I am so glad your friend and you cared enough to rescue
this poor dog from a miserable life. Sorry to hear there are problems, but not
surprised.
This sounds (and it's so hard not actually being able to see Coby) like a
seriously under-socialized dog. Dog socialization is best done during the time
up to 4 months of age when the "socialization window" closes. Not entirely, but
after that time it is difficult to make any major changes in how the dog reacts
to the world.
Picture Coby coming into a family as a pup, spending most of his time
alone, seeing only the small world of that family and those people. He may have
been sent to the outside because of his reaction to strangers. Three years and
no chance to practice being comfortable around strange people or strange
events. Socialization is not just learning to get along, it's developing the
ability to adjust to strange people and events the dog is sure to encounter in
a normal everyday life.
Even though Coby was exposed to the people in his family, I'm thinking it
was not necessarily a calm and loving relationship. I'm sure he was under a
great deal of stress. Can't even imagine this last winter.
Anyway - I don't know how long Coby has been with you, but in a very short
time he moved from the only existence (as negative as it might have been) to
your home and on to you. That is a major changes in the life of a
dog that does not know how to handle change. Each new change has involved new
sights, new sounds, new smells, new people, everything new. What an adjustment
to ask of him! It's amazing he is doing as well as he is. There is no mystery
as to why strangers are approached with caution. I would make sure not too much
was expected of him for the first 3 or 4 weeks just to give him time to
de-stress and acclimate to his new life.
As for your neighbor (who he nipped), there are certain
movements that people make (like bending and reaching towards them) that are
threatening to dogs like Coby who are not well versed on human body language -
part of being under-socialized. Sometimes call "shy" - it's a fear reaction and
a defense against people he doesn't know.
Coby could be termed "a project dog." His issues can be worked with -
slowly and at his own pace - gradually expose him to
strangers at a distance that he feels is safe. Be on the lookout for signs of
stress - see Fluffy Dog's handout about signs of stress - and lots of treats or
ball playing in the vicinity as long as Coby remains calm. No one is to
approach him or attempt to pet him unless he makes the first move. As an
example, your neighbor could just tossed some treats or ignored him, then
left it at that. If Coby had approached and she had just calmly lowered her
hand, he could have sniffed it if he had wanted to, but the overt offering
of the hand to him was too forward as far as he was concerned - scary. Then,
any encounter should be brief, without eye contact, perhaps with an offering of
food or throwing his ball, and as they say, "Leave him wanting more." Patience,
patience, patience. Try to make sure he is never in a situation where he can
practice his nipping. It's a serious sign of stress. The fact that he is not
breaking skin is a major plus - he is inhibiting his bite - basically he
is saying "Please go away!" and if you had been watching, there would have been
other gentler signals asking for the same thing, but since they were not heeded,
Coby went to nip. There is a whole range of signals - sometimes quick and
subtle - that a dog gives before becoming aggressive - it's good to familiarize
yourself to these.
Also - check out http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/ to
tap into some wonderful information about dogs by Patricia McConnell and look
for her books on Amazon.com.
Given time, Coby should be able to be adopted by
someone who understands shy and frightened dogs. I would think older children,
teens and above, might be acceptable, but certainly no children who are running
around wanting to hug the dog (have to consider their friends, too). I don't
believe he can be made into the type of dog who gleefully greets everyone he
sees, but with guidance and patience will make someone a good companion who just
needs time to warm up to other people.
Thank you so much for giving Coby a chance at a better
life and taking the time to help him adjust.
Last Saturday when Coby nipped a couple of times, my stomach sank. I was so sad, for him. I also found out from my son that he had nipped him a couple of times the first two days when he moved home from college. (now they are best friends) The dog behaviorist's letter was encouraging to me as she said he is inhibiting his bite and saying I am afraid of you.
Our work and hope is to teach him to be excited and happy to see a stranger because you get treats. It will be a slow process. This training is all new for me, too. I am no dog expert. I have completed reading the book the "Cautious Canine" by Patricia McConnell and will be following it's principles of "counter conditioning". He is such a loving boy----HE IS WORTH IT.