My new dog is extremely anxious and doesn't accept treats or toys.
Hi everyone! I've had my border collie since he was a puppy that was bred from a friend and wanted to get him a friend. I found out from my friend that one of his brothers from a later litter had been returned and seemed really anxious in her house so I decided to take him. (My resident dog is 5, my new dog is 2).
I've been keeping the two dogs separate (though they have met before) but he didn't want to leave the front entrance the first night except to mark around the house (he's still intact). Now he knows his crate is his safe space (I also put a blanket over his crate).
He doesn't like to look people in the eye, is constantly disengaged when someone pets him, and is generally shaky. Yesterday, he hit a milestone and went to sit next to me on the couch.
The thing I'm worried about is he'll eat his meals in his bowl but won't accept food from our hands and doesn't seem interested in treats or toys. We've been trying different types of usually high value treats (bones, fish treats, small pieces of meat, cheese) but he ignores them even when we put it down in his crate. The previous owners said he's never liked treats from them either.
I need him to understand when to stop marking and I want to reward his good behaviors but I'm not sure how to do so without treats.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.