My sister just adopted a dog from teh animal shelter i work at, and he was VERY abused by his previous owners. If the fridge kicks in, he flinches and runs away. If you make too fast movements, he flinches too.
Do you think with gentle hands and words he will eventually learn to trust again? Or does this depend on the dog?
Any experiences you have, I would really like to hear them, thank you!
2007-12-14 04:42:15 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
i have had my fearful dog for 1 year now (yesterday was 1 year anniversary). she has made tremendous progress in that time, but is still fearful. i think she was probably born timid and then had a rough puppyhood (3 homes in 1 year, in addition to the shelter 3 different times). i would recommend a short period of settling in (2-3 weeks) and then enrolling in basic obedience classes where the instructor is aware of and knows how to work with fearful dogs. he will need all the appropriate socialization he can get - but it must be at his pace. if she forces him to do something he cannot tolerate, it will only set him back.
she might want to research fearful dogs on the internet - lots of good advice. see for example:
fearfuldogs.com
2007-12-14 04:49:19 · answer #1 · answered by no qf 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The answer is YES and NO. I've seen dogs recover from terrible physical abuse and seem normal until someone pulls out a hose or some other object. It'll be a little more difficult since, from what you posted, he's also flinching at hands.
A lot will depend on what happened when he was a very young puppy. If his owner at that time socialized him well, he has a better chance of reverting to that behavior. If not, he has much more to learn.
Gentle, slow movements are key, praise, treats while he allows you to pet him.
The other possibility here is that he was not abused but he wasn't trained or socialized. Sometimes they can manifest in some of the same behaviors.
Good luck
2007-12-14 04:56:25 · answer #2 · answered by surprisewind 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have a dog that was beat regularly before he came to me. He is now a beautiful three year old puppy. With that said, the dog should probablly go to a trainer who is experienced in this department. I have a lovely network of people that have helped me through the developments from this dog.
With that said, some dogs just cannot overcome the torment. I personally have not given up on any dog. But, it takes a lot of time and energy and most importantly PATIENCE!!!!
We have had Max for 2 years. It was a full year before he would let us grab his collar to manuever him. It was a year and a half before I could brush his teeth. And now at two years we are just got to the point where we don't have to muzzle him to cut his toenails. (the muzzle is actually relaxing to him)
Men are still either he likes them or he hates them. He is pretty predictable. But, it takes years to heal an abused dog. The training is the most important thing. Just be absolutely positive to get a trainer that is knowledgable in that department. Having the ability to spend time with the dog is the other big thing.
2007-12-14 05:00:59 · answer #3 · answered by msschmed 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they do! For some really inspirational reading, try Zachary and the Angels and The Diary of Lucy Blue. Both are available on amazon.com and are true stories of severely abused dogs that transformed into happy dogs again. I had the pleasure of meeting Lucy Blue a few years ago and she shook hands with me and took food from my hands and looked happy to be doing so. A big change for that dog. Many rescuers recommend keeping a diary daily so that you can actually see how much the dog changes over time. They are small changes so it's often hard to tell day by day whether you're making progress without having written down the struggles you went through. Good luck with your sister's dog.
2007-12-14 05:00:38 · answer #4 · answered by SC 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My aunt adopted a dog (Border Collie mix) from Georgia 8 years ago. Cody was very hand shy and had many phobias. The hand shyness took about a year and a half to completely go away. Her phobias however (wind, thunder, blimps, hot air balloons, satellite dishes, etc.) still bother her. They are not as bad now, but you can see a change of pace in her breathing and she wants to be in a closed in area (for firecrackers: under table, small room, between washer and dryer). Having a second more stable dog (her already established Australian Cattle Dog) helped Cody with the adjustment. At first she challenged him, but then began to follow his lead. Sadly Storm (Australian Cattle Dog) passed away this past Feb. Cody is doing well without him there, but he really helped her in the beginning.
2007-12-14 05:00:18 · answer #5 · answered by Tiffany 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Change can happen but how much depends on the dog and the also on how much work the handler is willing to put in to it.
Please visit this site or recommend it to your sister, it was created especially for people living with a fearful dog.
www.fearfuldogs.com
DO NOT follow techniques recommended by Cesar Millan, they are not appropriate for most scared dogs, even he will admit that.
Your sister should learn about triggers, thresholds, counter conditioning and desensitization. There are good book to read as well.
www.fearfuldogs.com/books.html
get her The Cautious Canine or the ebook for sale on the site for Christmas
2007-12-14 05:29:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Where I work they had a Whit Lab. Took it in after some on threw it out of a moving car. ( 10 years ago) She was over 11 rears old. She had been abused & beaten with brooms or what ever. The only thing she did not like was if some one woul come near her with a broom Rake or anything with a long handle. she would attack the broom & bite it. Other than that there were no signs of fear from her other than not liking the noise from a vecuum cleaner.
She died if illness this past tuesday,
2007-12-14 07:30:26 · answer #7 · answered by Fuzzy Squirrel 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have worked/volunteered at a local no-kill shelter for years now. In my time, I have seen many tormented dogs come in. One of the most scared was a dog named Abby. We had a dog house in lobby which she darted right into. For the first week we could not get her to come out for anything. After about two weeks she started coming out when I was the only person there. For about two months I worked with her to get her to come out of her shell. At the end of that time, she would be awesome with me. From shivering in the corner she began brushing up against me and whining for attention. Instead of hiding in a corner when new people came, she hid behind me. A nice lady took her home and continued working with her. Since, she has continued becoming friendlier and more confident. (she still always feels safer outside)
Anyways... you might want to look up some different dog body language signs that make them feel more comfortable (yawning, touching the floor, etc). With the right attitude and time, I definately think he will become better.
2007-12-14 05:00:11 · answer #8 · answered by io 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Partially it depends on the dog. If the abuse was over a long period of time, it will take longer to learn that he's now safe. Also, some dogs never get past certain events.
Hopefully eventually he will learn, it just takes time.
Thanks for helping dogs in need!
2007-12-14 04:54:09 · answer #9 · answered by alecto02 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have a dog that was abused. It took him about 2 weeks to let me touch and about 3 months to let my husband. I have had him 3 years and he is completely trusting of us and VERY loyal. I think he is a better dog because of it.Not that I'm glad it happened to him, don't take that the wrong way. He will let me do anything to him now cause he knows I won't let anything bad happen to him. Tell your sister it may take time. Patience is what got us through bc it was very frustrating. Love and compation will go a long way. Good Luck.
2007-12-14 05:27:23 · answer #10 · answered by Rover Fan 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋