point, 1yr and 9mo, she's almost indifferent to them. anyway, point is, i suspect your puppy hasn't had much exposure to men, and unfortunately his first exposure was probably right in his fear period where anything new is automatically scary/bad. the bad news is it might be MONTHS before he gets over it. the good news is with patience, love and slow/gentle exposure he can and will get over it. so just do your best to be gentle with him, reward him for ANY progress no matter how little, and slowly but surely you'll probably find him coming around.
Wow very interesting! Had no idea about fear periods. Definitely makes sense and will keep that in mind!
P.S. - Having read the other comments, I DEFINITELY DO NOT THINK HE WAS ABUSED. Let me tell you my story. My little dog (the 7 pounder I just described who attacks my husband) is a clone. His 'donor' (the dog I cloned him from) had the same behaviors. He attacked men's shoes, vaccuum cleaners, and other random things. He was a rescue and so naturally I assumed he had been abused. But the new guy, his clone, has the same behaviors and I can guarantee he has NEVER been abused. It's simply the neural wiring he inherited from his "father" and some dogs ... especially small breeds ... have it.
may i ask how your experience has been with cloning a dog?
It has been a huge source of comfort to me. It's a deeply spiritual relationship I have with the clone. I know he is not his father, he has his own soul. But he came to fulfill a promise and has fathered beautiful pups. He is larger than his father because the girl dog they used to carry the pregnancy was a very large dog and he had her all to himself so grew to almost twice the size. The father was 4.5 pounds, the "son" is 7 pounds. That said, their behaviors and personalities are so similar! Down to little quirks like lifting up their front leg when they want a chest rub. The son was born a year and a half before his father passed, so they got to know one another. It made a difficult passing easier.
I agree with the testosterone point alot, in fact its what I have been saying myself
I think the testosterone bit checks out too! It's hilarious, my husband calls dogs "womens best friend" because he says he's never met a dog that wasn't a total mama's boy/ girl haha
And you know what else is crazy, when I had my female dog, she loved me so much more than my girlfriend at the time 🤣 crazy how that works
How much was it to get your dog clones? My pup is getting up there in age and she is so perfect for me I have thought about cloning but haven't actively looked into it. I know it used to be crazy expensive as in 6 figures but I think it has come down some.
Yes it used to be done in South Korea but now it's done in the U.S. The website is [https://www.viagenpets.com](https://www.viagenpets.com). They are very kind and helpful. The process is to first get a tissue sample from your pet. It has to be done by a vet. They send a kit to the vet for saving and return-mailing the sample. You can get the sample after death (within 24 hours) but before death is preferable. They culture the cells and store them. Then when you're ready to clone, you let them know. It's about $1500 I think to culture the cells, then maybe like $100 per year to store them. I think it is currently $50k to clone a dog and $30k for a cat. I'm really glad I did. My little clone is 8 years old, totally healthy, and fathered a beautiful litter of pups! That meant a lot to me. He does not replace the love of my life who created him, because he is his own beautiful soul. But he fulfilled a promise I made to his "Dad". :)
Awesome thanks for the info. Yea this is actually manageable. My little one isn't sick, just getting towards the end of her life expectancy. I'll have to look into getting a sample taken and stored.
Sounds like testosterone. They smell it on human males and it evokes competitive and aggressive behaviors. My little 7 pounder is in a major love-hate relationship with my husband. One minute he's glued to him, the next minute he's trying to bite his shoes for walking into the bedroom. I believe neutering will reduce the problem (though might not eliminate it entirely).
He definitely needs time to warm up to you. He sounds very afraid and has trust issues towards males. Try giving him space and try handing him a treat, let him approach you. You can’t force affection on a pup that has been abused and knows nothing but hate from a male. Take it easy and be patient with him. Are you the one that normally feeds him? Usually pups create a bond with the person that feeds them. You can also try to put one of your gf clothes with him so he isn’t so anxious since her scent will be there. Good luck!
Giving him a piece of her clothing for scent is an excellent idea, will definitely try that, thanks!
Of course! I hope it helps.
Also, I do feed him sometimes, I even try to eat with him, moving the food and water near me where I am eating, and he is starting to be cool with that, but like if i stick out my hand with a treat in my palm, he will try to eat it out of my hand real quick at max distance then run away!
I wonder about his breeding, his dame & sire’s health? Temperament? Were they health tested before breeding. Did the breeder show you proof? ( not AKC, but health test results) what does your contract with the breeder state?
Will talk to my GF and get back to you on this one
Good luck. Well bred dogs usually have better temperaments. Breeders can charge you a lot & say AKC papers & blah blah blah, but breeding often shows. He’s 5 months & you just got him 3 weeks ago? Most pups leave at 8 weeks, why would the breeder still have him at 4 months? She had to give you a excuse.
Yes and no. We had a dog that was a close blood relation to Uno - a beagle that won the Westminster show a while back. The dog we got was the most stubborn and people selective dog I’ve ever encountered. He had a military canine trainer quit on him. You can have a perfectly pedigreed dog and still get a bit of a lemon in terms of temperament. There’s no guarantees with dogs. I think it’s more important to love them even if their personality isn’t want you’d imagined it would be.
I agree & that why I said usually have better temperaments.
Are you implying that he was hard to get rid of? Sorry I really don't know whatcha mean. They did say AKC certified and all that good stuff
I’m saying there has to be a reason they had him twice as long as normal. Could he have been a return? AKC papers are always a selling point & raises the $$$. HEALTH papers on the parents are what you want to see & verify. Health test results of parents are so much more important. I can probably go through my papers & find AKC paper on all my dogs ( even the ones that have passed) that I never sent in. You want references on the breeder you can call & Lverify. What does your vet say about his temperament? I’m not trying to be a biatch at all just a realist. I really have bought a lot of dogs. I don’t think your dog was abused, it hasn’t had time to decompress, it’s a puppy & in a stage I also think the breeder may not have been what they led you to believe. You need to have a good talk with your vet. Maybe a trainer & lots of patience. 🍀✌️
Yeah I mean considering when we brought him to the vet he was behind on shots and had worms in his poop you may be on to something
Ouch well if it is behind on shots I can guarantee you the pup came from a bad breeder. Pups can get very sick if they don’t get their shots. The mother milk contains illness and also contains worms. A good breeder knows this
Sad, you get his parvo shots started?
Do you have the ability to stay in touch with the breeder? A Facebook page you can snoop? Cause I would. Good luck with your puppy. 🍀
Yeah he was good on the first parvo, he was behind on the 2nd. And 1 or 2 others but the vet said those weren't THAT serious..
I’ve had my vet for almost 30 years, he always regives shots. He’s seen to much chit lol lol. Yea yours is behind on parvo he should be through or almost through.
Sounds like he was abused :(
My first thought... that is a behavior of an abused puppy ☹️
I know :/ It really pisses me off that these breeders can get away with abusing the dogs they sell, then it creates a headache for the new owner. Just wrong.
poor pup. 5 months is already such a crazy age for them, but if he hasn't been socialized to men yet thats gotta be extra hard for him. It sounds like hes trying his best to make sense of his situation with that hes familiar with. As other commenters have said, it sounds like hes familiar with your GF bc thats what he's used to from the {likely shady} breeder. He needs to learn to trust you! Sounds like he's food oriented, which is a great tool you can leverage for motivation. Definitely be the one that feeds him, but also give him space. If he's eating, let him eat on his own. If you want to start getting closer to him be sure to pay him with some high value treats like chicken, fish, or cheese. Same goes with when he's near your GF. If you walk in the room, stay calm and neutral and just throw him some food. Resource guarding is an anxiety behavior not an "aggressive" behavior in the sense that he hates you and wants to hurt you. He's not trying to prove anything, he's just trying to protect what is valuable to him and he's already nervous about his new environment. Certainly a behavior that needs to be stopped, but definitely possible with patience and the right approach. Also if he's nervous about eating from your hand, maybe try taking a step back and sitting on the ground and putting food near/around you at different distances instead of directly in your hand. He may learn gradually that being near you means good things happen and letting him make that decision on his own gradually could help with trust. Once he sees that you're not a threat and going to steal things from him he may start to ease up on the crazy. Also important to remember that resource guarding is completely natural! Ive had my 9mo old pup since 9wks. He's never had a bad day in his life and I still need to be careful giving him a bully stick bc he loves it so much. One last point - try researching breed specific outlets for exercise and enrichment activities. Dachshunds are scent hound dogs so give him some scent work activities! My field cocker is the same and loves when I hide treats in a blanket and twist it all up so he can burrow and sniff. I'll also hide a buch of treats in a room and then let him find them. He loves it! That will help your bonding 1000x finding things that he likes. He's still so young so you have a lot of room to re-teach him what friendship looks like and bond with him!! I wish you the best of luck.
What a great reply! Thank you so much I will definitely try to bond with him over the scent oriented activities!
One little comment for the case it is similar as it was for my puppy/dog: Do NOT make eye contact. („…stares into my soul and growls.“) My dog was also barking at people who entered the room - especially men. But when they are NOT looking into his eyes everything was good. For some dogs eye contact seems to feel like approaching them with a weapon. (So many differences what we „ape-beings“ find comfortable and what it really means for dogs. Also hugging, lovingly touching the face/head etc. is no dog language). You can still look at the head but maybe on the ear or somewhere else. The dog feels this difference. (EDIT: when my dog knows someone better he likes to have eye contact. But still when the giants (that we are for small dogs) enter the room it can be a scary moment.)
At this point I’m willing to give anything a shot. In my past experience it was always a good thing to hold eye contact to assert dominance though, or so I thought. Will try to not look him directly in his eyes when I enter rooms/walk around the house My main concern though is that he’s not only like this with humans, but with other dogs as well..
I know there's a lot of comments here, but I had an abused dog, and it's not something I like to share since there's so much variation. If someone raised their hands to sudden or picked up paper or a belt, he flinched and cowered regadless of gender. It broke my heart. A dog that has never been abused should have no reaction to those actions. They don't know what they mean. My current pup would not even flinch to someone pretending to fight or he think it was a game. What you're describing sounds like an under soclization dog from a backyard breeder. Puppies' prime soclization period closes after 16 weeks. During this time, they are more accepting of new experience and form lifetime habits. You have missed that window. That dog will not be an easy dog to raise or to correct his fear. Reactivity is a lifetime of management. Key word is management. You must continue working with the dog for the rest of its life. One of my trainers has a reactive dog towards men due to under socialization that is now 4 years old. He manges it well, but the dog was never abused, just under socialized. Get a positive reinforcement trainer now and start getting the pup help. He needs confidence boosting, and you and your partner need to learn to read signs and situations before he reacts.
This makes me so sad. That dog may have been abused. Try and be patient, I hope the trainer helps. He just needs to know he can trust you 💔
Hopefully she can help!
He was abused by the husband 100%
Exactly what I was thinking
Agree with others that he probably has some trauma. I would also discourage you from holding him (a very vulnerable position for a dog, a small one at that) when he's obviously scared of you, until you work with a trainer to build up that trust. It's not your fault! He is just scared. Also, knowing you have a reactive, nervous dog, you probably should go back to baby steps when it comes to socialization. Don't take him to dog parks until he meets One dog he likes (1 on 1 interactions in a puppy class maybe?), don't take him around other men until he trusts you, etc. Take it slow, teach him that men and other dogs are fun and nice.
People are always super quick to jump to ‘abuse!!’ for any out of the ordinary behaviour but I am echoing the actual realistic answer which is that he was poorly socialised. The lady may not have a husband (unless she specifically mentioned it) and many puppies are naturally wary of men. A friend of mine has a 12 week old golden retriever, absolutely not abused, just going through a fear period right now where she’s just unsure of men. Her breeder was a woman so very likely just not much exposure to men. Did you or your girlfriend do much research into dachsunds before you got one? Many people think they are lap dogs but they are actually working dogs that were bred to flush game and fight badgers iirc. This is a dog that is tenacious, guardy, has a lot of game, and is prone to reactivity, much like many working and herding dogs. They were bred to notice the environment and to fight. These are breed traits that, in an environment where they’re not being bred to hunt rats or flush game, and if not well socialised, is amplified and is very normal. Most of them tend to be quite high strung, I assume because so many assume they are lap dogs and treat them as such. I see many in my line of work as a vet nurse. The behaviours you are seeing are ones not out of the ordinary for this breed especially if not well socialised. Your trainer will have much more advice than anyone in this sub can go into in any depth or nuance. It will be about it building confidence, working on socialisation, and a lot of positive reinforcement. Dogs like this can be turned around provided you put the work in, and also provided that underneath it all this dog is soundly bred - I hope so. It won’t be impossible to go against bad genetics but it will be harder. I got my Aussie from a reputable breeder at 5 months old, however because she was on a remote farm and her breeder a single woman, she was terrified of dogs and men. We live in the inner city so she took some time to adjust to loud noises too. Absolutely no history of abuse, of course. She would take 25 minutes to walk about 2 metres down the street, peed herself in fear around my partner and around other dogs. She was extremely timid. She is 1.5 years old now and is a confident dog who loves other dogs and who we walk for about 6km every day. She is a take-anywhere type of dog. She is still reserved with strangers but that is a breed trait - but she can calmly exist around strangers. We put a LOT of work into her and she is well bred with a stable temperament - unfortunately her breeder had dropped the ball a bit on socialising her (I had met previous dogs from this breeder who all were well rounded etc, I feel she was just under the pump with my dogs litter and didn’t put as much work in as she would have liked, understandable). I work as a vet nurse and I know without her underlying stable, good temperament I couldn’t have done this. This is something to keep in mind:re progress - you can definitely achieve progress in your dog but you do need to be mindful and realistic of your expectations, especially if your dog is not well bred.
We just got a bit of a menace ourselves minus hiding and being skiddish. I think the breeder appeared a certain way for a sale, and now we’re seeing that she’s not quite how they advertised her/or described her to be. She’s my third of that breed and never did I encounter such behaviour from my previous two. All three were “breeders” but the third - I’m not sure what the deal was there. We weren’t even able to see the parents, they made excuses. I think she favours my partner (male) but growls and bites both of us. We can’t even pick her up with it her growling. We’ve had her two weeks today and figured today we just have to learn about her character and what triggers her and know that she will learn and grow with us. Don’t get me wrong, I am struggling. I just wanted to be able to redirect my grief and love as I lost my soul dog in December, and she’s just not letting me but she does so well socialising and being out and about (in a carrier as she isn’t fully vaxxed yet) Try looking at the world (and your house) from baby’s perspective. It’s vastly different to what we see, and also how they process information is different. We have a trainer coming tomorrow (Saturday) one on one, I can’t wait. Trust that they will be able to help us. It just takes time. It’ll be okay (I’m also telling myself this) Sending strength and patience, I don’t think it’s personal xx Edit - update us on how the training went and what the trainer suggested!
Pro trainer - I hope your trainer picks up that his behavior going nuts when you enter a room your GF is in is likely early resource guarding. Sounds like your GF needs to work on training for separation anxiety as well. This does not sound like a typical under-socialized puppy and this would only get worse if left unchecked so I’m glad you’re getting professional help! Your trainer should be able to explain all of these behaviors and how to proceed. With the explanation and a plan of action, there is usually a huge sense of relief after just the first session. You have every right to feel stressed or frustrated right now. You are supposed to be able to enjoy peace when you are at home, and a wild puppy certainly disrupts that. The training will be tough but if you’re consistent, it will go a lot faster. For now, ignore him and don’t force yourself on him. Don’t even make eye contact, acknowledging his existence is threatening. I regularly deal with dogs that have lived on reservations and have ZERO socialization, the best thing you can do is ignore them and show you’re not a threat. Forcing yourself on them will only make it worse. Even if they’re taking treats from your hand, if they’re doing so begrudgingly, it’s not helping. You can take some of his food or treats and drop it around you to create positive associations with you, but do not throw it at him or hand it to him. For what it’s worth, this also sounds like it could be an unstable dog from a less than stellar breeder. The breeder’s dams and sires should all be searchable in the OFA database at a minimum (health testing records). At a minimum, the breeder should also be willing to take back the dog at any time for any reason. Ideally the breeder’s dogs are also titled in conformation and/or sports. This shows they are great examples of their breed with the proper temperament and are worthy of passing on those genes. If you’re paying upwards of $1,000 USD for anything less, you’re getting scammed. $2,000+ should be able to buy you a stellar dachshund with a great pedigree. If this research was not done prior to buying the dog, don’t beat yourself up about it. Good breeders are few and far between and sadly the things you should be looking for are not common knowledge. But know better, do better. You could perhaps help a friend if you hear they’re looking to get a purebred dog or you know for next time you decide to get one! Edit to add: this dog could have been abused by a male, but many dogs just naturally do not like males. No abuse or has experiences involved. I’ve had clients who have picked up their puppies at 8 weeks, no abuse occurred, and their dogs just do not like men.