The "Dogloaf" (x-post /r/Puppy101)

[money512]

My husband and I brought home an 11 week old puppy yesterday. While I've trained puppies before, I've never seen one this disinterested in the world around it, and food. I have a vet appointment scheduled for her monday morning, but until then I was going to try and get her some socialization, as her only exposure before that was to her parents/siblings, and the older couple who bred her.

However, we've run into one huge problem. She does this thing my husband refers to as the "Dogloaf" whenever we try to get her to go anywhere. On leash or off (in this case, I mean "someone holding the end of her leash or not") if you try and encourage her to come to you, even with treats, she will immediately lay down with her head all the way to the ground, and refuse to move. She will not go for food or treats she has to walk to. She wont 'walk' at all if she thinks someone is paying attention to her. My husband and I have pretended to be distracted (letting her be in the bedroom while we're on our computers watching her) and she'll walk around, chew her toys, flop on the floor, what have you. The second one of us makes a move to interact with her -- DOGLOAF. I try to hold the end of her leash -- DOGLOAF. I try to encourage her with treats - she wont eat them if i don't put them DIRECTLY in her mouth. (which, is great, I mean, I dropped a few slices of bacon last night and she ignored them from 18" away, but still...) I take her outside to potty - DOGLOAF. We come back in and I set her on the floor (that's right, I have to carry her up and down the stairs every time we take her out) - DOGLOAF, followed by running to the bedroom when I step away, then pooping on the bedroom carpet. Literally right after being outside for 20 mins. So we clean it up (she DOGLOAFs when we enter the room, and has to be carried down the stairs and outside) then DOGLOAFs in the grass. I wouldn't mind carrying her if she wasn't a Newfoundland, and while I am capable of lifting her now, I don't know how much longer I will be. And I feel like it sets a bad precedent.

Has anyone encountered this behavior before? And if so, how did you fix it?

UPDATE: After being very frustrated with trying to train her, I decided to take her off the leash completely while my husband and I watched a movie in the living room. As soon as the leash came off she became a different dog. She immediately attempted to get up on the couch and snuggle with us through a movie AND game of thrones (of course we let her. Dogs on couch are okay with us.) After that she came and bugged me when she needed to go potty, running between me and the back door repeatedly. I still had to carry her down the stairs, but she let me set her down on concrete and took care of her business before rolling around in the grass for a bit and trying to get me to play. My only regret is that I didn't try to bond with her without it sooner. We've got a date to go to the park tomorrow and play without the leash. Maybe we can try walking along the paths to get used to concrete. Also, her favorite treat is apparently crumbled bacon, for now.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@money512 It's only been a day? She's probably just completely bugged out by her new surroundings. No worries, just make sure she's eating and take her outside if possible. She could be getting used to new floors, new lighting, new smells, no littermates, hats, stairs, the pool, you, your husband, etc etc. any if not all of these things are new to her, so give her a few weeks to learn and get over most of her new routine. For the time being, carrying might be what to need to do.

 

[alex31]

@money512 your exasperation is evident, but your storytelling is hilarious - DOGLOAF.

Upvoting - hope you can get an answer from someone here.

 

[bernardino]

@money512 You only brought the pup home yesterday, so give her some some time. :~) Everything is totally new to her and she may be feeling scared and unsure of herself in unfamiliar surroundings with strange people, away from everything she has ever known. From what you say, it doesn't seem she was socialised much at all, which is a significant contributing factor.

I've not experienced a puppy like yours either, but my instinct would be to give her gentle cuddles and attention. Let her sleep as much as she needs to. Make her feel safe and secure and start the bonding process, so she can begin to trust you. Don't push her, let her come out of her shell.

I've had to carry most of my puppies (all large breeds) to their "toilet" place initially, as they wouldn't make it that far otherwise without peeing on the way. I've then phased it out, getting them to briskly trot part of the way and then the whole way, once they understand and are able to hold it. So I wouldn't worry about it creating a bad precedent at this stage.

As a side-note, ask your vet about your pup and the stairs / do some reading-up on it. It is usually advised to avoid stairs for large breeds.

 

[alex31]

@money512 btw, can we have a pic of said DOGLOAF?
I would love to see this behaviour.

 

[chrisvv]

@alex31 Yes, please. We need to see the DOGLOAF!

 

[money512]

@alex31 Of course now I can't get a picture of it. Once I get one, I will let you know.

 

[alex31]

@money512 You're a doll. ( - DOGLOAF.)
Thanks

 

[ladykay]

@money512 I wouldnt worry about it too much until you get a very thorough vetcheck. Sounds like the poor thing is terrified. our bc pup was very much like that, and this was 25 years ago before we learned about pos reinforcement so we put a harness on with straps under the legs and just dragged him and he got over it in a week or two. I think Kuma's cause was different though so that could backfire on a fearful pup.

Massage helps a lot, to relax them.
Also, limit her access to good stuff when you arent around. Feed her meals by walking up to her, putting food next to her, then walk away. Rinse and repeat. Don't give her too much time by herself.

Also, good writing I'd like to see pics of your dogloaf!

 

[amystic]

@money512 Do you have a friend with a friendly dog that your pup could meet? My old neighbors had a husky pup that would just lay in the corner of the fence, 24/7. It was afraid of the world and they didn't do anything to help it. I brought my old dog over and slowly it helped show the pup that the world isn't so bad.

 

[chrissyboy]

@money512 You are expecting way too much for one day of leash training! Don't worry. My dog used to do this too, its essentially trying to use her weight to not do something she doesn't want to do, so you need to make it fun.

She may be not wanting to wear a collar, a harness, may not want to walk, or go where you want her to go (but would go in another direction), or doesn't want you to look at her, address her with your voice, who knows. You'll need to spend some time getting her comfortable and see what motivates her--if she won't take treats, try a squeaker toy or something else "flashy". I wouldn't worry about this goofy action for a few weeks though, many dogs when moved need time to gain confidence in their surroundings and then their personality will come out. You may just want to work on basic trust exercises (dropping treats near her and ignoring her).

Also i have found this is a big dog thing, they tend to learn very fast how to throw around their weight lol. So I'm not surprised she's a newfie ...

 

[emari333]

@money512 If she's that different with the leash on vs. the leash off, I'd guess that she's actually pretty unhappy with the leash. Dogs sometimes have reactions that seem really illogical to us, but we need to respect them as valid in the dog's mind and thus influential in their behavior.

If she shuts down this badly when she's on the leash, I'd take it really seriously. That's a dog saying "I don't know what to do, so I'm giving up." It might be funny (and DOGLOAF is hilarious), but from a training standpoint, I'd approach it like the dog was truly fearful or at least seriously overwhelmed.

Try desensitizing her to the leash and collar really slowly, and respect the fact that if she loafs up, she's probably over threshold and thus untrainable. And the more she practices loafing, the more deeply ingrained the behavior will be as a go-to response when she's overwhelmed. So take baby steps in terms of showing her the leash, clipping it on and off with some treats, etc. Do short sessions, make a game out of it, and watch her body language to make sure she's still playing and not shutting down.

 

[sweaty]

@money512 Also known as... at least in my house as "Jello-Dog." I brought my Newf home at 10 weeks and for the first day or so it was pretty much the same. He was totally freaked out and didn't want to do ANY-thing. I had to resort to a dancing like a fool and singing to him to get him to come up the 3 stairs we have off of our deck when he was done going potty. Just be silly, goofy and happy...ALWAYS be happy. The second Puck (the newf) senses even a slight hint of anger or frustration in my voice he will shut down (he's 6 now) and JelloDog it is. My guy was the quiet one of the litter I've always just attributed his sensitivity to that. Best of Luck she will be your best dog ever before you know it!

EDIT: Spelling

 

[jj1080]

@money512 I'm not sure if you're crate training, but this might help. Contrary to what most people think, the crate, when used properly, is a safe and secure place for your dog (mine frequently naps in hers or sleeps in it at night, even though she has free roam of the house).

You might just want to place a crate someplace that is easy for her to get to, put some treats in the back, and maybe cover it up with blankets so she feels extra safe. Let her explore and find it on her own, and don't start closing the door until you're sure she feels safe and secure in there (although honestly with this behavior that might not be an issue for you).

As others have said, it's probably the newness of everything that's causing this behavior (I'd still rule out health issues but you have a vet visit planned so right path there).