Anyone have a rescued dog?

Question

I have a dog that was rescued from an amish puppy mill he is afraid of everything and doesn't play at all...anyone have any success stories to share or even a website with helpful information?

Wow thanks to all...I won't be able to pick a best answear because they are all good... just know I am glad to help this dog...Oliver... because we had another dog who had to be put down and we got Oliver to replace him and we have allot of love to give...Really thanks to all!

Answer 1

I was just at a veterinary conference where they had lectures on re-training fearful dogs. The best thing to do is be very encouraging toward the dog. If he is afraid when you approach him, ignore him and let him come to you. Always have pockets full of dog cookies as rewards for brave behavior. Be slow and gentle with him. Be generous with the praise and the treats. Let him become comfortable with his new environment. You may want to consider clicker training instead of the traditional methods, which are a little more physical. Go with positive reinforcement, which means that you give him rewards instead of punishments.

Answer 2

Glad you got some answers you're happy with. Puppy mill dogs are special cases. The only contact they've had with people are negative but they will come around with time and patience from you. When we brought Lizzie home she was petrified and hid in the corner too upset to even eat and forget giving her treats, she didn't understand them. In a matter of 2 months she's learned to trust us, I've got her almost completely house broken and she's a great dog, not quite a cuddler I'd like but she is getting better at that every day. She's slowly figuring toys out, I put just a touch of chicken broth on a rope toy to make it smell good and now she's graduated to stealing whatever toy my other dog is playing with. Still a bit hesitant with people but she will now give everyone she meets a chance. :)
As for training, the dog needs to trust you before that's possible. IF they are afraid of you there could be a nice raw steak and they're not going to do what you want. Once trust is there regular dog training techniques have worked excellent for me. I followed Jan Fennell the dog listener who uses a positive approach with dogs.

Answer 3

Yes, I have done this. How quickly your puppy is able to get over this will depend on how deeply traumatized s/he is. You will have to be very careful with this puppy to help her/him get over his fear, but once you are past that point, s/he should be fine. The rescue group you got the puppy from may have volunteers or staff members that are able to help - a lot if times, these groups rehabilitate dogs as well.

For now, just take it easy. Don't try to force attention on the puppy - make sure to always use a gentle tone of voice and no sudden movements when you are in the same room. Respect the puppy's need for personal space right now, until s/he gets over his/her fear.

Try doing this: Sit on the floor quietly, and let the puppy see that you are not going to hurt him/her, and that s/he does not have to be scared of you. Put a really yummy smelling dog treat on the floor next to you, and wait for the puppy to come over. DON'T TOUCH THE PUPPY WHEN S/HE COMES TO GET THE TREAT. The point of this exercise is for the puppy to become comfortable being close to you.

Be patient and gentle at all times. Eventually, if you really show love to your puppy, you will be rewarded with a doggy friend who is loyal beyond belief.

Answer 4

Sorry to hear about your little guy's misfortune. PUPPY MILLS SUCK!!!! We have rescued quite a few dogs in our neighborhood, and they are all kind of skiddish when first bringing them home. I just want to get them off the streets, so if I don't, or can't keep them, I find homes for them. Animals don't necessarily know what your next move is, and I'm sure at the mills, they weren't treated with much respect, either. I would just use alot of gentle touch on him, cuddle, play. Anything positive would be a huge difference in his life. I have a pitbull puppy who I rescued 7 months ago and he is the sweetest thing I ever knew.

Answer 5

The best thing you can do is give him your time. He's spent his life locked away and will need to learn how to be a dog. Be patient with him, sleep with him (like on the couch curl up together) and you will gain his trust. I've started to rescue dogs and some will be quite distant. You just have to understand that they are going through a LOT of changes and really need understanding, love, leadership, and gentle training.
Edit: Don't forget to pet him under the chin on his chest and also don't hover over him, crouch down to approach him. An excellent video you can get is called: Calming Signals: What Your Dog Tells You.
I think it's out of print but you may find it on Amazon. It can teach you everything I know from growing up with dogs.

Answer 6

I have a rescued male Belgian Malinois. I got him from a lady that got him from a friend. She had him for around a month and never feed him the entire time that she had him. Plus she severely beat him, he even still had a few broken ribs when I got him. He was over 30lbs underweight, and was so skinny that my vet was afraid that his organs were shutting down. I felt so bad for him that I purchased him from the lady even though I wasn't even looking to buy a dog.

That was almost a year ago and Reno is doing much better now. He fairly quickly put all of the weight back on and his ribs have healed. He is still kind of skittish with everyone outside the people that he sees every day, but he is getting better. The best way to handle you rescue dog is to be patient and take it slow. Even though my dog is better he still is not 100%, and he still gets scared a lot. You just have to teach them to trust you and they will be your buddy for life.

Answer 7

I have 3 rescued dogs. Our chihuahua took a long time to come out of her shell. We took her to puppy training classes to try to socialize her and all she did was bark and growl at the other dogs. I've started walking her more and taking her places with me whenever possible and she's getting a lot better. We got her last July and she is now to the point where she'll play and not freak out when someone she doesn't know comes near her. It takes time and a lot of attention. Good luck!

Answer 8

We have two. The key is to be patient with your dog. Remember that the only kind of life he's had thus far was living in at a puppy mill with little human contact. It will take time, but eventually he'll understand that you're his family and this is his home. Play with him, talk to him in a kind voice, and remember that it will take time.

Answer 9

I had a greyhound that had been rescued from a race track. When he first came home, he was afraid of everything. He didn't know how to go up and down stairs, he was afraid of ceiling fans and mirrors and every sort of household noise. He may have been abused because he was afraid of brooms and sticks. It took a long time and a lot of love and patience, but he learned to overcome almost all of his fears and to trust us and love us in return. He gave us ten years of happiness that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Answer 10

have one rescue when we got her she was a nervous wreck never been walked never eaten out of a bowl wasnt house trained she is now a lovely little girl loves her walks just discovered that she loves squeaky toys and will play for england the only 3 things i still have a problem are the police any vehicle with air brakes oh yeah and her fomer owner who she hates with a passion other than that she is a brilliant little dog and have now had her coming up 5 years so there is hope for yours takes time love persausion effort and he will love you for everything youve done for him even if it doesnt feel like it at the moment