Porter's Page!

Just about everyone on TW who follows me on TW knows about Porter; We got him from Home at Last Rescue in March 2020, right before COVID was officially declared a global pandemic.

Porter was about five months old when we got him; He came from an Amish puppy mill in Lancaster, and they gave him up because he got too old and they would actually have to pay for shots and other care.

Home at Last took him when he was around four months (12 weeks) old and we got him at about five months old.

For the first maybe three months we had Porter, he was totally normal. I’d say towards the end of the summer is when he became incredibly skittish and weary of strangers; He has never shown the slightest bit of aggression, but his behavior around strangers (especially adult men) ranges from backing away to putting his tail between his legs and shaking uncontrollably.

He is perfectly fine with children of either gender, and though he is initially standoffish with women who are strangers, he tends to warm up to them very quickly!

 

The other day, we had an electrician over to install our new spotlight/wireless camera; Porter actually growled at the electrician, though he did not actually show any aggression. He would back away, crouch on his legs, tuck his tail between his legs, and shake uncontrollably if the electrician tried to touch him, and also if we attempted to use treats to lure him over to the electrician.

 

Statistically, men are more likely to abuse animals; Our theory is that a guy from the farm Porter came from attempted to lure him into an unpleasant situation using a dog biscuit.

 

You need to begin training with Porter. Specifically socialization. The key is go slow then go slower. Never, never, never strike, yell or punish the dog. ONLY reward for wanted behavior. The "punishment" is withholding reward. Never force the dog into a meeting. Never offer treat or reward for unwanted behavior.

First steps in socialization is to take the dog to places with people milling about. Just sit with the dog. As the dog remains calm, reward (pets or treats). Do not try to comfort the dog. This will be understood as praise and will reinforce the unwanted behavior. Tail between legs, cowering, ears back are signs the dog is uncomfortable. Do not comfort. Just remain calm.

Your task is to sit calmly, keep your hand on the collar or leash. Maintain control. If the dog wants to lay down.....perfect. Shows he is relaxed, good rewards should be given. You will be able to tell when the dog is relaxed or when too much. Remember short exposure. First time, 5 minutes.......each session (depending on the dog) add a little time.

When your friends come to visit. Instruct them to ignore the dog. Zero contact from human to dog. Let the dog become curious. You will see the behavior of sniffing the air, slow approach...... When the dog approaches the human, the person must ignore the dog. After a few moments, the person can crouch down on one knee and hold out their hand, palm up and low. You should be with the dog at this point, hand on collar or leash. The dog will smell the hand. ONLY then can the person touch the dog on the side of the head, under chin or side of body or offer a treat. DO NOT come from above the dog.

Many training vids on Youtube. Look up Zack George. He is one of the better trainers.

A note about treats. The treat only needs to be enough for a smell and a taste. A hot dog cut into 1/4" slices then each slice quartered will make many treats. Only 1 slice quarter is enough for a treat.

As the dog becomes more social, you can begin introducing men, women.......begin with friends. Then when all is working well, you can ask help from strangers. Children are a different beast. They are unpredictable, noisy, squeal, scream......don't know dogs. YOU MUST be an advocate for the dog. Don't be shy to tell the kids how to meet the dog or to stay away. Only 1 kid at a time. If when in a situation, key on the dog's behavior. If the dog shows signs of discomfort, then its time to leave the situation. I suggest to avoid meetings with children and the dog until you have good calm response with adults. Part of the socialization is remaining calm during loud noise Ie sirens, horns, buses, trucks, motorcycles, construction, loud music, busy sidewalks.......the list is endless.

Patience and reading the dog are your keys. Some dogs socialize quickly, others may never socialize. My mini-schnauzer has never met a stranger. But when he was a pup, I spent much time working on socialization.

Good luck, remain patient.

 

And he will walk right up to ANYONE he's known since he was five months old; He has no issue with children regardless of gender, so I always let kids pet him; He loves other dogs and shows absolutely no aggression!

 

As an observation.....

In your post #2 you try to force the dog into a situation with a treat that you just cited in your post #3.

You did exactly what you suspected "the guy from the people" did..................

 

That was the first and last time I will try that...

My mom did research online and found that Porter was much more open to meeting strangers when he was younger because he was in his "curious puppy" stage.

I met this woman at a car show who gave him a treat, and he went right up to her...

 

Carrots for Porter!

 

Porter killing a unicorn...

 

I attempted to take a picture of Porter in the truck while we were out for a drive last night, but he moved his head; Picture still turned out pretty cool though!

 

My parents did not get their first digital camera until 2003 or 2004; The reason there are NO photos of Molly as a super tiny 7-week old puppy is because the family film camera was broken at the time

 

Molly in the driveway of our old house in Furlong; June 2008

 

June 2008