# Confidence help with a Rescue



## cwoods1340 (Mar 7, 2008)

My wife and I adopted a stray lab mix, Sally that was attacked by 2 pit bulls in our neighborhood. We have very little of Sally’s history, but do know she was on her own for a couple of weeks after her previous owner passed away. I do not believe she was ever an inside pet, or walked or trained at all. After a 2 day stay at the vet, she is now home with us and physically on her way to recovery. Her confidence is very low, evidenced by her tail between her legs, and her head constantly down. She perks up every now and again, but almost anything can cause her to regress. We have 2 other dogs, a male and a female. Sally and the female, Maggie, get along well as I have seen no aggressive behavior between the 2. But with the male, Tucker, there is some aggressiveness. Tucker is very sweet, but highly energetic and playful. Sally is not quite up to this. Tucker obeys well, and will leave Sally along when asked, but Sally immediately regresses to a fearful state when he is near. She has had to deal with the trauma of being attacked, the long vet stay, being put inside of a new home and environment, and coping with 2 other pets. We are spending as much time as possible with Sally, but are there any tips or advice for us in rehabilitating her?


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

Quite honestly, obedience training seems to get a dog out of it's shell faster then anything else. I think setting up successes that she can easily achieve and calmly treating and praising to let her know you are pleased will bring her around. Make sure you have clear cut expectations for her that she knows and can count on. In other words, You need to be predictable. Same commands, for wanted behaviors on her part. Not, Lay down, down, go lay, always just one command, the same command. Also, play helps a lot as well. honestly, I would bet that once she has a bit more time you will see her relaxing. The fact that she plays well with your one dog is very encouraging. Continue to keep the male from being to exuberant around her, she will learn to trust that you are watching out for her well being. Don't focus on her being attacked. So often when this happens people want to baby their dog and that only adds to the anxiety. I have managed several dogs that had fear issues, it is very possible to get them over it. Good Luck with your Sally girl.


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