2006-09-16 12:34:31 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
It depends on how much their spirit has been broken. Sadly when I was young, we were given a border collie that was so abused that it was afraid of even me, and I fed it and tried to love it and coax it into relaxing and trusting me, but it never did. I saw some neigborhood dogs jumping on it a few times, and me and my brothers did what we could to put the hurt on those big mutts. The poor dog eventually died, not sure of what, I think it got some kind of disease.
Later on, my family was given his brother, Sam, to take care of. Sam was a totally different character, and became my best friend and even bodyguard. He eventually saved me from other dogs and people, just as I tried to save his brother.
2006-09-16 12:38:39 · answer #1 · answered by merlin_steele 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but it takes time and much love! My parents once had an abused Great Danish and at the beginning it was terrible. This beautiful big dog panicked when my father came near it and in it's fear broke many glasses and vases because of it's size.
My parents new that this dog got badly beaten by his former owner, a man, but never thought that it will be so difficult for them.
When i visited them it was the same story, the dog panicked and tried to run out of the house only my mother could go near it.
But then after a long time it got better and better and it became the most beloved dog my parents ever had.
When it died my father was a very sad man.
2006-09-16 20:32:28 · answer #2 · answered by Jazz 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but it will take a LOT of time and patience. Not every person is capable of the task of convincing a dog to trust again.
Although it is unfortunate that your dog has suffered abuse, there are steps that you can take to help him get better.
The most important thing to do is to teach your dog to regain a sense of trust to his human counterparts. You can do this by socializing him around a wide variety of people. Start off by allowing him to interact with others on a small scale. Gradually introduce him to varied situations, people, and places.
If your dog shows overt signs of fearfulness or aggression, consult an experienced dog trainer of animal behaviorist immediately.
Good luck and I commend you for taking on this challenge.
2006-09-16 19:41:15 · answer #3 · answered by msnite1969 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Indeed he/she can. Dogs are very like children in that they thrive on love. Love your dog and never raise your hand to it. If he/she has been bad, just reprimand it! It knows from your voice trhat you are not happy with it. But remember, dogs have a very short attention span! If it misbehaved 10 minutes ago, it/he/she does not remember what it did. Also, dogs dont speak English or any other human language, so dont expect it to understand what you are saying.
bobi
2006-09-16 19:43:31 · answer #4 · answered by barbara596 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes- but you need to know it takes a long time - my grandpa took a dog from a man that was beating it one day - he took it home to the farm and gave it love and room to run it took a few years but the dog was his best friend and nobody ever raise a hand or voice to my grandpa in front of that dog !!
2006-09-16 19:39:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the dog or cat ect. because i have a dog that was abused and she trusts me and my family now. it just takes a lot of love and time.
2006-09-16 19:41:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Of course they can, a person might have to seek professional help tho'
Quit often when a person thinks they are dealing with an abused animal, in reality they are dealing with a timmid animal,,,, and the solutions may be very different.
2006-09-16 19:38:02 · answer #7 · answered by tom l 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YES but it is very time consuming. You have to be careful with every little thing so they don't regress.
Depending on the severity of the abuse depends on how fast they will recover.
I have done this several times and was able to get them stabilized. Lots of work. This can be done with cats also
2006-09-16 19:53:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, most definitely. Be gentle with him/her and try not to startle the animal. It takes time and energy and is so! worth it!
One of my adopted cats was abused before I found her, and to this day she sometimes cowers when I am petting her, but she trusts me completely. She has an incredible personality and I am so happy she lives with me.
2006-09-16 19:44:17 · answer #9 · answered by Rhonda 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
limited trust. They trust you until they fear mistreatment again, like if they were starved, then just going one day without food will be enough to cause them to "bite the hand that feeds them" when you finally come with food. But, every dog is different, just like every person is different. So, it is hard to tell what it will take for them to become fearful again.
2006-09-16 19:39:24 · answer #10 · answered by soverytiny 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋