How to Train Your Abused Dog to Trust
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Introduction
So you've decided that your house is missing the warmth of a canine companion. In efforts to do the right thing, you make a trip to your local shelter to see what pooches are in need of a home. As you're looking, you see the saddest pair of eyes you've ever seen staring out back at you. You know in your heart that you've found your fur-baby, but you still get a little twinge of anxiety when the worker tells you that this dog has been abused.
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Defining Tasks
It takes a huge heart and plenty of patience to adopt a pet who is a victim of abuse. Those who have been able to take on the task can vouch that there are few things more rewarding than bringing the joy back into a dog's life. So rest assured, your efforts will not be in vain to gain the trust of one of these shattered souls.
Because every dog and every situation is different, the time it takes to win over an abused pup is really all over the map. Some victims bounce back surprisingly fast, while others never fully recover from their past experiences.
Unfortunately, abuse happens to dogs of all ages. Older pooches have a lower chance of being adopted, so more rehabilitation happens in young to middle-aged dogs. That being said, young dogs generally have a longer road to recovery than canines who were abused at older ages.
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Getting Started
Before you bring one of these babies home, you're going to want to be prepared. Your success will depend on how comfortable you can make your new family member, so keep that in mind. It's good to come into this relationship with the following:
- A Calm Temperament: Dogs feed off of their owner's emotions. If you are uptight and nervous, any interaction with an abused fur-buddy will be tense. Calm yourself down before picking up your new pooch, and practice speaking in a low, quiet tone of voice.
- Some Alone Time: Many, if not most, abused dogs will only become more distressed if there are multiple people or animals in their new home. Allow your new family member to have a quiet space where you both can slowly get to know one another.
Lots and Lots of Treats: Especially during those first few interactions, you're going to want to reward any contact the dog is willing to initiate.
Top-Quality Food: A lot of abused dogs have never been fed an appropriate diet. Many are even malnourished or super deficient in certain nutrients. Invest in a high-quality dog food or look into feeding your furry friend a balanced raw diet to combat any damage that has been done by a poor diet.
Realistic Expectations and Tons of Patience: It's best not to get your hopes up when working with an abused animal. Recovery looks different on every dog. But also do your best not to get discouraged either. As long as you are providing the pup its best possible life, your efforts are worth it.
Below are a few different methods you can use to build trust with an abused dog. You may need to try a few before you find what works the best in your situation.
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The Beat Their Fears Method
Most Recommended
8 Votes
Most Recommended
8 Votes
Identify stressors
Pinpoint what bothers your new pooch the most. Do your best not to induce extra stress figuring this out; it's best to identify their fears through observation.
Expose your dog
Come up with a way to expose the dog to their fear in a totally controlled manner. Allow the pup to face their fear in a small way. Do not force them into the situation or push them toward what is scaring them.
Encourage
Give the dog treats and or praise throughout the experience so that they associate good things with what once scared them.
Repeat
Repeat the exercise on a regular basis and consider increasing the amount of time that the dog is exposed to their fear if they begin to show improvement.
The Praise With Clicks Method
Effective
6 Votes
Effective
6 Votes
Study up
Learn the ins and outs of clicker training. Read articles and talk to experts to get comfortable with the technique.
Get equipped
Get yourself a “clicker” and some treats.
Observe and click
Watch your pet closely, and hit the clicker as soon as you witness a good behavior.
Reward!
Follow the click with a treat so that the dog knows that the clicker means “good job!”
Repeat
Keep doing this! Clicker training is great for abuse victims because it helps build good behaviors without using harsh corrections.
The Spend Time Alone Together Method
Least Recommended
2 Votes
Least Recommended
2 Votes
Choose a spot
Pick a quiet room away from any commotion in your home. De-clutter the space, but leave a dog blanket or bed, a dish of water, and a chair so that you have somewhere to sit.
Get together
Bring your new addition into the room with you and close the door. Sit in the seat and occupy yourself while the dog does his own thing.
Reward!
Every now and then, place a dog treat near where the pooch is playing.
Repeat
Repeat this daily until the dog is comfortable approaching you.
Written by Amy Caldwell
Veterinary reviewed by:
Published: 09/20/2017, edited: 01/08/2021
More articles by Amy Caldwell
Training Questions and Answers
Murphy
German Shepherd
4-5'years
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
I have no history on him except that he was dropped out of a van on a bridge into a lake and had to swim to the shore to avoid drowning. I just adopted him from the shelter and he is peeing in the house and I just want to try to house train him even though he's an adult but don't really know where to start because I've always had puppies and I've never really had an abused animal to try to work with. He knows he's supposed to go outside I believe because he pees outside as well but I don't know if he's peeing because he's not house trained or peeing out of fear or both.
Dec. 27, 2023
Murphy's Owner
Oso
pekapom
Two Years
Question
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
Hi, I just adopted my dog, Oso and he is very nervous. He was not treated well in his last home and now struggles to trust humans. Even if I try to go up to him, he will show his teeth or whine. He hangs out in the corner near the front door and only comes out for food. It is a very sad situation and we need help.
Oct. 4, 2023
Oso's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello, I would spend the next month focusing on her relationship with you. You will need to work on him getting used to the outside world also, but that will be a gradual progression. Sit down - so that pup is calmer, and toss pup his dinner kibble one piece at a time without making eye contact. Do this as often as you can. Keep enough distance between you for pup to relax enough to eat the food. As he gets more comfortable, decrease the distance by tossing the treats slightly less far, so that pup has to come closer to you to eat them. Watch pup's body language to determine when pup is relaxed enough to decrease the distance - don't rush this process but do practice often at the current distance. You don't just want pup to get as close as possible, you want to watch his body language to help him actually relax before decreasing distance, so he is feeling better about you. When pup will come within a foot of your chair to eat the food and is relaxed at that distance, start to practice this in other positions like standing up, sitting on the ground or laying down. When you change positions, you will likely need to go back to tossing the treats further away again because the new position will probably make him nervous. Once pup will go up to your chair when you are sitting or in one of the other positions and is even more comfortable with you both in general, put on a harness or martingale type collar that pup cannot get out of on pup. Spend time slowly introducing the harness or collar using the method from the video linked below once pup is comfortable enough to get closer to you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn5b8u1YS_g&feature=emb_title When pup is comfortable with everyone, then also move onto teaching him to enjoy physical touch and handling too. Use puppy's daily meal kibble to do this. Gently touch an area of puppy's body while feeding a piece of food. Touch an ear and give a treat. Touch a paw and give a treat. Hold his collar and give a treat. Touch his tail gently and give a treat. Touch his belly, his other paws, his chest, shoulder, muzzle and every other area very gently and give a treat each time. Keep these times calm and fun for pup. When pup is okay with all the touches, then add in lifting. Put your hand on his belly and chest and give a treat without lifting. Do that until pup is comfortable with that, then move onto lifting just and inch then putting back down and giving a treat. Gradually add height as pup improves, keeping these lifts small and short at first. When pup is more comfortable with you, then I would work on desensitizing to outside. Choose a secure, front-clip type harness or martingale type collar. Ideally, practice this in a fenced in area since pup may be a flight risk. Clip his leash on the harness on at first just find a calm spot to sit and hang out, bring a book if you want, and just stay there for at least thirty minutes to let pup take in that area without the constant change of a walk. When pup is okay with that area after lots of practice, start adding in new locations around your neighborhood to do this in. Pup may be too nervous to take food at first, but if he isn't, you can practice tricks and commands with treats, let him find them in the grass (be sure it hasn't been treated with pesticides or a driveway doesn't have oil or anti-frost type spills), or bring a couple favorite toys stuffed with yummy treats to help him relax. When pup is okay with multiple locations in your area, then start walks. Keep walks short and calm at first, giving treats whenever pup is relaxed, focusing on you, curious and brave about new things, or trying to decide whether to be afraid or okay with something - to help pup decide to be brave instead. Don't reward unwanted responses though, try to distract and keep your attitude calm, confident and upbeat - never worried or soothing, but act the way you want pup to feel - happy and confident. Check out the article linked below as well. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-socialize-a-shy-dog/ If you aren't seeing improvement, I highly suggest working with a trainer because additional training may be needed, and you may someone who can monitor how pup is doing and tailor the training plan based on that. Be careful not to put too much pressure on her, corner her, or surprise her - a fearful dog is likely to bite and you don't want to get bitten. If you feel you can't train safely, go ahead and get professional help to guide you. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Oct. 10, 2023