If you’ve rescued a dog, it can often be the case that they have had a chequered history and may not behave as you would wish. You may be disappointed as they shy away from attention and love from you, they may freak out on a walk, and their house training may seem like a long lost dream, and they may spend their day hiding away from you.
Or you may be considered a shelter dog, and are concerned about not knowing how it may behave, due to past experiences.
It’s always important to understand that these strange behaviours may have been shaped by past experiences that have been traumatic, and so the process for turning them around can be long process that requires a lot of patience and understanding. But the good news is, it is possible!
So how do you manage these dogs so that they can eventually trust you and you can both enjoy life together? Dr Frank McMillan of Best Friends Animal Society has carried out research into what does and doesn’t help when transitioning these pets to a new adoptive home.
These are the top 3 things that he found that consistently work. But a word of caution, every pet is individual and what works for one, may not work for another. It does really come down to trial and error. If something works, continue doing it. If it doesn’t work – STOP – because to continue will just create a set back!
The top 3 things that work
1.Patience & Attitude
First and foremost it is about allowing the dog to go at it’s own pace. No pressure should be applied and give the dog as much time as he or she needs to adjust to the new surroundings. It is important to be encouraging, provide reassurance and positive reinforcement. Be consistent and calm and be prepared not to rush things, giving it time.
2.Another Dog in the Family
The second most important thing that can help the dog succeed is having another well-adjusted, socialised dog in the family who they can observe and learn from. A well behaved, well mannered and well socialised companion for the dog will not be a threat and will provide a great role model for the dog to learn “how to be a dog”! Please note that it would not make sense to get a second dog with issues, and they will reinforce each other’s behaviour.
In addition Dr MacMillan suggests that a second dog takes on some of the attention from the family, meaning that the interactions are a less intense and it is also easier for the adopter as they will have another dog around who is a willing recipient of their loving attention.
It is important to remember that intensity can be uncomfortable for these dogs, and for them there is “safety in numbers”.
Once the dog seems to be settling down you can try on- on-ones, to get them more adjusted to you.
According to Your Pet Advisor, to ensure a successful integration with another pet, it is important to keep separate area for your new pet. So they have their own food and area for eating, separate sleeping area – keep these areas private so that they can feel comfortable and safe when they are eating, and it shows any other pets the boundaries in the household. This is a very important part of making a successful introduction.
3.Love, Affection & TLC
When giving love and affection it is important to remember in the first instance that for these dogs, people are not necessarily a source of safety. Love may be a foreign concept, and could be scary. So the key is to go slowly, be calm, move softly and no surprises. If the dog rejects you, that is OK – never force. Just be patient!
What is Least Helpful?
Probably the worst thing you can do is be stern, have a raised voice or apply physical punishment to the dog. The most likely outcome from this is that you will set them back. Even if they are doing things that are “bad” or extremely annoying – like house training, remember that being loud can be experienced as a traumatic event for such dogs, and they really do not do bad things on purpose.
Do not force them to socialise too soon either with other dogs or people. This would take them way out of their comfort zone and again could result in a set back.
Other examples of what could be a scary event is for the dog being left at a groomer all day, or any other strange environment – rather think about getting the groomer to come to the house if a groom is necessary. Or even going on a walk could be a traumatic experience for a dog that has not experienced that before.
The Take Out
There are really no rules, and different things will work for different dogs, depending on their experiences, and how long they may have endured mis-treatment. Always be willing to try alternatives and to abandon anything that seems to create fear and angst (and doesn’t work).
You will need to be observant, patient, and put in time and once you have earned the trust of your new four legged friend, the rewards will come back to you in spades!
Do you have an experience with a rescue pet that you can share with us, for the benefit of others?
We recently became a foster family to a beautiful 28 kg husky mix that went trough intense trauma and is not trusting at all. Not much is known about this dog. She was estimated at 5 years age and has been a stray for a long time until she could finally be captured. She has a microchip, so she once belonged to someone but that person is not interested in her or anything.
Before she came to us she spend a month at a shelter where she was put on antidepressants for her extreme anxiety.
She is distrustful of people, very fearful but never shows any sign of aggression. Her biggest fear and trauma is going outside. And it is much worse than it sounds. She will put all her force and willpower into avoiding having to go outside. And we are not even talking about walks. She doesn’t want to leave the house, period. If forced outside, she will do anything to get back in. It’s a life or death situation for her.
3 days ago she was brought over to us by the rescue organization. At arrival she did her #1 and #2 and then wanted nothing more but going inside. She threw herself to the floor in the middle of the living room and decided not to move from there.
We placed her food and water bowls right next to her and gave her the space to settle in while we were still present in the room. We slept on the couch that day in the same room because we didn’t know how she would react to being alone in such a big space.
That day she didn’t eat or drink anything, except for a few pieces of cheese that we hid her anxiety pills in. (We were so happy that worked)
The next day we offered our presence but tried to be respectful of her space. We offered a few treats, which she refused. We tried to take her out twice but she had such a bad reaction that we decided to abort and let her get more comfortable first. Also, she hadn’t had any food or water, so there wasn’t really the need.
By evening, I started worrying a little about her not having any intake of liquid. I made some chicken water and with a lot of stimulation I was able to make her drink at little less than 1/2 cup. Better than nothing.
She took her medication with cheese but nothing else.
That night I slept on the couch again.
In the morning, we thought we had to fulfill our duty and take her out. We were hoping that once outside (though she didn’t want to go) she’d be able to relieve herself. Well, it didn’t turn out that way. It was an extreme fight to get her outside and she never calmed down to actually pee. She chewed through a brand new heavy duty leash and made it clear that she didn’t want to be outside or handled. So we waited for a calm second and allowed her back inside.
What can I say? Forcing her outside didn’t just feel like a failure, it felt like a mistake. It seemed like we lost the little trust that we had gained in the previous 2 days and the safe space we wanted to offer her wasn’t safe anymore. We betrayed her.
We gave her a lot of space for the rest of the day and dropped little peace offerings in front of her nose.
Some cooked ground beef. A soft boiled egg, some chicken water. She didn’t take any.
Late that evening, I could motivate her to drink a little bit.. We decided to go to another room and just watch her through a camera and see how she behaves if we leave her for several hours.
Late that evening, realizing she was all alone she started licking the egg off the plate (which was placed right in front of her).
But still she never got up from her place.
When I came down in the morning, I gave her the cheese pills and cooked some more chicken and served it with water and she started licking the water immediately which felt like a huge step forward. She even let me hand feed her the chicken pieces.
So this is we’re we are today, Saturday. She slowly starts trusting us more but she still didn’t pee or poop since she arrived here on Wednesday. Also, no accidents indoors.
The rescue organization says we should force her outside and establish a routine and that she will eventually get better and get used to it.
But we cannot help but feel we would make her relive her trauma every time. She doesn’t even stand up and walk in the room, with or without us present. We think it is more important right now to build trust than to take her outside. We have hope that she’ll want to go when the pressure gets to strong but also wouldn’t mind cleaning up if she does her business inside.
We are torn and also realize that she’s been holding in for 4 days already, which also isn’t healthy. Do you have any advice for us?
Best, Stefanie
Hello Stefanie, firstly I have to say how wonderful it is that you have taken this husky on board. They are beautiful dogs and very loyal so I am quite sure your work and patience will pay off in the long run. I do agree that forcing doesn’t seem to be the right thing fin this circumstance. Building confidence and trust is so important. I am not sure where you are located, but it seems to me that “Fear Free” training methods may be beneficial. Fear Free was created with these goals in mind: to prevent, minimize, and eliminate fear, anxiety and stress. That means eliminating the task of getting the “job done” for the long-term goal of protecting the pet physically and emotionally, and safeguarding the human animal bond that’s forged through trust. If you google “fearfreepets” you should be able to find helpful resources. Warm regards, and all the best with your husky.