Dog Rescue - How to Deal With a Rescued Dog

Helping a timid rescued dog regain confidence

This post is all about what a poor German Shepherd Dog taught me how to deal with a timid rescued dog. A timid dog is a real difficult dog!

I have an experience with a rescued dog Rani, a beautiful German Shepherd princess. She was probably one and a half to two years old when I rescued her from her owner who used to torture her. Candidly speaking, I didn’t go to that owner’s place to bring her. My friend brought her to me and asked me to save her as she had been tortured since almost the very dawn of her life! This way Rani became a part of my pack one fine evening. She was timid, fearful and had lost almost all GSD behavioral instincts. It was really heartbreaking to see a two years old GSD showing submissive behavior when somebody was approaching her with no threat. I wrote about her and how I changed her gradually in my German Shepherd Dog blog. My Experiment with Rani taught me a great lot of things that I want to share with you guys and fellow dog lovers. Rani lost total confidence and this planet was a hell for her.

Here’s what Rani taught me…

“Patience is poultice for all wounds.” It didn’t happen overnight. The first night I remember I slept in the kennel with her. She didn’t eat, nor did she have water. Biscuits… yes, two or three biscuits she had, but that too not form my hand. She had them from the guy who brought her to me. I called her by her name calmly, but she was so confused that she was waging very slightly, looking at me blankly. A timid rescued dog may not come to you at once the first day. Everything must be in a slow process. Don’t stare… just look at him/her lovingly. Talk to him/her softly. Better don’t touch him… let him come to you first. This may take time. So be patient and let him feel that you are for him.

“Stress can only worsen the condition.” I wasn’t tensed, as I had prepared myself from the beginning. I knew that things won’t be as easy as in case of Rex and Reva, my other German Shepherds. Remember, if you are tensed as an owner, you are in stress. And a rescued dog is already in stress and anxiety is already a problem for him… so don’t make him feel that you are tensed. Dogs can hear the voice of our mind. They have highly attuned sense of our body language and attitude. Remember, YOUR Stress Affects Your Dog Adversely!

“True prosperity is the result of well-placed confidence …” If the dog is approaching you, don’t approach towards him. Let him come and sniff you thoroughly. If he is too timid, and still tend to approach you, you should crouch down to his level as he will not be confident enough to come near you if you are standing before him. It’s just a way you can boost up his confidence level a bit. Allow him to smell you and you can touch him softly and slowly. While dealing with Rani, my motive was just to regain her confidence in humans.

“Fearful and stressed dog would not accept food.” All you need is to regain his confidence at the first place. Before you offer him something to eat, you need to establish a comfortable situation for the dog. On the contrary, offering some treats is the best way to build up a healthy bondage with the newly rescued dog. So what should you do? Chicken or beef flavored dog biscuits is the best option! Toss off a couple of biscuits at his feet. If he is refusing to accept the treats just leave him alone with the biscuits and walk away. Don’t peep through the corners. Leave him alone for ten minutes or so and come back with a few more treats for him. Throw one again but not as near as you did the last time. If he is looking at you, he is still confused. Talk to him softly and ask him to eat it… don’t insist him to run and grab the food. This time things will be much easier for him. If he is still refusing to eat… leave him alone and repeat the same cycle. After repeating the cycle thrice, you can offer him the biscuits in your hand. Look at him softly and don’t keep strong eye to eye contact. This will be considered as challenge. On accepting the biscuits from your hand praise him with loving voice.

Controlling your emotion is of utmost significance! Don’t just try to embrace the rescued dog until he has developed confidence in you. Patience is again the most important factor to play its role here. I know how frustrating it feels when the new dog denies accepting your hug. But remember you have rescued a dog that has lost his confidence. You need to regain it first and it requires a good deal of patience.

It’s your responsibility to build the relationship. Once the bondage is built, you will find him the most admirable companion!

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Handling Dog Difficulty - Dealing With Difficult Dogs

Now here's something that many of you might have not thought of before! Yes, “How to deal with difficult dogs” is a topic that you probably haven't ever spared a thought over. And if you tired of your dog difficulty, I am sure you have been looking for tips about how to deal with difficult dogs to put an and to your worries – the dog difficulties. Here are some tips on how to put an end to dog difficulties! Read on....

Well it's again more of an art than a technique. But if you want to call it a technique, I won't mind too. If you are a dog lover you need to know the art or technique of dealing with difficult dog. If you're already an owner of an aggressive and difficult dog, I am sure you already know some of these techniques.

Do you still remember the day you brought your cute little puppy home? I am sure you can never forget the day. When you brought him home, a couple of years ago, you knew that your cute little Rolley was going to make your life whole. You enjoyed seeing him come running towards you, wagging and playing with your kids happily. But you never thought that Roley might become a giant aggressive biter?

If this is an incident that has happened with you, like it happened with some of my peeps, I am sure you can't sleep in peace. Dealing with the difficult dogs is not so easy... it's not all that a big deal too!

Understand the Difficult Dog:
Understanding the reason why your dog's becoming more and more difficult to handle, is the first step to deal with him. All you need, is to understand why he behaves in the way he does. Analyze why he doesn't like certain things or why certain situations irritate him. You, as an owner of your dog, are the best person to analyze his difficulties. Remember, a dog that gets right quantity and quality of food, proper exercise, enough space to move around freely, proper care and ample love shouldn't become a difficult dog. I have rarely seen dogs of generous owners to become difficult to handle.

Ensure that your dog is healthy:
Make sure that your dog is healthy. By “Health”, I mean both mental and physical health. Consult an expert canine behaviorist or a dog trainer or a registered vet about the difficulties in him. You can also consult a canine expert or a professional dog trainer, who have been handling difficult dogs for years. They are the right guys to come up with some good solutions. Sick dogso often become aggressive.

Don't abandon your dog:
Give up the idea of abandoning your dog, at the first place. You can't escape all your problems by simply abandoning them. The next most important step is to bring your dog closer; make him feel the warmth of your presence and love. You can always seek help from experienced guys like canine behaviorists, dog trainers and experienced dog breeders and owners. You can always contact SPCA, ASPCA , RSPCA, and other canine organization and kennel clubs, seeking help. After all you have your family, friends and your chess board... he has none but you.

Look at your dog with love – don't stare:
Cool! Come close to your dog. Don't stare at him; look at his innocent eyes with love and kindness. Try to read his mind and let him read yours. Gather a bit of courage, go near him steadily with a few pieces his favorite treats – tidbits. If he is chained, unleash him immediately. Offer him his treat. Take him out in your well fenced garden off leash and let him run as fast and as long as he can. Throw a ball and he'll love to chase it. Don't expect too much from him. If he doesn't fetch it, it's you who couldn't teach him “sit-fetch-stay” properly.

Share your love:
Love wins all... difficult dogs are no of exception! Make him feel your love. Pat him -- love him lavishly. Extend your hand to his belly and rub gently to make him comfortable. If he growls, take off your hand and rub his back. Every single action of yours the movement of your body parts, your hand should be slow enough. This will keep him cool. Rub his neck and throat gently and you'll be amazed to find him lying down, trying to lick you. Don't get scared... he wants to give you some million dollar kisses.

Take him for a stroll:
A brisk stroll a mile every fine morning is a proven drug for difficult dogs. Walk him out amidst the morning mist together; strengthen your bondage. Make him feel the essence of togetherness and you'll see the magic of it! In most cases, I have seen, aggressiveness arises out of the feeling of loneliness and insecurity. Once you make him feel secured and loved you will win the war. But never take a difficult dog out off the leash.

Resist your dog from becoming a difficult to handle from the beginning. Simple obedience training from very early age can help steer clear of the situation.

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