Ruthie oh Ruthie .....

[Barb]

check in and let us know how it is going !

[Ruth in MT]

Well Ollie is quite comfortable........ he is following me around .... um ... like a puppy dog.
He has decided that my casa is his casa ........................ and doesn't want anybody else in here.  Especially if that somebody  is a man.  Outside he seems to be fine.  He LOVES to walk,  and walk  ,and walk. He even comes running when I pick up the harness and sits at my feet waiting for me to put it on him.   He comes when he is called .... in his own good time , but he does come.  BUT he really scares anybody who comes to visit.  He seems to be ok with the two neighborhood dachshunds, but all he seems to be saying about the dog nextdoor is  "Ok,  I like Mexican ... lets eat"
Oh, I forgot to mention that he can leap to the top of the kitchen table .... without the use of a chair !!! (opps ......somebody left a half pizza sitting there)

[Spanish Teckels]

Sounds like you are making great advances in a short time and that the poor little mite has had some very bad experience with a man or men in the not too distant past.  Getting him tired out by walking will certainly reduce his energy levels in the house and make him more receptive to training and accepting visitors.  Since you are his only constant right now he is bound to be nervous with strangers till he gets his confidence back.  A typical reaction to nerves and fear is to bark or growl so he should become calmer once he is more settled.  It´s a good sign he´s happy with the neighbouring dachshunds and just so typical he differentiates strongly between dachshies and "other" dogs.

The kitchen table jumping has taken my breath away.  Apart from the usual worries about jumping and injury - he is obviously extremely sprightly and maybe has been given human food from the table in the past -  the pizza must have smelled very appetizing.  Red and Islay have never eaten our food so even if it is at their level they never bother about it.  Sounds like you are going to find him very entertaining!

All our love to both you and Ollie and congratulations on getting over the harness, walkies and coming when called hurdles, as well as on picking up on his fear of men, you´ve accomplished so much together already.

[papbouv]

How big is Ollie hard to tell from the picture Patches is a tweeine 14 # she leaped off the dinning room table one day about gave me a heart attack.
Hope Ollie will soon learn to settle in,time is on your side.Good Luck

[sollysmom]

I agree that it sounds very positive so far.  I think with time and your love he will be an even better dog and friend for you.

Darcel

[Kelly]

This is Kelly in Illinois! Just take it one day at a time!  2 years ago the end of March we adopted a little female and a male from our friend in Missouri and the female named Cinni is still very skittish at certain things! I'm sure in time Ollie will be alot of company to you!

[Roberta]

Sounding good Ruth...............I should send you a tape of my pair if ANYONE comes near the gate let alone the front door :idiot: , ozzie ollie leaps a the handle with what sounds like "open the door, idiot, open the door................. I suppose it is better for him not to be to over friendly as at least no one will lift him, and he is doing his job as brave house and mummy guard.
Oliver is our jumper, colleen said you get jumpers and lead butts and he managed the other day to get raw bones off of Auntie Janes outside table where we put them, as he is not allowed them, due to chipping teeth. Amy says he should have sent some pizza to her as she is not allowed it now and perhaps neither mums would have known.

Roberta

[Barb]

DITTO to what everyone has said !!!  Time, time, time..... 

Toby is still very defensive when someone comes to our door and Rudy is when any dogs come by !!!!  Toby gets picked up and meets people while in my arms...and the barkers get squirted with the water bottle of doom - LOL!  A continually training process. 

He has probably never had as much attention as he is having right now - and he doesn't want anyone to intrude !!!!

It sounds like all is going well !

[Dr. Beau Leaky]

:thumb: Everything is sounding good! You can probably get him to mellow out over men by using a volunteer ("You don't really need all those fingers, do you?") to come in with no talk, no touch, no eye contact, just calm assertive demeanor. Cesar has done this lots of times, check his iTunes free clips or on www.hulu.com.

Kisses from Auntie Keren

KISSSES?? :crazyeyes:
O.K., YES MERLIN, A BIG SLOPPY KISS FOR YOU!!

Aw, gee, Auntie Keren, do you haf to slobber???

[auntydoxzz]

Just a couple things. Maybe he sees visitors as someone who might take him away!!
It does sound like you have a variation of a houdini dog(yours isnt busting out of crates but busting off of the ground!!  Be really careful with anything that might be dangerous for him.  Pill bottles, and even (shades of raising kids) make sure ANY pan or pot handle is NOT sticking out from the stove!!

As to men, be sure none are wearing hats when they come in. that seems to freak out many dogs, even if their daddy comes in the door with a cap on!!  I will tell you my twinkie angel when I was recovering from broken leg.  My mother came over and she was sitting by her happily taking puppizza treats from her.  THEN MOM DARED to come towards my wheelchair, with books in her outstretched hands!!  Let me tell you MZ TWINKIE was barking her head off and quickly got between us!!  So Mom did not come as close as she might have been stretched her hand with books out to me. Then she went and sat down. Within a minute or two, there is Twinkie wagging her tail and taking treats from her just like a little lady!!   Twinkie even guarded me when I fell down my front steps and broke my leg!!  I was on the way to work, and was dropping her off at sisters one street over in the trailer park. Lady across street heard me calling for help. I asked and she went through the yards to tell my BIL who was standing there waiting for me, that I had fallen down and was seriously hurt. He had to come over and slide the leash out from UNDER me so he could take Twinkie to their house!!    Just as they are our dogs, we are THEIR people who they will protect!!

[papbouv]

A good way to introduce men is have someone come over completely ignore the dog toss a treat on the ground make sure the toss in non threatening maybe more like a drop.Good Luck.

[Ruth in MT]

OK ... this little TWERP is being sooooooooooooooooooooooo good.  I have been trying to take him to all my friends, and any other place I might want to go.  On neutral territory he is fine.  In my house he leaves something to be desired,  still very possessive.  I think he knows that there is a countdown........   Or maybe it's me who is changing her attitude !?!?!?!?

[sollysmom]

Hilde and I have all fingers and paws crossed that he continues on this route and has found is forever home with you.  :xfinger:
Here's hoping for the best!!!

Darcel & Hilde

[Spanish Teckels]

Sounds good, Ruth, if you are less tense Ollie will be too.  You are clearly well on the way to being on the same wavelength and it is so great to hear his social visits are goingso brilliantly.  You are doing such a great job, well done both of you!

[Roberta]

So that leaves one typical dachshound trait "being territorial". 
roberta

[BonniesMom]

Well really!  Ollie has truly come very far in just a short time.  He probably still doesn't know what to think and right now he feels he must protect you because you are one person who is nice to him. Ollie still needs time to relax.  I hope he's working his charms on you.

If it helps any, Bonnie took about 6 months before she'd even look at Mark.  These days, I often find her snuggled up to him on the couch and, of course, she loves walkies and Mark is the chief walker around here.  I think that bonds them. 

[DeeanDave]

OK ... this little TWERP is being sooooooooooooooooooooooo good.  I have been trying to take him to all my friends, and any other place I might want to go.  On neutral territory he is fine.  In my house he leaves something to be desired,  still very possessive.  I think he knows that there is a countdown........   Or maybe it's me who is changing her attitude !?!?!?!?

Maybe, Ruth, he is being possessive because of something that happened in his former home or maybe, he thinks that whoever comes to visit at your house, is going to take him away from you.  Sounds like with time, he is coming around to your way of life!  I know that in our household, if Dave or I are stressed, both boys pick up on it and it affects their demeanor especially when it's out of the norm.

[papbouv]

Maybe he reads your posts on Wiener Writings.Good Luck with you either way only you know.

[Leslie]

Didn't I see a Dog Whisperer once where Ceasar had all his friends come to the front door one by one by one? In about two hours, the thing was solved.

And ya know, even Zuzu is guilty of this behavior.  If I am expecting someone she doesn't quite know (anyone who's nose she hasn't licked) I put her on the leash and meet them in the driveway.  Fussing in over in less than a minute.  She'll fuss a bit when a workman comes BACK into the house after greeting her, but then she's like: "Oh, yeah, same dude as before." Of course, I am not afraid she'll BITE.  My girlfriend completely ignores her when she fusses to be petted.  Just stares at the ceiling, and as soon as the excited happy dance ends, THEN Zuzu gets her pet.

I dunno, tough call.  Maybe make a checklist of behaviors that are positive and weigh them against the negative ones. ???

Good luck with your decision! 

[Teresa]

Maybe try meeting someone outside first and then have them come in and see what happens. If that works, it could be a way to get him used to visitors. Makes you wonder if someone trained him to be a guard dog...