My boyfriend and I just adopted a two year old abused dog?

Question

who was never trained he eats everything ,runs off,gets in garbage and begs for food. We had been told he was abused and every time we use the word no he crouches to the ground. Just yesterday i went to pick up the rake and he crouched. How can we gain his trust and train him please help my boyfriend wants to send him back because it is so fustrating and i do not want to give him back.

Answer 1

I have two dogs that were abused by previous owners. Patience is key. Give the dog a safe place (i.e. a small dog crate), abused dogs often like to get behind or under stuff, use alot of positive reinforcement and try to familiarize the dog with things it fears.

One of my dogs was found in a large dumpster, so she is scared of trashbags, still to this day when we get the trashbags out she runs to the other room, I don't think a behaviour learned in fear is easy to give up for animals that run almost entirely on instinct, but please be patient.

Have a "time out" room with plenty of toys where the dog can go while you eat, if that's not possible, outside or in the crate will discourage the begging.

Keep the garbage in a closet or under the sink, that is a hard one even for well behaved dogs.

You may want to try a trainer, but be sure to check him / her out before you send an abused dog, try the type of training where you attend and learn to give commands or train the dog yourself with the aid of the professional.

Plenty of play time where you are moving around if the dog is afraid of quick movements, teach the dog to walk on a leash for bonding, baby steps and most of all patience.

Answer 2

Thank you for adopting. Dogs are so precious and abused ones need so much love. First, it is going to take time and patience. Probably having grown up in an abusive home, your new boy is completely new to the whole nice human thing. Try to move slowly around him, talk in a happy but soft voice and allow him to bond with you to begin with. By just adopted I am assuming a few days and not a few months. Never ever hit your dog for any reason. This should be obvious but a lot of people still think they have to roll up a newspaper every time their puppy pees on the floor. Simply not true. After you have started to gain your friends trust I would recommend an obedience class first thing. It will help to deepen your bond and will teach your pup good manners. Dogs will get into the garbage and counter surf and be dogs. Your best bet would be to put the garbage can under the sink but you can also try hiding in a cabinet and when he starts to rummage, jump out and say a loud firm "No". If he is so traumatized by "NO" you may try another word like "Quit" or something along that line. Anyway your bf should be ashamed for being so uncaring. Personally if it came down for me to GF or dog, I would choose the dog.

Answer 3

About 25 years ago I adopted an abused dog. I had her for 16 years. She had been beaten, yelled at, hit with brooms and burned with cigarettes. She even had an eye burned out. That's only the stuff we knew about. It took time and patience to house train her. Lots of patience and tender loving care. That dog needs much T.L.C. But don't let him rule the roost. He has to know you and your b/f are the bosses, though loving ones. It took years before she FULLY trusted me. First off you really need to take him for obedience training. Tell the trainer about his abuse so the dog can be handled properly. It is best to find a trainer that knows how to deal with an abused dog before you pay for the classes. Crate train the dog for when you are not home, for his safety and your homes. Never use the crate for punishment. Never. Do not yell at this dog. His self esteem is shot. He thinks everyone wants to hurt him. Your b/f needs to understand the dog needs much patience, love and time. My girl ended up being one of the most obedient and loving dogs I have had. Teach him he can not come near you when you are eating. This is where obedience comes in handy. You will be able to put him in a down, stay a distance away from you while you eat. Run away? Is he not on a lead when outside?

Answer 4

I too have adopted not one but two dogs. One of them was ferociously abused. He was turned in to a kennel at 6 months old, but the damage had been done. Four years later with lots of love and support and PATIENCE he is much better. You must be dilligent about training. I'd recommend classes if you can afford them. Also talk with the people at the shelter you adopted him from. They sometimes can provide you with training or resources to get the training at an affordable cost. The people at the shelter want and NEED you to succeed for your dog, so they will probably help if you ask them for help. The last thing they want is to have to reprocess this same needful dog. You obviously want to keep this dog if you notice how it reacts to certain situations (rake and "no"). As far as your boyfriend goes, it is very easy to get frustrated, but remind him that dogs, while intelligent creatures, do not understand the same as humans and it takes time to nurture a trusting relationship with them. Mostly consider this...dogs at their very core only want to please their owner...given the proper amount of time, training, and love your dog will do this for you. Good luck.

Answer 5

You have to have a lot of patience. The first think I can suggest is for the dog to start trusting you. Work on one command at a time and do not raise your voice. I too have rescued abused dogs. After two months of training and a few pair of shoes, you could never tell she was an abused dog.

Good luck and thank your for saving a dog!

Answer 6

Every time he shows fear, praise him instead and show him that you will not hurt him. Eventually, he will learn that "no" doesn't always come with a beating. He will need a lot of time and devotion. Take him to obedience class where you get to learn how to train your dog and your dog gets trained by you with the help of a professional. If you can't provide him with the time and training and patience he needs, I suggest you bring him back and let someone with experience train him.

Answer 7

I am wondering what breed of dog, since some breeds are far more sensitive than others (eg.Border Collie)
what he needs is socialization - take him to Obedience classes.. beleive it or not the dog learns lots more than Sit and Stay.. they learn self esteme and you learn about doggie behavior.
DO not be afraid to use the word NO he still needs to be told when he is doing bad....
keep your garbage more secure and dont give in to begging.

really best thing is formal Obedience lessons - call the shelter you got him from and ask if they reccomend any place in particular (some shelters have coupons you can use for lessons)

Answer 8

Well, I considered adopting a dog before I bought my puppy, Marley. I read a bunch of information of raising abused animals. The key is PATIENCE. It took a lot of time for the dog to fear humans, and it will take a lot of time for him to regain that trust, but as long as you are patient and understanding and NEVER hit him, he will get better over time. Thats what they told me at the shelter also. =)

Answer 9

1st you need to gain his trust .so get the rake and tell him to come here or just walk up to him with the rake in your hand and start petting him and praising him for being such a great dog.after you gain his trust start click training him.you can buy a clicker at petsmart.every time he does some thing you say or want him to do click the clicker and reward him.

Answer 10

abused animals like people dont forget, your boyfriend has to be understanding and patient with this process. its going to take a long time. animals can also read our vibes and how we feel and react. he probably has had to do a lot of survival on his own. take baby steps, if your boyfriend cant handle it, he'll never gain the trust of the dog. someone that is familiar with abuse animals will be able to do it. this poor dog has probably had the worst life, and if i were the dog, someone giveing me back, would make me feel like another person has just given up on me.