my 1 year old dog was abused I now have him but he is so skittish, nervous, he trembles, I give lots of love & every thing else he needs, I need to know if he will be OK in time and how much time.
2007-09-08 19:33:56 · 11 answers · asked by isma d 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Love isn't all your dog needs... A dog also needs a leader in order to feel secure. By cuddling him all the time, you are nurturing his anxious behaviour. Your dog will learn to trust you when it senses your affection, but affection doesn't always mean hugging him and petting him. Just being around him, talking to him, giving him food, water and a place to sleep are all primal things that your dog will understand and use to form a connection with you.
You should cuddle him and baby him only when he is calm, not trembling or skittish. I know this sounds very cruel, but dog minds don't work the same way as human minds do. They attach your response to their behaviour, and they will only learn to be more anxious to get more affection from you.
2007-09-08 21:21:50 · answer #1 · answered by ninjaaa! 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We got a little Yorkie that was in a puppy mill. We didn't realize it at the time the people lied about her age and everything else. She was very skittish when we first got her when we would reach down to pet her or pick her up she would back away and look really sad at you. So we became very suspicious about the way she had been treated. We did some research and found out her true history.
We have had her for three months now and she is so excited when we come in the door. She brings her toys to us and barks insisting on playing with us. She is a very happy and loves to be held and sit on your lap. With love and attention I believe your dog will come out of it. It may take a while depending on the severity of the abuse.
2007-09-08 20:09:15 · answer #2 · answered by Lisa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Every dog requires different time lengths. No one can tell you how long your dog will need before he behaves like a normal dog again (if he ever does). Some dogs are just naturally skittish, whether or not they've been abused.
No matter what, accept your pup for the personality he has, and accept that he may or may not grow out of it.
He will learn to trust, though. It may take a while, but he'll learn that you are not harming him, and he'll feel safe around you. You may need to be the protector, instead of wanting him to be that role, though.
2007-09-08 19:39:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
My 2 year old rescue dog is very skittish too. She doesn't like other people, children, or other dogs, and gets frightened at the slightest noise.
I have found that the more I get her out and about, the better she is. Sometimes I take her walking around noisy areas where there's a lot of people and activity, to try and get her used to it. She is definitely improving, but it's been a very slow, gradual process.
Even though it's possible that your dog may never grow out of it, but with time and effort, it can definitely get better.
Best wishes, Penny xxx
2007-09-08 20:22:15 · answer #4 · answered by Vanessa 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've had several dogs who came from abusive homes, and it always amazes me how well they recover. As others have said, some recover faster than others, but with time and love your pooch will learn that life is good now.
The formerly-abused dogs that I've adopted eventually became the most devoted friends anyone could ever wish for, and I have no doubt that any of them would do anything to protect me.
Kudos to you for giving this lucky pooch a new life!
2007-09-08 19:47:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Love is very important, but that isn't all he needs.
He needs to get his confidence back by having someone who he can look up to. He needs a good leader that makes him feel secure. It would be helpful for him to be around calm humans that have a good energy so he can feel safe.
Give the dog time. Just like humans, they all work on a different time scale.
And feeling bad for the dog doesn't help either. They have short memories. It is much easier for dogs to move on from a bad situation than humans. So just give him a good environment now, and yes continue to love him.
2007-09-08 19:45:53 · answer #6 · answered by Typical T 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
yes.. he will come around.. just give it time and paitence. he needs lots of love and needs to feel safe. talk in a sweet low voice. don't be to harsh with them. i know of some people that have abused dogs and they all came around. and yes he will be protective. once he realizes he is in a loveing home he will be so happy you are there to love him he will want to portect you.
good luck
2007-09-08 21:39:11 · answer #7 · answered by xtech930 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He just needs time and lots of love. It takes to time to learn to trust again, and depending on his personality it could be weeks or months.
2007-09-08 19:39:48 · answer #8 · answered by Laura S. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He will learn to trust you after awhile. He will also be very loyal and protective of you.
2007-09-08 20:34:32 · answer #9 · answered by mamadixie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well it does take time.. You just have to be gentle with him, and he will probly get scared of loud noises?? you should spend some quality time with him every day :)
2007-09-08 19:48:25 · answer #10 · answered by rawrr, 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋