I adopted my last dog from the Humane Society and he was a wonderful dog, but they don't always tell you the history of the dog, this is true. I agree with all the advice given here and would like to offer another. Doing trust exercises with your new dog and tons of social activity/attention is very important. Your dog needs to trust you and vice versa. This one worked great for me when I brought home my Siberian pup. You pet the dog starting off simple in common places like the side of the dog and back. Then you slowly work toward rubbing the belly and touching sensitive areas like the legs/paws and ears. When the dog is comfortable with these interactions he is learning to trust you more and more. When the dog trusts you the dog respects you and the dog will trust that your bringing him into the house is safe. Another thought, if the dog is 2. Do you have other pets or small children? If so is the dog used to this type of environment. I have 3 kids and 2 are toddlers. My poor dog took some time to get used to them with their squealing and running around. Maybe something like this is intimidating him......Good luck!
Patience! If he's 2 years old then he has 2 years history. Maybe he had bad experiences in a house. Or may have been outside all his liife and beaten if he tried to go into house. Coax him and make sure he knows that it's OK for him to be in the house. (Praise,etc). Otherwise all I can think is that there is some certain object he sees when you try to get him in that scares him. But, either way, I'm sure it's fear. Try to think like a shy dog being brought into a strange place by strange people. I'm not kidding. It works. (I had 10 yrs experience at an animal shelter.)
I would like more info. Do you know the dog's background? Was she abused, neglected etc. Make coming in the house very special. Lots of treats, love & praise etc. Overall you are the human & she MUST come in the house. It's for her own good & safety. She will appreciate an alpha. It is her security. She can deal with it on an ongoing basis. It's up to you to do what's best for her regardless of her issues. A strong leader will always transform a dog w/emotional problems into a happy secure dog. I know from experience. Even if you have to physically carry her in, you must.
Try Ceaser Milan's (the Dog Whisperer, on Animal Planet) ideas, I think he's great. I am not a dog person myself, but I think he seems to have a way with them. If only there was a cat whisperer!!!
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