help me with my newly adopted chi!!

hi i just adopted a year old chihuahua and she wont let me touch her i dont know what to do.

when i do she jumps in the air like a rabbit scratches me tries to bite me and screams like im killing her!

im really sad with this its been 2 weeks and i dont know what to do her previous owner died and thats why she was adopted out.

she also wont walk on a leash i dont know what to do.
she won't come when called it's like she doesn't even know her name either.

its really wierd :s

anyone have any ideas?

i just wanted to ad she seems alot better when other people go to her like my kids and my other friend its just me she seems really skittish with!!

someone please help me im really desperate

How did you come to adopt her? Didn't she show any of this behavoir or didn't the people from whom you adopted her tell you about her? She sounds like she has some trust issues with other people. If you're sure you want to take her on and not re-home her, I'll suggest a few things that might help but mostly what will have to happen is that she is given lots of time to come around in her own time.

What you need to do is convince her that you are GREAT....that all the things she likes and needs come through you. That means hand feeding her for a while. Stand across the room and if she makes one step toward you, toss her a piece of food. Don't lure her with it but instead wait for her to take a step first, then another step the next time and so on. As she comes to realize that by coming over near you gets her food, you can start a little more training. Stand there and wait. See if she'll sit on her own. When/if she does, tell her, "yessssss!" gently and give her a treat. In other words, try to see if you can get her to do a very few little things to earn her kibble and/or treats.

When she jumps up and acts all crazy, turn your back and ignore her. Don't look at or speak to her. Wait for a second or two of calm, quiet behavior and then drop a tiny tid bit of chicken or other meat on the floor near you. Be sure and don't reinforce behavior you don't want to see repeated.

As for the leash, I'd skip the outside walks for now unless you have a fenced yard. There or in the house, you can practice getting her to like to come along with you. (no leash...just on her own for now. Later we'll work on getting to like the leash) Again, like before, if she comes just a few steps near you, reinforce with a high value treat or anything she really, really loves. Find out what she loves and use it as reward to increase behavior you like. Be cheerful and quiet, calm and non intrusive. Give her her space but reward her for closing up the distance between you and her and for relative calmness.

This will likely take time. Don't be pushy with trying to pat her and stuff. Let her come to you when she is ready. She should adapt after a bit. Remember to control the things she likes and needs. Wait for a second or two of a behavior you like; (ie: calmness, no jumping up, sitting perhaps, coming closer to you in a friendly, quiet way, following you etc) and reinforce those types of behaviors with part of her meal, a higher value treat, a favorite toy. Save all the good stuff for reward and don't give her the things she likes when she is behaving in a way you don't like. In other words, don't by mistake reward lousy, ornery, shy, fearful or obnoxious behavior.

There are other things you can do too as time goes on, but for now, I'd work on getting her to trust you, giving her more time to adjust and just hang out near you. Work on being calm yourself, not gushing over her, paying inordinate amounts of attention to her unless her behavior is calm and nice. Just be there by her without pushing yourself on her...kind of like you're both sharing a residence but that's about it...be kind of a cool customer if you know what I mean. That will give her time to assess things and work things out. Are you living with other people in the house? Or is it just you? Be sure other people, even visitors give her space and don't encroach on her. Just give her time.

Oh I was typing while you typed your second post. I see, you have kids and she's better with them. Hmmm. Well, become her life line, the conduit to things she needs and give her time. Two weeks isn't necessarily that much. I really think she'll come around.

i have tried to give her treats and food she wont come near me for ANYTHING!!!! i have to chase her down and grab her and then once i get her she is fine and she will cuddle with me but the second she can leave me she is gone.
it doesnt matter what i do it's like she hates me and it makes me sad to see that!
my other dog loves me to bits and she is the opposite they are like black and white!
i am getting depressed to see how sad she is and i dont know how much more i can take to see her like this.
i feel so bad for her i dont want her to live like this it isnt fair for her!
i just want to take her pain away so she can be happy again but i dont understand how to do that?!?
i have tried what you said with the food and treats it doesnt really work cause thats what i have been doing for 2 weeks already.

i am desperate

Wish I could help .....Chis seem to be a breed of their own . Good luck !

Don't do this. This is very probably why she's afraid of you and is uncomfortable and wants to get away. Two weeks isn't that long to regain trust in a dog that is showing this much trepidation and build a rapport with her. Some dogs with issues take months to come around...even longer. Either give her more time, back off and let her warm up to you on her own schedule or if this is too desperate a situation to you, maybe think about rehoming her with someone who doesn't mind having a dog that is that way and has time to let things develop....if they will develop. If you're feeling desperate and frantic, she is surely sensing this in you and most likely it is making her more nervous and fearful of you. Or....see about getting a certified behaviorist to give you some ideas that maybe haven't been thought of.

You say she won't take food from you. She eats, doesn't she? What about dropping a piece of food on the floor near by instead of handing it to her? Will she eat that? If it's too near you and she doesn't want to come, what about tossing it a little further from you? Will she then take it?

This behavior is not genetic. This is an individual's neurosis.

I am sure she'll come around, but this is not something that will right itself quickly. You have to realize that she may have a background that makes her fearful of people who resemble you. Maybe it's your hair colour, your size, your voice... it could be any number of triggers that may remind her of a bad past.

Doberluv has given you some excellent advice, much better than I could offer. You NEED to have patience and relax a little. She can most certainly sense the bubbling emotion in you, and that doesn't help. Don't force her, just let her become accustomed to you slowly.

Chasing her and grabbing her to cuddle will not help either... it will probably take time and patience, but you want HER to come to YOU. As Doberluv already said, chasing her and grabbing her might just make things worse.

Remember that adopted dogs come from all kinds of backgrounds, including, unfortunately, abusive ones. Patience and consistency is key. If this is too much for you, then you should look into other options for this little one.

Previously, I have the same problem with you that my dog won't come when I called him and I found this really helpful to me in teaching him to come YouTube - Teach dog to come. Now, little by little he is now responding when I command him to come.

chihuahua are very active all the time.. and they need extra attention.. just continue to walk her out and treat her like nothings wrong... like my chihuahua.. at first she keeps on running around and don't even listen..... for two months and then now she's okay.......

she plays a lot...

Not my Chihuahuas. They're couch potatoes if left to their own devices. I have to make the first move if they're to go on a hike or get any exercise or fun. LOL. Mine do listen if they're not asleep. They have very big ears.

LOL, mine too. She'll play with a toy with me for about five minutes a day (usually choosing those five minutes while I'm on the phone ), but she'd literally sleep 23 hours a day if I let her. But even so, her stamina is amazing - she used walk with me at work for 8 or 9 hours, often without a break (even taking lunch break with me).... that's a lot of walking for a dog her size! She rarely slows down when we're out somewhere, even if it's a long day (though she does sleep well at night afterwards!). And she's one of the fastest dogs in our agility class, easily beating some dogs whose stride is at least 4 times what hers is.

Gotta love these Chis. They're amazing, aren't they, fast, agile, good stamina, tough little buggers. LOL. I love how I can get mine revved up, silly and playful and then the second I go get comfy on the couch, there they are, Johnny on the spot.....ready to curl up next to me or on my lap to snuggly quietly. They just match whatever mood I'm in or whatever I'm doing. Are yours that way too? I have seen one that was crazy wild, zooming through the house. It was a young one when I went to visit someone. That dog never stopped. I couldn't even pet him because he wouldn't hold still long enough. I wonder if he ever settled down. Mine were never that wild.

Oh yeah, Luna's like that too.... changes at the drop of a hat to match me. It's almost like looking in a mirror sometimes - when I get nervous, she gets nervous; if she's nervous and see that I'm ok, she calms herself. Kind of amazing, when you think about it.

I know with my skittish small dog (Honey) that me approaching in any way generally means she backs away or runs away. Generally I get a close as she will allow and then stand still and call her calmly "here honey, good girl, come honey, yes good girl" until she comes withing pick up range.

Also with fearful dogs she may do better if you sit or lay on the ground--that way you don't look so big and 'scary'

and my chihuahua is a lot faster than me..... they are lil but **** they are very fast...