# Need Advice On Helping Extremely Scared And Unsocialized Dog



## MyRescueCrew (May 8, 2008)

I am fostering a new rescue dog. (her story here: http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/34546-my-new-foster-rescue.html )

Annie is missing a lot of teeth, and the ones she has left are very rotted and extremely worn down. From this, we know she is an older dog. From the hoarder who had her, where she was taken from, claims that Annie never stepped foot from her wire cage a day in her life, until she ended up at the shelter. She has no idea what grass, carpet, a leash, ect. really are. So as an older dog, we know she lived like this for many years.

She was also on abandoned property and had little to no human contact her entire life. She is not aggressive whatsoever that I can tell, and she hasn't shown me any aggressive signs, even during petting, bathing, and nail trims. 

If anyone has any advice on the following things, please post them and let me know. I am at a loss. Over my years, I've dealt with unsocialized and untrained dogs, and I've dealt with abused dog, but this dog is all three and she has endured it her entire life. As a result, the amount of fear she has to the world in general is shocking, and I'm a bit loss on where to begin.

Here's what I need help with:

-- She refuses to walk on a leash, or in the grass. The idea of a leash, and grass, freak her out. She flattens herself to the ground shivering and refuses to move, no matter how long we stand there. How can I get her used to the leash, and the yard in general?

-- She's scared of any, and all, noises. I've found sites on helping dogs over-come particular things like plastic bags or vacuums, but how do I help her overcome everyday sounds? When outside, the sounds of cars passing, bird chirping, the wind blowing... everything sends her into a massive shaking episode.

-- She's only been raised in a kennel. As a result, she refuses to come out of hers. I have it in a spare, quiet room. Even when I leave the crate door open, she will not come out. I've left the door open, with a bowl of her food outside of the cage, and have left the room. An hour later, when I return, she has still not come out of the cage to eat.

-- She won't drink water. She has no clue what a water bowl is. Being raised in a puppymill, the 'hoarder' used mainly those automatic waterers, like a water bottle. So drinking from a bowl is a whole new thing, and the water scares her. She hasn't drank in two days. As a result, I've fed her only canned foods, with added water stirred in to prevent dehydration. How do I get her adjusted to drinking from a water bowl?

Any advice and tips for the above problems is greatly appreciated. Also, any advice or tips on anything in general relating to her would help a ton too. Like how to help gain her trust, because she darts in a mad panic and shoves herself into a corner whenever she's out her crate.

For reference, treats don't work. She never received any in her life, so she shows no interest. Even to things like fresh meat, ham, hot dogs, tripe, ect. Nothing phases her.

Thanks all!


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

MyRescueCrew said:


> Here's what I need help with:
> 
> -- She refuses to walk on a leash, or in the grass. The idea of a leash, and grass, freak her out. She flattens herself to the ground shivering and refuses to move, no matter how long we stand there. How can I get her used to the leash, and the yard in general?


Don't try to make overcome 2 fears at once. Either the leash or the grass but, not both at the same time.



> -- She's scared of any, and all, noises.


Give her time to adjust to the 'new' sounds in her environment...remember, she's in a strange place.



> -- She's only been raised in a kennel. As a result, she refuses to come out of hers. I have it in a spare, quiet room. Even when I leave the crate door open, she will not come out. I've left the door open, with a bowl of her food outside of the cage, and have left the room. An hour later, when I return, she has still not come out of the cage to eat.


She needs time to adjust. Don't force it. Leave some interesting things outside...a soft toy, a treat filled Kong, a ball, a soft bed, treats. 



> -- She won't drink water. She has no clue what a water bowl is. How do I get her adjusted to drinking from a water bowl?


This is one where the water intake is far more important than the training.
I'd get an automatic waterer for now until she can adjust better to her new home. Once some of the scary things are under better control then I'd try the bowl again.



> how to help gain her trust, because she darts in a mad panic and shoves herself into a corner whenever she's out her crate.
> treats don't work. She never received any in her life, so she shows no interest.


The one thing she had.....very little.... was human contact. She still has some socialness and a need for that contact (I take it she doesn't freak out when you walk in the room).
Sit on the floor outside the kennel with the door open. Don't face her..sit sideways so you can see her from the corner of your eye. Just talk quietly. Don't try to get her to come out or take a treat. You're working on showing her that you're no threat...no pressure will be put on her. She may not move towards you for days. The key thing you're looking for is any slight movement closer to you. That will tell you if you're on the right track to gaining her trust.


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## klip (Jul 22, 2008)

Wow. I just had to say - I am so impressed that you have found it in your heart to give this dog another chance. This is beyond abuse, the poor animal. She sounds like she needs a lot of time, simply to adjust to all the new strange things she is experiencing.
Tooneydog's advice sounds very good to me, especially the bit about simply sitting quietly with her. Simply being in the same room with another being is so important to a dog. If she can understand that you are not a threat, I think that is going to be her main motivation - not to be alone.

Lots and lots of digital love coming your way from me and my very spoilt and oh so lucky dogs!


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

I'd recommend LETTING her stay in her kennel- leave the door open, in a quiet spot. If you can put an exercise pen around it and keep things low key around that, I'd put her someplace that you spend a lot of time doing quiet work. (For me, that'd be in my ' office' craft room.) Other dogs probably WON'T be a huge stressor if they can't get to her.) 

I'd get her a water bottle ASAP and let her continue to use that. The wet food's a good idea but she needs to use the teeth she's got! 

The biggest, biggest thing you have to do with scared and unsocialized dogs is give them time. In the areas where you *can't* give them time (leash-training- depending on her size, this may or may not be such a big deal, but my most serious undersocialized dogs that I've worked with have been collies, so carrying them when I needed them to move wasn't an option), setting things up to be as unscary as possible, being very matter of fact, and low key about the whole thing.


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

Just giving her time is what is needed. Put her someplace where she is off to the side, but can see and hear what is going on from the safety of her kennel. She will become acclimated to it from just being around it, hearing the noises, seeing everything going on, but not right in the middle of it.

For getting her used to a water bowl, get her a water bottle and put a bowl of water underneath it. Once she is getting more comfortable with her surroundings, start lowering the bottle closer and closer to the bowl until it is literally just above the water, so she has to lap water to lick the bottle end. I would wait some time before you start lowering it though, you don't want to work on to many things at once.

For acclimating her outside, put a kennel outside and let her be in that outdoors. If you can, take her out into it the same time every day so it becomes routine. Preferably one with a tray in the bottom that can be pulled out. Once she seems comfortable going into the outside one, is fairly relaxed in it, take the tray out so the grass is coming through the bottom. This way would let her get used to the outside noises and smells while still in a familiar environment (a crate/kennel) before you have to also add another sense (touch) to it too. Leave the door open and let her decide when she is ready to come out. Always sit a little out in front, at an angle so your not looking directly at her. Reading a book quietly is always good to do.

I think the leash should come much later, possibly a month or two from now. Once you have her trust and she will come out of her kennel on her own, then you can introduce the leash in a very quiet, safe place. Put it on her, and just give her some quiet attention, and then take it off. Get her to associate the leash with calm, nice time with you. Once she isn't afraid of the leash, let her drag it around like you would with a puppy. 

Its going to take her a long time to get used to everything and trying to force her to quickly may damage her more. Right now her kennel is her safe place, its her "treat" her positive association. So try to use that to desensitize her to other things by always starting in her crate (safe place) in/around new things, and then working towards being out of it. Hopefully soon you will be her safe thing and just being with you will be a positive association to things.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Rescue
I'm scared because you need help at something you are very skilled at. Everybody above has great ideas, the repeated "time" is definitely the answer. I would suggest that instead of every thing you would like to do, just concentrate on making the dog comfortable. Work on upping the physical quality of life by degrees and then as the dog allows improve mental state. Remember not all broken things can be fixed.


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## AkiraleShiba (Dec 9, 2007)

Do you know Rescue Remedy, it's an homeopathic thing but I have to admit that I think that it works  on humans and pets alike. You could put just one or three drops in her water.

You could also try canine appeasement signals to gain her trust.



> Calming / Appeasement Signals: Dogs use calming signals with each other to defuse a
> stressful situation. These appeasement signals DO have a communicative function to reduce the
> arousal level of the other dog or calm the dog down.
> • Turning the head away or averting the eyes
> ...


From http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/stressindicators.pdf

Good luck


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## klip (Jul 22, 2008)

Sorry - I know this is serious but I had to smile at the image of myrescuecrew performing some of those apeasement signals. Sniffing at the floor  But that is very interesting, AkiraleShiba


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## LuckysJ (Aug 3, 2008)

Thank you so much for taking care of Annie! Her story is so sad, and I am so happy that you are taking her and showing her how to be a dog! Thank you so much!

My parents adopted a dog, Abby, who wasn't in your type of situation, but had issues too. Abby was an older woman's dog who I'm sure meant well, but well, she just should not have had a dog. Abby was terrified of the leash, loud noises, people, going outside, everything. She's a lhasa apso, and was hardly ever groomed, so when she was it was a terrifying experience b/c she was matted and it pinched her. But the one thing we did for her leash fear was we had a short leash that she always had on. It never came off and she learned that it wasn't going to hurt her. Now she loves the leash. And she loves going in the car. My dad sometimes goes to pick up my mom from work and if you say "bye-bye" she is at the door like, "what are you waiting for? where's my leash? let's go!"

I don't know if it'll work for you, b/c Abby was not an extreme case like you have, and maybe it'll be easier to go a lot more slowly. Good luck and please keep us updated!


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

Lots of excellent advice given!! Time and patience will be the key. 

I think sitting in the room with her would be a great idea. I would read to her. This way she gets use to your voice and it may be become comforting. Possibly have a radio on, background music or talk show this might help her too. It took me approximately 6 months to get a collar on Fritz. He would do the crocodile death roll everytime I tried to put it on. He still has his quirks of being in a cage, but we are learning to live with it. 

Thank you so much for taking Annie in. It's going to be a long haul but it will be worth it.


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## Allydog (Jun 14, 2008)

I don't have any advice for you but I just want to tell you that I think you are so wonderful! Between Trumiph and now Annie, you really are a kind soul! My heart breaks for poor Annie! Good Luck!


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## adaydreamr (Feb 27, 2011)

Hello,

I just read this message from you written 2-3 years ago. I hope you still get messages from this site because what you wrote WAS MY DOG. well, almost. mine is younger, the vet thinks under 4 years old and she still has her teeth. I am hoping you receive this because I would love to know how your dog is doing. I have had mine since Sept. and she is still frightened of nearly everything. My girl also came from a hoarder, locked in a room with 20 other dogs, never having been outside or around humans. I will not go further until I know you receive this but I sure would love to talk with you.

Suzanna



MyRescueCrew said:


> I am fostering a new rescue dog. (her story here: http://www.dogforums.com/2-general-dog-forum/34546-my-new-foster-rescue.html )
> 
> Annie is missing a lot of teeth, and the ones she has left are very rotted and extremely worn down. From this, we know she is an older dog. From the hoarder who had her, where she was taken from, claims that Annie never stepped foot from her wire cage a day in her life, until she ended up at the shelter. She has no idea what grass, carpet, a leash, ect. really are. So as an older dog, we know she lived like this for many years.
> 
> ...


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