# Intake on abused dog - help with ideas



## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

So today, we were contacted by a couple giving up their 2yr. old female Golden.

Anyway - the kids were quite insightful when telling me of all the dogs this family had previously given up for various reasons. The kids also said the dog "got a hair cut" last night - which I thought interesting because she did not look like she'd been groomed in particular. The kids were (approx) 2, 4 and 6.

When the mom was filling out the surrender paperwork, the dad was petting the dog, and the dog just started shaking violently as if afraid. He claimed he'd never had a dog that did that - "just shakes like this, see, like she's freezing".

It turns out they need to get rid of their dog because the Labs were "too rough with her". The dog is around 45-50lb., but for a female, not extremely small. 

The wife claimed when they spayed the dog last fall, she had "blood clots" in her stomach region (will clarify this tomorrow with the vet). They didn't know why but surmised the Labs were too rough when trying to play with her.

Well we get home and I had made a mental note that her collar seemed loose, but forgot about it, and she slipped her collar and took off. 
She made it across the road, and into a field near our place. I figured that is it, she'll head home 
But she didn't...she started cowering _very_ badly. My daughter was on foot and I was in the car, we were both calling, and the dog just cowered down and then she'd get up and move some, she'd kind of come towards us but cower down again, and when I finally caught up with her, I said "no!" when she'd go to run off and she cowered even worse if you can imagine. I mean, tucked her butt clear up, her tail tucked in, and I managed to get ahold of her.

It was then I noticed her leg fur and tail are...beyond matted, tangled, dead fur, etc. in them. Bedragged I guess you could say. Matted. I now "got it" when I remembered the kids telling us she got a "hair cut" last night 
So my daughter picked the dog up and held her on her lap and the dog just peed all over the place, very submissively. 

I am honestly thinking this dog was pretty danged neglected, oh, I found mats behind her ears, little balled up fur behind there. Now, I have a Sheltie mix with the same type ear fur and you have to basically brush every few weeks to keep that clean and mat-free. 
The Golden's tail and back leg "feathers" are way worse with mats and tangled fur. 

And I'm thinking the folks were the type to call the dog back, then smack it or whatever you do, hit, whatever. Kick!? Blood clots in her abdomen!?

The way she'd begin to approach then just cower and pee, it's very disturbing. 

Thoughts!? How do I begin to work with a dog like this!??

I don't dare ask them. I am just vastly relieved they chose rescue over another home that might not have patience with her


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

This is all very disturbing to read, especially when its a golden retriever(I love this breed and have my own). They are the happiest, most fun loving, easy going dogs you could ask for. I would have to say that this dog was abused--physically and mentally I would investigate the idiots that gave her up to make sure that the other dogs are okay in their care. As far as she goes, I wish I was closer to you because I would take her in a minute!! Hopefully with lots of love and patience on your part she will come around. The two week shut down will be great for her--goldens can be nervous doggies! And I would go slow with her, she's scared but not fear aggressive or mean. She just needs to know that she is loved and she will return that love ten fold, once she trusts again. Oh and as far as grooming, I've taken mine in and they ask me what do you want done, I say whatever you do with goldens....usually its no trimming, lots of brushing and stuff...groomers prefer for goldens to keep that natural golden look without any knots or matting


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> So today, we were contacted by a couple giving up their 2yr. old female Golden.
> 
> Anyway - the kids were quite insightful when telling me of all the dogs this family had previously given up for various reasons. The kids also said the dog "got a hair cut" last night - which I thought interesting because she did not look like she'd been groomed in particular. The kids were (approx) 2, 4 and 6.
> 
> ...


I know you probably don't want to hear from me  but I know you know how to do this. Lots of patience, tons of love, time and eventually after a modified shut down lots and lots of socialization with people. You need dog lovers who are willing to love on her and give her lots of treats. At first very soft voice non threatening people.


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## Falkosmom (Jul 27, 2011)

I think I would start with a very thorough vet examination.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Good idea - I'm going to contact her vet Monday. She doesn't seem sick or anything but I don't even get what they mean by blood clots in her belly/abdomen 

I have a groomer who volunteers so will be contacting her re: grooming - they have some anti-tangling stuff I think, which would be better than me yanking the mats out 

Shepherds, I know...I mean, I am used to working with smaller dogs, for one thing. It's so much easier to scoop them up, hold them daily until they trust again. It's been quite a while since I've had a dog over 20lb. that needed intensive TLC. And I'm devastated that she's so...traumatized. 
I'm happy she's here, of course - but was not prepared for such a basket case girl


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> Good idea - I'm going to contact her vet Monday. She doesn't seem sick or anything but I don't even get what they mean by blood clots in her belly/abdomen
> 
> I have a groomer who volunteers so will be contacting her re: grooming - they have some anti-tangling stuff I think, which would be better than me yanking the mats out
> 
> ...


*Furminator* shampoo and creme rinse works well on goldens, but remember they can have skin issues and those won't be evident until after wards


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> Shepherds, I know...I mean, I am used to working with smaller dogs, for one thing. It's so much easier to scoop them up, hold them daily until they trust again. It's been quite a while since I've had a dog over 20lb. that needed intensive TLC. And I'm devastated that she's so...traumatized.
> I'm happy she's here, of course - but was not prepared for such a basket case girl


People that abuse dogs make me furious. :angryfire: but little or big they need the same thing. She needs to feel safe and loved. You can do this!


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## Falkosmom (Jul 27, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> Good idea - I'm going to contact her vet Monday. She doesn't seem sick or anything but I don't even get what they mean by blood clots in her belly/abdomen
> 
> I have a groomer who volunteers so will be contacting her re: grooming - they have some anti-tangling stuff I think, which would be better than me yanking the mats out
> 
> ...


Honestly, had a neighbor once with a Golden with a similar temperament. She was raised with love and spoiled, it was just in the genetic cards for this particular dog. Kid gloves are a must, perhaps you can find an elderly person to foster this dog. I find fearful feral cats respond very well to older adults. Something they like about the perpetual slow motion!


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I'd believe that (all temperament) but for the obvious neglect - her coat tells me she didn't even have the basic coat care a dog like this needs.
Even a "soft" dog like a Golden can be, shouldn't be tucking tail, cowering and peeing all over herself. 
At the very _very_ least they mishandled her, and probably did use physical corrections, a no-no on a soft dog


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

msvette2u said:


> I'd believe that (all temperament) but for the obvious neglect - her coat tells me she didn't even have the basic coat care a dog like this needs.
> Even a "soft" dog like a Golden can be, shouldn't be tucking tail, cowering and peeing all over herself.
> At the very _very_ least they mishandled her, and probably did use physical corrections, a no-no on a soft dog


They are soft dogs...if I yell in my house mine is gone, until I tell him its okay and he can come out He was so easy to train because he wanted to make me happy and he never got into trouble because he didn't and does not respond well to any kind of raised voices or negativity. Yes my golden has trained me and lowered my blood pressure too


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Just time, she will come around. You can try to lift her in your lap and let her stay there for a while and you can pet her. If you have some nice friendly dogs, that could work as well, they can help with the socialization. It would be probably least traumatizing just to shave her.
The only dog that bit a foster was a golden, not all goldens are nice and submissive.


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## Bismarck (Oct 10, 2009)

yup... time and patience.

it'll help if you groom her every day, like while watching tv or something.
invite her out on the leash and give her a short grooming period, then back in crate, and let her watch you groom your others. let her see how the others treat you and work with you. then just take it very slowly with her.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

A Golden bit my son - he was my (future) husband's dog! The dog bit him more than a few times before he became an "outside" dog temporarily! 
I don't hold it against the breed though. If I held a poorly temperamented dog against the whole breed I'd never rescue anything.


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

A dog doesn't have to be "abused" to act the way this Golden did. Undersocialized? Yes. Genetically weak nerved? Could be. Abused? Not necessarily. Not all shy, submissive dogs have been abused.

My own Aussie has never been treated roughly, let alone abused. But she will shake and shiver when stressed. 

I am surprised that you (msvette2u) would automatically use the "abuse" word. You have been around the block often enough with your shelter work and your rescue involvement to know better!
Sheilah


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

sit said:


> A dog doesn't have to be "abused" to act the way this Golden did. Undersocialized? Yes. Genetically weak nerved? Could be. Abused? Not necessarily. Not all shy, submissive dogs have been abused.
> 
> My own Aussie has never been treated roughly, let alone abused. But she will shake and shiver when stressed.
> 
> ...


And again, if you could see the "whole picture" you'd understand why I say that. Family interactions were also taken into account - plus her level of physical neglect. 
I'd believe "just" weak nerved if she was somewhat submissive but not curled up into herself as we approached, tucking tail, and eventually, entire butt, then peeing all over us. 

And - again - I'm wiling to admit even "just verbal corrections", but at the very very least, she was mishandled. That means - despite the fact she was cowering and peeing, they still either physically corrected her (yes, people here even think "smacking" a dog on the butt or nose is okay) or didn't let up on the verbal corrections. 

If you have a soft dog, the last thing you're going to want to do is correct them physically, or even continue to yell if they're already cowering. 

And I'm still going to ask the vet what the blood clots in the stomach were all about.
I know there's many people who can't tolerate a cowering dog and it actually makes them angrier.


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

msvette2u said:


> I'd believe "just" weak nerved if she was somewhat submissive but not curled up into herself as we approached, tucking tail, and eventually, entire butt, then peeing all over us.


I fostered a Border Collie/ACD about 9-10 years ago, and he behaved in the same way. He hadn't been "abused", he had been stuck out in a backyard and had never been anywhere or met any new people. He was a very shy, soft dog and he would drop and curl his bottom so far underneath himself that he looked like a twisting earth worm when he did it. He would also urinate once it was clear that the cowering and groveling didn't work and he was still being approached. 

Even if you continue to believe that this Golden has been abused, I sincerely hope you never mention the "abuse" word (or any variation of it) to potential adopters. There is something about adopting an "abused dog" that cause so many well meaning, but clueless, new owners to do the exact opposite of what shy, soft, submissive dogs need.

I hate recommending that a double coated dog be shaved, but in this case it might be the most humane way to get the neglected coat under control. Since you have committed to taking her to the vet, just have the vet sedate her while she is there for that exam and shave her down. 

Is there some reason why you can't do your "two week shutdown" protocol with this dog? I ask because your question was "How do I begin to work with a dog like this"? That is where I would start, after making sure that she has a drag leash secured to a good fitting collar. 

Is that Golden rescue in California still operating? I sent several unsocialized Goldens to them over the years, and was very pleased with how well they handled and placed each dog. Maybe a breed specific rescue that has a larger organizational reach would be an option for this girl?
Sheilah


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> Even if you continue to believe that this Golden has been abused, I sincerely hope you never mention the "abuse" word (or any variation of it) to potential adopters. There is something about adopting an "abused dog" that cause so many well meaning, but clueless, new owners to do the exact opposite of what shy, soft, submissive dogs need.


Yeah, because, you know, we never screen homes to find the best match for our foster dogs. 

No, there's no breed specific rescue for this breed in our area.
We won't do the two week shut down, as she's not integrating into our home, at least not right now.
I think just a lot of TLC will correct the issue, ignore the things we don't want to see (cowering, peeing) and reward the non-fearful behavior. 

And yes, if you'd seen her former owners (and heard the stories about all the past dogs they gave up) you'd realize there's a very high likelihood that she was mistreated. I suppose it depends on your definition of abuse. 
To me, even a physical correction on a cowering dog _is_, in fact, abuse.


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## Mac's Mom (Jun 7, 2010)

I feel very sorry for the labs still in that house. But very very grateful that the golden is out of that **** hole and with someone who will take care of her. We brought home a 4 year old who was abused and neglected about a year ago. I depended very much on the wisdom and compassion from the people here. I'm not an expert so I can only offer my opinion. But I think you should consider changing her name. She may associate her name "being called" with being hurt. I always approached Bart from the front very slowly and when I would pet him I'd kneal down do it from under his chin and work my way up to his head. Actually he taught me that because I quickly learned if I stood over him and reached down he'd flinch and close his eyes, most likely expecting to be hit. I guess my point is its important to watch her body language and act accordingly. I'd like to tell you one other thing...that abused & neglected dog I picked up a year ago not only overcame his painful past but is the most wonderful, loving & affectionate dog I've ever met. All of your love & patience is going to come back to you ten fold.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Maybe consider in the training/socialization process changing commands too...like a big one you might want to change is come...instead I would use "front" and reteach it, because they probably always used come and now it means bad things for her and she doesn't listen or obey that command.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

We've been ignoring skittish/fearful behavior and letting her know our expectations (sit, etc.) kinda learning what she knows.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

I sure don't know, but I'm glad this dog is with you, msvette2u. Best place the poor baby could be. Looking forward to updates. Poor thing.


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## lorihd (Nov 30, 2011)

i remember i was at my sister-in-laws in the back yark (picnic) the neighbors little pitbull came across the fence to get a little lovin from us (she was so sweet and out going). well the owner came over to get her and she crouched and urinated, ducked her head etc.... i said to my sis-in-law, this guy beats this dog!!!!!!!!!! just could tell, im sure you felt the same way  well im so glad you took this poor neglected dog, now she can shine  make sure to post her progress


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Yes. We see a boatload of unsocialized dogs, and there is a difference.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

I agree you can just tell. My Ivan, when we got him, was terrified of people. Very head shy and would pee all over the place. I would love to kick the behind of the person who hurt my poor puppy. Grrr... He even had scabs around his neck like he was either dragged by the collar or one of the shelter staff thought maybe he had been shock collared...It was terrible seeing how scared he was of people and places. He has gotten so much more confident in the past month but I still get angry whenever I think about the fact that someone would hurt this poor sweet puppy. :angryfire:


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

Msvette

I so glad you've got her, poor girl - she doesn't realise how lucky she is being with you and your family - bless you all. But she's difficult to cope with, I bet. Is she house trained? 

If I'd got her, I think I'd have a crate available for her to go into if she wanted to - otherwise I would think it's wiser not to touch her - just drop treats down in a casual way and walk away from her - so that she doesn't feel threatened - I'd leave the back door open so she can go in and out on her own accord and hopefully realise I'm not going to force her into having any kind of contact with me until she's ready. 

Easier said than done when you have other animals though - do you know how she gets on with other dogs? It would be lovely if she could see them happily playing with you.

I wonder how she's cope with the vets - poor girl - it must be so traumatic for her. I don't suppose you can be sure if it's genetic or the way she's been trated - you can only go with your experience and instinct.

I don't think I'd worry about grooming her just yet, as you have no real idea of how she's been treated and could well be terrified of being touched. 

No doubt she'll need sedating at the vets anyway - and they could shave or trim her matted fur - they probably need to in order to thoroughly examine her anyway. 

Please let us know how you get on.
________________
Sue


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

I have seen this behavior in Goldens before. Not in abused but very very poorly bred Goldens. Including the cowering, shaking, trembling, panic... pretty much everything that would make you think the dog got abused. But these Goldens had good homes.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I currently have a Golden who has simular behaviors. I bought him as a puppy. He was never abused. He'd tremble, potty all over himself and then finally scream if brought into the house. Kennel training was out of the question. He didn't behave as a normal pup would - he'd cower in the corner, pee, scream. It was as though he had claustrophobia. Truly.  When he started having seizures, we realized it was a medical problem as well. 

The number one thing I could / can do for him to calm him down is sit on the ground and allow him to crawl onto me.


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## Caitydid255 (Aug 28, 2010)

llombardo said:


> *Furminator* shampoo and creme rinse works well on goldens, but remember they can have skin issues and those won't be evident until after wards


With a dog that's been physically abused, I would avoid the furminator at first as the brush can pull and create discomfort. You are trying to create an environment that is safe and non threatening, and any physical discomfort right now may damage your relationship with the dog. With the mats it will probably be best to shave the area. We've taken in two rescue collies, and both had horrible coats. We made the mistake of attempting to brush out Teddy's coat when we first received him, and until the day he died he hated to be brushed and would lash out. With Preston, we shaved him and maintained the coat that grew back, he now loves to be groomed. The dog has already been traumatized enough, it's best to limit the negative experiences at first.

Teddy was definately physically abused before we took him in. We found dried blood and open wounds when he came to us. At first he was extremely submissive, but as he gained confidence he began to violently lash out at what he feared. It took him years to overcome what he had been through, and we took him in when he was only 8 months. With Preston, you can't get near him when he's lying down or you are likely to be bit. We've had him for three years now and are still working on that problem. The worst part is having an idea of what happened, but never being able to find out the full story. Each dog has it's own trigger as to what will bring out a negative reaction, whether it be raising your hand too fast, moving a foot, or even the sight of a trampoline. Thank you for saving this dog and giving her a second chance.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Caitydid255 said:


> With a dog that's been physically abused, I would avoid the furminator at first as the brush can pull and create discomfort.


I was recommending the furminator shampoo and the creme rinse, I do use the furminator brush on my golden retriever, but he's not all matted. The furminator shampoo and creme rinse(if used as directed) will work wonders on its own.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I'm going to let the groomer handle it. She was excellent with a stray Poodle mix we had a while back that had never been groomed in her 8mos. on earth.
Thank you for your input though 

And to those who say it's typical of a poorly bred Golden, I'd agree it's typical of just about any poorly bred dog. And, being a rescue, we don't get top bloodlines running through here. We see poorly bred examples of just about every breed come through, weak nerves, health issues, you name it. 

However, when you combine less than stellar owners who use physical punishment, you've got a mess of a dog and that's what we have here. 

I keep forgetting many of you use a lot of physical corrections on your dogs and don't see an issue with it, but than again, you're probably working with better nerves than these.


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## Mrs.K (Jul 14, 2009)

What kind of physical corrections are you talking about?


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I messaged you. I have no desire to drag this off topic further than it is.

Suffice it to say, if anyone who doubts this dog was abused had met the family in question and saw how they were with her, they'd not have doubts - since I was there and saw, I can safely assume she was at the very least mishandled - and quite probably physically punished. 

All she was to them was an annoyance to them, and people with that frame of mind towards their pets rarely treat them nicely.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

msvette2u said:


> Suffice it to say, if anyone who doubts this dog was abused had met the family in question and saw how they were with her, they'd not have doubts - since I was there and saw, I can safely assume she was at the very least mishandled - and quite probably physically punished.


 
Only comparing to the experiance with my Golden, I can see that in the wrong hands, my dog would have ended up a disaster - and/or PTS. I'm not saying that I am a cracker jack trainer - just that I realized I can't expect the same things from him as I would my other dogs. - An example is when I give him a bath. If he is worked up before the bath, he'll come up the lead at me. Everytime. If I get him nice and calm - groom him, sit on the ground and love on him etc. I can pretty much man handle (if needed) him scrubbing him down. 


I have to make sure his brain is in the right place. Using any type of physical corrections, does NOT work on this dog. At best, it creates a worse situation. Say he is barking at the neighbor's dog. To get him to quit I have to get his ball (obsessed with toys) and throw it for him. That will kick his brain out of gear and put him where I need him. Most of the time now (he is an older dog) when he starts barking I'll say, "Tug! Hush!" and he'll run get his ball, forgetting about the neighbor. 

Because of where I live, I can manage him. If not, I would have had him PTS as advised by the vet, when he was young.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

> Using any type of physical corrections, does NOT work on this dog.


And this is what I'm trying to say - on my own sheltie, the poster-girl Libby, any physical correction is a huge no-no. In fact the day of the shoot, one of the "trainers" gave her a big leash-pop and she literally ran away. She would not even come back to _me_ at that point and looked at me as if I'd betrayed her. 

To me, that is "abuse"; even if not physically striking the dog, mishandling is just as bad.
And I know, at the very least, any lab owner will have jerked a dog around on leash, in fact the trainer who mishandled my Libbs was jerking Labs around all morning. They didn't care. Libby not only cared, she was very distraught about it.

If you know your dog is not responding and is in fact reacting negatively (submissive/cowering/peeing) why continue to reef or jerk on the leash? 
That's just a "for instance". All I know is she was relatively fine until "Dad" started petting her to say goodbye and she freaked completely out at that point. And then he got disgusted and picked her up (she was cowering on the ground) and stuffed her in the crate. 

When we got her here, she expected more of the same, and began cowering/shaking/peeing, but relaxed immensely when no corrections or yelling came.


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

How is she doing? I hope she is settling in well.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

She's doing really well. We've just still been ignoring her overly submissive gestures and pay attention only when she's not tail/but tucking and peeing all over.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

wrong thread


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## SDChicken (May 6, 2012)

She sounds a lot like our corgi when we got him. The owners swore up and down he wasn't abused when I questioned about his behavior. But my husband couldn't look in the general direction of him or say his name without him losing his bladder and melting into a quivering mess. Assertive body language and tone got similar reactions. Plus when going back to show his progress he tried to attack the father, that was the final give away. This dog wants nothing more than to please. He doesn't have that kind of temperament. It didn't help he was two, intact, and left in a back yard the first two years of his life, with no socialization, a corgi with a typical corgitude, while receiving the abuse. He had no idea what a collar or leash was. THAT was an epic 15 seconds that could of been avoided had they been honest. It was really trying at times. I asked to keep the dog because I just couldn't put him in another home when he needed so much work. I also couldn't let him back with the other family. It has been almost two years and he is a total 180 from what we originally got. Time, patience, less voice, crate, and no coddling were the key to his success. I'm a firm believer that no two dogs are the same and what worked for him may not work for her. But being open, like you are, to input is great. Lord knows I made many a tearful, frustrated call to friends for help. I'm glad they gave her up to a rescue/you. The dog stands a far better chance with you than being dumped in a pound. I wish her the best and give you much kudos. I don't know that I could repeat the Meatloaf again willingly. Love him to death but OY! He made me question my sanity many a times.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

you paint a picture of a super sensitive dog with trust issues (you say abused) , speculate that the dog would be beat on when coming to owner --- but then you

"she'd kind of come towards us but cower down again, and when I finally caught up with her, I said "no!" when she'd go to run off and she cowered even worse if you can imagine."

error -- here you have a shy dog attempting to come to you in spite of her fear and when she finally makes it or you get in close to her , you shut her down with a negative NO , making her worse .

Carmen
CARMSPACK.com


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

msvette2u said:


> And again, if you could see the "whole picture" you'd understand why I say that. Family interactions were also taken into account - plus her level of physical neglect.
> I'd believe "just" weak nerved if she was somewhat submissive but not curled up into herself as we approached, tucking tail, and eventually, entire butt, then peeing all over us.



I saw the EXACT same signs when I first brought Pippa home so I know what you mean. It goes way beyond just being timid or soft. It is absolute terror. 

With Pippa it has taken time, time and more time. For the first 2 weeks she would not come anywhere near me, no matter what treat was offered. Even now after almost 6 months, she still will not come to me in the house if I call her. I can tell she wants to, she will wag her tail, pace, come close but then change her mind and stay just out of reach. For months, every time I got up, she would get up and run to the other side of the house. That has only stopped in the last 3 weeks or so and she will now continue to lay where she is at and let me walk by.

Like I said, it will take a lot of time, a lot of patience and a lot of love. I would just throw very high value treats at her- at one point I was actually using raw steak. The first time she took the treat from my hand I was ecstatic. Now that took a couple of weeks and she wouldn't do it from the front. I had to sit on my loveseat and hold my hand behind me and not look at her. I also found what helped Pippa immensely was Dharma. She bonded to Dharma and looked to her to make her feel safe. I also would ignore her, other than throwing the treats. Otherwise, I spent a lot of time just leaving her alone and ignoring her, letting her decide when to come to me. One day after about 2 weeks, I came home from work and had both dogs outside and suddenly Pippa jumped in my lap as if to say "Yay!! You are home!! I missed you!!" Since that time she has slowly become bolder about coming to me on her own accord. 

I also found something else she loved- car rides. She LOVES to go for a ride. So much so that she will get so excited she jumps all over me. even fairly early on she would get so excited about going on she seemed to "forget" to be afraid. So if you can find something like that, something the dog really, really loves that is helpful to.

Anyway, Pippa is still very much a work in progress and still has a long way to go but I am definitely seeing improvement. I do wish you all the best. Feel free to PM if you have any other questions or just want to bounce some ideas around. I am no expert on this by any means but I am certainly going through it now.

As for the mats, please don't judge by that. Dharma hates and I mean HATES to be brushed and always tries to eat the brush and dances away from me when I try to brush her. As a result she had gotten pretty matted down the back of her hind legs and around her butt. I took her to be professionally groomed last Mon and they had to shave those area. Poor girl has a naked but now.


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## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

I was wondering msvette, did your ask the SPCA (don't know what your cruelty to animals is actually called) to check out the owners other dogs?
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Sue


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