I suggest you seek hands-on help from a qualified behaviorist who, using positive methods, can assist you with desensitizing your dog and building his social confidence. You also need to be taught how to best to respond to your new pet, to improve his behavior and at the same time build his trust. The slightest poorly timed reaction from you, especially if it is a negative one, will serve to reinforce your dog’s stress-related behaviors. Submissiveness is a symptom of insecurity, frequently resulting from dominant or punishment-based training methods.

Any dog that is acquired as an adult may bring behavioral and emotional baggage with it into its new home. Nudging and nipping are behaviors herding dogs come by naturally (genetically), and often they direct these behaviors toward human family members, in lieu of sheep or cattle, if they are not properly trained. If his previous owners responded in a harsh, heavy-handed or punitive manner to his inappropriate behaviors, he might have learned the behaviors attracted negative attention. Rather than learning to behave in alternative, positive-attention-earning ways, your dog most likely learned to repeat the behaviors, attract negative attention and then attempt to appease the angry humans with an overly submissive display.

Dogs do not comprehend human moral codes and concepts of "good" and "bad"; they learn, through trial and error, which behaviors lead to desirable outcomes. If a supposedly inappropriate behavior earns positive results for a dog, the behavior will be repeated. Negative attention is perceived as a positive result by many dogs that have learned their actions will get a predictable social reaction.

The butt-scooting and carpet-licking behaviors may have negative-attention-seeking aspects to them but also could indicate underlying health concerns. Anal gland problems or parasites, among other things, can cause butt scooting, while carpet licking is a common symptom of nausea. Ask your veterinarian to do a thorough examination to rule out health problems. While you are there, ask your vet to recommend a behaviorist, so you can begin working on desensitization.

Meanwhile, remove all negative attention from your relationship with your dog. Either totally ignore or impersonally interrupt inappropriate behavior without eye contact or comment. This can be done using a leash, or a squirt bottle, while at the same time making a sound such as "eh!" (it is imperative you do not look at the dog as you make this sound). Later, when no leash is on the dog and he begins to misbehave, saying "eh!" will cause him to stop, without causing an increase in submissiveness.

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