Serious chihuahua help

[Criosphynx]

My chi was a lot like yours when I brought her home. (no screaming tho) but was terrified...no....beyond terrified.


Doberluvs' advice is golden. I can tell you first hand that I used this method and it worked 100%..you'd never know the dog had an issue before.

Did take several months tho. So don't get discouraged.

[puppydog]

Stop scaring her! How would you like to be chased? Give her time. Be soft and gentle. She will come around.
My Lilly was like that for two months when I first got her. She would not come out from under the couch, now she is my best friend.

[suthrnladi]

Just take all the advice from above. I had a cairn terrier who wouldn't come out except at night after everyone else had gone to bed. She would then come out and let me pet her. I had her a year before anyone even knew I had a dog. ....seriously, I would tell people I had one, but she would be in hiding, and since I didn't want to scare her more, I woldn't go looking for her, so many people thought I had an imaginary friend dog. LOL.
Take your time, be patient.

[Doberluv]

Originally Posted by suthrnladi

Just take all the advice from above. I had a cairn terrier who wouldn't come out except at night after everyone else had gone to bed. She would then come out and let me pet her. I had her a year before anyone even knew I had a dog. ....seriously, I would tell people I had one, but she would be in hiding, and since I didn't want to scare her more, I woldn't go looking for her, so many people thought I had an imaginary friend dog. LOL. Take your time, be patient.

That's priceless! I love that whole story. So, you let your dog do her thing. You did your thing. You both lived in the same house, breathed the same air and let it be. Eventually, she came around a little or a lot, right? When did people start believing you weren't making the whole thing up?

[Kim M]

Originally Posted by Doberluv

That's priceless! I love that whole story. So, you let your dog do her thing. You did your thing. You both lived in the same house, breathed the same air and let it be. Eventually, she came around a little or a lot, right? When did people start believing you weren't making the whole thing up?

LMAO!!!! Now you have me cracking up!!!

[Kristy_Spca3]

Originally Posted by suthrnladi

Just take all the advice from above. I had a cairn terrier who wouldn't come out except at night after everyone else had gone to bed. She would then come out and let me pet her. I had her a year before anyone even knew I had a dog. ....seriously, I would tell people I had one, but she would be in hiding, and since I didn't want to scare her more, I woldn't go looking for her, so many people thought I had an imaginary friend dog. LOL.
Take your time, be patient.

Haha, wow, that's amazing :P

[mjb]

I know dogs and cats are different, but I do think it helps with both not to force things. One of my cats is very skittish and was from the time I got her at 12 weeks. She is bold and playful with me and my youngest son, and she would go into her shell and under the nearest furniture with the rest of the family. They were determined to make her something she was never going to be and tried forcing her to let them hold her.

At 8 years old, she has become much more social with the family as a whole, but it is still very obvious that she loves 2 of us, and the rest she tolerates. To this day, I think it is because we let her work things at her own time and accepted the fact that she might not ever be what the ideal pet in our mind was.

I think following the advice above of not interacting with her but dropping treats when she's close by is good. It seems like she would start becoming comfortable in her environment that way, and I think that's what she needs the most is to feel safe and comfortable right now.

[Doberluv]

Nice story Mjb. You guys did a terrifc job with the cat.

[Lolas Dad]

I did not see any replies about taking the dog to a vet to make sure there are no medical issues. Have you taken the dog to a vet for a complete checkup?

[Doberluv]

Originally Posted by Lolas Dad

I did not see any replies about taking the dog to a vet to make sure there are no medical issues. Have you taken the dog to a vet for a complete checkup?

Part of the o.p.

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!!