I found an abused dog I need advice with?

Question

2 years ago on Thanksgiving I was walking my dog when I saw a little thing running across the street. Came right to me, starved and filty. Weighed 9 pounds. Was a miniature poodle. Gave him like 12 baths before the white came back and pampered him until he came back to his real weight, 12 pounds (he is really tiny) Ive had Scruffy for about 2 years now but every time I reach down for him he cringes and flinches like i am going to beat him! When he does this I stroke his cheek with my hand and talk gently to him, pick him up and hold him close, talk very sothing but it doesnt seem to work he still flinches. I cant bother him while he is eating cuz he growls ( I have no reason to do so anyway) I am trying to show him as much love as possible. My question, Is there anything else i can do to make him feel safe and believe I would NEVER beat him?
Thanks in advance
Eddie

Scruffy is 5 years old. He had a vet tag on him when I found him and I did call the vet. The former owner had changed her number and we couldnt contact her. I am so glad now that we couldnt. He is my boy!

Answer 1

Well, it is hard to erase the scars of abuse, but I would suggest having treats in your pocket so that when you bend down, give him a treat every time right before you pick him up and every time you reach for him. This will help him to associate positive results with your actions rather than negative ones. Over time he should stop flinching and start getting excited when you reach for him because his bad memories have been replaced with good ones....

Answer 2

This seems to be a physiological problem with the dog. Do you know how old the dog is? If the dog is older then about three or four, it may have already been mistreated for so long that it has become habit to expect to be struck. All that I can suggest is that you are careful with your dog and are sure not to give any kind of signs that you may hit him. Perhaps being sure that you approach your dog with an open hand palm up first and then reach to pet him. Another suggestion is to make sure to let your dog reassure himself that it is you by smelling you hand every time. It may sound stupid and unnecessary, but sometimes the dogs wont differentiate between people if the past abuser was similar in gender, height, hair color, etc. Without meaning to, it is possible that every time you are near, you are reminding the dog of its past owner. Small reassurances are probably your best method of success.

Answer 3

We have taken in 3 strays over the last 2 years. First a greyhound mix that was extremely fearful of many things including all men. She made a dramatic change fairly suddenly about 3 months ago. She will now bark at strangers rather than hide and cower. Hopefully you are due to see the fruit of your efforts.
2nd a nearly starved to death beagle a few months ago that will still eat until she vomits if given the opportunity to gorge on the other dogs' and cats' food in addition to her own.
3rd just a few weeks ago an approx 5 mo old German Shepherd pup with a skinned and bruised head that had been dumped in a very remote area. It only took 3 days till she became happy and confident.
Like people, each dog is unique. Thanks for being a rescuer.
Don't forget to spay and neuter to help reduce the number of suffering animals.

Answer 4

I don't know if the flinching is anything your dog will be able to get over, but I think what you're doing is on the right track - keep reassuring him that when you go to pet him, it's a good thing. give him a treat or toy when you go to pet him and he doesn't act aggressively.
Also, about the food aggression, try feeding him his food by hand, talking gently and sweetly to him the whole time. This way, he knows that you're the one GIVING the food and not taking it away! Let him know that it's your food, but that you are allowing him to have it.
You might want to consult an animal behaviorist about these problems. Many vets know phone numbers of some in your area.

Answer 5

Okay. The food aggression is because he had to most likely fight for his food when he actually ate something. The aggression there is very difficult to overcome. Just beware of him eating aroun small children and don't give long-lasting treats like rawhides or ham bones.
Secondly, you are on the right track by showing him persistant love and encouraging him in your safety. try to keep him away from people that pass by ( as if you have a fenced yard; keep him in the back, away from passergobyers..) You need to watch out for other dogs too, he may feel challenged and scared about them.
The abuse was probably from a man, that is why he cowers. Try to change your tone up when this happens, go to a lighter, stead tone. Try seeing how he acts around women folk. Ask dog trainers more on this. Perhaps it might suit you to enroll your dog in a training class to overcome some of these trust issues?
-hope I could help you out. Best of luck.

Answer 6

I have a dog that was abused before I got him and hes so old now wont be around much longer and he still flinches from time to time but not as much as he used too...most dogs do get protective of their food when they have it but also that could be a result of not being fed I appreciate you for taking care of that dog not many people care anymore just keep showing as much love as possible and buy some treats if you dont already have some and when it does not flinch just reward he or she...

Answer 7

Play along with me here :) Imagine YOU are 12 pounds and a towering giant bends over to reach for you...much like another animal would do that was going to grab him by the back of the neck :) My peekapoo does this all the time but ONLY if I am standing and reach down for him. It's his instinct to immediately roll over on his side or shrink down like he is 'just waiting for it'. He knows I love him, he trusts me implicitly but he is a little dog and I am intimidating to him. He has gotten better. I started reaching for him the same time I was offering his favorite treat. He focused on the treat and forgot to focus on me reaching for him. He still cowers sometime but not nearly as much now. He too is a rescue dog that had been severely abused for...wait for it...BITING when eating! I stopped this behavior immediately by making him take the food from my hand and then putting only a few kibbles at a time into his bowl. He soon learned I GAVE him the food; I wasn't going to take it away. This is another sign of distrust your dog is showing. He doesnt trust you NOT to take his food from him...work on this issue first and the other fear of you reaching him for him will lessen as well :) Good luck and God Bless you for rescuing that little soul!

Answer 8

well have u taken him 2 the vet becuz the vet has papers and techniques on how 2 care 4 an abused dog but other than that u just have 2 keep doing what u r doing and eventually the dog will open up 2 u.

Answer 9

This is one of the sweetest questions that I have ever seen. Sounds like you are doing everything you can to try and regain his trust in humans.

When the humane sociaty receives a dog that snaps and snarls when you are close to his food, they will not let anyone adopt. Unfortinate, but true. My best advice is try to let him take treats and such from your hand more. He should catch on that you are the hand that feeds him.

When he acts like he is afraid of you, you are doing the best thing by showing him affection. It just takes time and there is no limit on the time it takes for him to fully trust a human. There is no telling what he has been through in his past.

Best of luck to both of you. It is easy to see that you care a lot for this pup and that is heart warming.

Answer 10

change his association. reach for him and give him a treat. he will soon learn to expect a treat for a quick grab. this could potentially save his life. if he had a large dog come after him and you NEEDED to grab his collar, he will be less likely to react. as for the food aggression this behavior can also be changed. you may not mind but a child reaching for a toy that falls right next to his food dish,may have a different take on it. start by putting down his food bowl with only one peice of kibble. when he is done pick up his bowl and repeat. for additional steps look into the training booklets or the book 'before and after getting your puppy' by Dr. Ian Dunbar. He is one of the most reliable sources for dog friendly tutorials.he uses all positive approach methods and has rehabbed many dogs that would not have had a fighting chance otherwise