First, bless you for taking such good care of a dog that you didn't even go looking for, if only people would be so good to the dogs they do choose!

If you have any health food or Earthfare type stores in your area, I recommend getting some Rescue Remedy and putting it her water. This will not be a cure all but will help calm her some so the issues can be dealt with with les stress for all of you. We use it for our wildlife intake exams and it does help.

One other thing that worked for us with Max, a beagle pup left behind by a hunter (grr) was forced contact. He really hated it at first, but I know that was what helped him turn into the friendly loving dog he is now. When we took him in (we had to trap him, no humans could be trusted) he would only leave his kennel (placed in the kitchen for exposure to us) to eat and only if no one was in the room. Each morning and evening I would drag him out of his kennel (sweatshirts will protect your arms, gloves for the hands) and sit cross legged on the floor and just hold him in my lap. We started with 5 minute so he wouldn't be completely stressed and worked up to 15 minutes. I would just hold him close and talks low and calm, random whatever, it's all in the voice. There was a lot of "shhh, there's a good dog,what a good boy" type stuff. No real petting, he was trying to excape too much at first, but just contact. After 1 week of this he would poke his head out of the kennel and look at us when we were in the room, the next day he came 1/2 way out and ate while we were making dinner. We didn't look at or talk to him when he did this so there was no pressure. The next day he would come all the way out to eat with us in the room. That night we walked through the kitchen on the way to bed and DH said, "don't look now, but you have a tail" - he followed us about 10 ft past his kennel. When we turned and looked he scampered back in the kennel, but that was the last time really. Within 2 weeks of trapping him, he wouldn't leave our sides. He has since been adopted out and our follow up visits are to a friendly (if a little reserved with strangers) loving family dog.

Now your rescue sounds older so it will probably take longer, but you have to prove to her that not all people are bast- well,you know. Just be patient and don't let any frustration you may be feeling show in your posture or voice (it can be frustrating, I know). Eventually she should start to trust you, she may never trust strangers, but a family to love would be heaven for the poor girl. Bless you again.

I am very sorry for your dog Onyxdaily. It almost makes me cry. Mebbe when she knows you will not be kicking and hitting her she will be happier and the problems will stop. I hope so. You are a very special person to take her in and give her so much care. There are many cruel people in this world that I know first hand.

Hi Onysdaily,

I adopted an abused Shepard/Lab 15 years ago, lost her last January. The experience I had getting her to trust me, made us inseparatable.

You mentioned pooping incontinence. Have you consulted with your vet about this? One of my dogs has "spay peeing incontinence" that Proin pills are curing. Perhaps this or something else will help your situation. If not, keep researching and searching. There has to be something that will help.

I adopted another dog (Hound/Shepard) last April when she was 4 months old. Her life was hell before I came along, and I had to deal with the same behavior issues that you are experiencing. In fact, I am still dealing with her shyness, it's getting better it still has a way to go.

The dog that you have been blessed with has also probably been through hell. Huge amounts of patience, love and time will bring her around.

Good luck! Keep us posted!

SG

I do think time will heal the wounds.

You need to love him, respect him and treat him as any other dog. It will take much longer to get "bonding" with this dog, because he has already been hurt.

Dogs tend to live in the now and people have tendendy to over compensate for past abuse.

IME, Hound dogs are notorious yelpers - faking pain when there is none - just to get you to do (or not do) something... like the diapers. So you have to know that is practically normal behaviour for a sly hound dog. Just make sure that he doesn't win the diaper game.

The incontinence may get better over time, but not necessarily.

The fear biting should not be a victory for him. If he snaps, you need to keep doing what you are doing, letting him know that his snapping produces no results...

Onxydaily,

One thing you might consider is contacting a local shelter or rescue organization and ask if they can given you some guidance in caring for your foundling. Many times, shelter volunteers will go out of their way to help someone keep a dog.

Our local SPCA, for example, provides counseling for people just like you, who have found a dog and decided to adopt it. Maybe there is something like that in your area.

Personally, I rescued a lost-pup (coonhound mix) about a year ago. He was found meandering on a friends rural property and long story short, I took him in. He had many of the same problems your pooch has, terrified of everything, OMG, noise!, etc. After a year, I have worked out most of his issues, but there is still stranger fear and fear of loud noises.
I am fortunate enough to live near an excellent SPCA and they helped me tremendously in dealing with these issues. In addition, I have become a huge fan and follower of Cesar Millan (Dog Whisperer), who has great advice on dealing with dogs that have fear and anxiety issues. Cesar was recommended to me by the behaviorist at the SPCA.

Two things really helped me get Sawyer back on the right track. The first is a steady daily routine. The second is the establishment of myself as "pack leader".

Anyway, you are a doll for rescuing a stray. It's important!!

Well you have a load on your hands wrapped up in a fur ball now dont you??? This is going to take alot of patience and understanding, and you need to know your dog may never completely turn around.
First off you need to be certain you dont do too much comforting. Comforting a dog like the one you described at the wrong time can actually reinforce the behavior you are trying to get rid of. Say your dog shakes at the sight of a cat, dont lean down pet the pup and say reassuring words, just ignore the behavior. As far as fear biting goes, this is a tough one. You will need to let your new addition to the family know that the fear biting is unacceptable. A stern look straight at the dog and a deep voiced no should do it. If you have to, keep a choke chain on the dog and give it a quick snap and release. You can move towards the dog letting it know you are not afraid, if you have the courage. Most dogs are bluffers, but this dog may get to skin due to its history. As far as putting on the diapers, or introducing ANYTHING new to the dog, take your time, go slowly. Let the dog sniff the pants before you put them on, touch the dog lightly with them near the dogs face so it knows they are harmless, then work towards the back end. If your dog reacts, just say NO in a stern voice. Positive reinforcement training and walking may do wonders in helping your dog get back to a healthier mental state. You can reward using a treat for the dog not reacting in a negative way, this will help tell the dog what you want and let it know what you dont want. I would recommend Natural balance meat sticks in small cubes. The cubes can be refrigerated and carried with you everywhere. Take your new pup for walks everyday. If it shies from something, just keep on walking. No rewarding skittish behavior. Tell me, does the dog follow you around at all, is it interested in you? Did the vet give you some idea of how old it is? Does the dog limp or become stiff in the back from sitting or laying too long or walking alot? I ask these questions because you may want to ask the vet about liquid baby asprin to help control the dogs pain, which may help you with training. ALSO, go get yourself a bottle of rescue remedy. This may help especially with bad days, it kind of makes it so the dog does not care as much, it comes in liquid form which you can put in water or dab right on its tongue. Talk to your dog, let it know what you want, high squeeky good dog voice for positive behavior, Low deep voice for bad behavior. How was the dog with the vet? Does it walk okay? Can you take it for some good walks of about a half an hour or so, if not, can you just start with short walks on a leash - this is one of the most important things you can do with your dog, walking establishes leadership, and it may help your dog with confidence. I think the more you train this dog to do, the better it will be in the confidence level. My dog has never gotten completely over his ordel of being abused when he was young. If I let him he would do nothing all day but ride in the car and sleep. He puts alot of walls in his way and if I dont quickly and gently challenge those fears he would be a ball of fear driven fur in a week. The best things, are walks and talks, talk to your new pup about everything. Dogs learn by rote (learning things by repetition) and the sooner your dog understands you and learns you are trying to understand it, the more confident your dog will be. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE continue to post and dont be afraid to ask stupid questions. I will do my best to assist you with my experience, and there are so many others here who can assist you with many of the problems you might experience. If you experience too much snapping or showing of teeth in your dog and you start to feel your confidence going down the drain, dont hesitate to get a leather muzzle for the dog, it wont hurt it, and it may help you to remain confident when working with your dog. It is hard not to pull back or walk away when a dog does these things, but if you do you will be teaching your dog to continue the behavior. BE CAREFUL, and remember these are guidelines for you, if you dont feel you can do it, or have second thoughts, by all means dont do it and call a professional - preferably one trained in positive reinforcement training. Try not to let the dog know you are frustrated, fearful or angry with it, it will pick up on that energy since that is what your dog has known.
Good luck. Please keep us posted. And Kudos to you for taking in a being with so much to get over.

onyoxdaily: She is incontinent with feces, our vet says this is most likely due to nerve damage from repeated kicking.

Well, I can't say I buy that as a reason because unless someone saw the dog beat no one knows for sure what happened, in fact he could have been hit by a car, recieved poor nutrition, socialization, etc. . ., . On the other hand any kind of disk or spine problem can easily cause stool incontinence, as well as immune disorders etc.
If this were my dog I'd get a full bloodwork panel done and be looking for a neurologist or an orthopedic to see if he has some damge in the spine that could be contributing to the incontinence.

onyxdaily. You're doing a wonderful thing. You deserve a metal.
chiroptera gave sound advice. It's what i did. If you're helping an abused animal or human,love gentleness patience and kindness is the only hope for any mental healing.
So much love and hugs going out to you and your dog.
vickie

I would like to thank everyone for all the wonderful advice and support regarding our little girl. We've already made some changes to our actions and routine with Brandy, based on some of the advice you gave. I want to say that in general, just reading that other people have gone through this and have had success in bringing their dogs around was very reassuring for me, for I've wondered many times over the past couple of months if it would be possible.
I have a couple of responses. A couple different posts suggested Rescue Remedy, and after looking it up, I think we'll definitely give it a try. Thank you for that tip. Also, last night I tried ignoring her little tirades, and just aknowledging her "good" behaviors, and I swear it already seems like it's helping. Her little tantrums ended very quickly when I ignored her, as opposed to when I used to make an issue of her tantrums, and it always made it worse, so thank you for that advice, too.
And I did not know that hounds are known for yelping and "faking pain", but now I think that might be exactly what she frequently does.
To mazer, our vet estimated Brandy's age around 4 years. And yes, she follows us around everywhere. She wants to be in whatever room we're in. We keep her kennel in our bedroom, and if we have her in there and leave the room for even a minute, she starts to wail. Wow, does she have a set of lungs on her.
I want to specify about her fecal incontinance. When we take her outside for walks, she urinates without difficulty, but strains while trying to have a bowel movement, and very rarely can go on purpose. Then when she's inside and lays down and is relaxed, or if she's playing with our other doggies, and she jumping around or running around, that's when the stool will just fall out. And at night when she's sleeping, she always goes in her sleep. That is why we would like to put the diapers on her. We would love to have her sleep in the bed with us, but we cannot do that until we get her diaper trained. Now, regarding the possible nerve damage in her back end, yes, that probably could be from something other than kicking, but there were other physical findings back there that indicated abuse, the kind of abuse that is so horrible I am not going to go into more detail. Suffice it to say that if I ever found the monster who did this to her, it would not be pretty at all. But anyway, back to the incontinence. Because I know that anything is possible, and there is a chance it may be from something treatable or even curable, we have made her an appointment with another vet for a second opinion and to get further testing. Maybe I'm just hoping this other vet will find something, anything, to explain her problems, other than what I think is the cause. Okay, that's it for my update today. I'll keep everyone posted on our progress and once again, thank you to all for the support and advice.

Wow, just wanted to say bless you for taking this guy in! He's lucky he found his way to you.

I don't have any personal experience with this so I won't give any advice. I would just second the advice on getting a professional in your area to help assist you. And also to read Cesar Milan's book. He had a wonderful episode with a dog that had been a lab dog for years and a woman rescued him and he basically had to be taught how to trust again.

Good luck with your dog and please let us know how he's doing as time progresses.

Did the vet express your dogs anal glands? Hounds are infamous for anal gland problems, which can cause symptoms very much like you described. Straining when trying to make a bowel movement....physical activity releases the bowel.

It would be a farily simple fix, if the bowel problem was simply anal glands.

I was aware from a co-worker about the tendancy for hounds to have anal gland problems, so I specifically asked the vet about this. He said her glands were not too bad at all, and he expressed only a small amount from them. But I will be asking the new vet we're going to for her opinion just to make sure something wasn't missed earlier.

I just have to add one thing to the hounds yelping and faking pain. It can get REALLY bad. So do not be alarmed if she really yelps and howls and screams over seemingly nothing. My dog is awful for that. When we first got her, she established my boyfriend was the boss. I think I could have come at her swinging a bat, foaming at the mouth ready to kill, and it wouldnt have phased her. But if my boyfriend even stomped his foot to deter her from something, she'd run screaming and yelping, tail tucked like someone just beat the living daylights out of her. Often times I'd leave the room and hear her yelping away, and come storming into the room to give my boyfriend heck, ask him what the hell he did to her and he'd say something like "The cat knocked the food dish over and coda FLIPPED" the smallest things can send them into a yelping fit.

She yelps and howls when she chases the cats, when we hide on her, or when we play in the back yard. She would make the worst hunting dog EVER. She cannot be quite when she's on the chase at all. She yelps when we grab her collar if shes attempting to make a run with one of the cat toys, and wont stop by command. She yelps if she hears a loud noise. I'm honestly surprised we havent had animal control called on us, as if I had a neighbour whos dog sounded like mine, I'd call them in, lol. She also cries worse than ever, when we play with the big dog in another room and she's locked up in the living room with the baby gate.

So definately do not be scared if she yelps, or pull back or be more gentle. It may be that she is scared you're going to hurt her, or just simply that she's trying to manipulate you because she doesn't like something, or is trying to get you to stop. My dog yelps when she's happy and playing, so it doesn't neccesarily mean a bad thing. So don't let it deter you in the least. Though do take note if she yelps more often when you touch a certain spot on her body, as that could indicate pain or that something is wrong.

I am so glad to hear things are working for you, sounds like a typical abused dog with seperation anxiety. I feel for you, everyday must be a challenge but it sounds like you have a good bead on things. When you talk to your vet about her bathroom behavior be sure and mention that she goes when relaxed. I have an idea this might be in part behavioral (the abuser might have kicked her when she was out for a walk and doing her business) - and you might get some good results with the rescue remedy if you give it to her before her walkies. Glad to know she is playing and having a good life now, My best to you, and all the extra milk and cookies for you on milk and cookie day..In my world thats everyday. You sound like you are doing a great job. I hope everyday gets better for you and your new addition

I often think about the messages on this forum while I am out doing errands, and I was thinking about your dog while I was out this afternoon. I was wondering if you have a Acupuncturist nearby who would be willing to work on your dog. I have a feeling they would be able to help your dog with its bowel control issues....It might be worth a look into.

Mazer, I am all for Acupuncture with dogs, but I think this dog first needs some special dignostic tests done to see what exactly the damage is. I think a neurologist at this point may be the route to go first for at least a consultation.

Agreed, I just did not know if acupuncture had been considered as an option

I don't have any advice but just want to say I think it's wonderful of you to take this poor mistreated dog in. Honestly the things people do to animals makes me sick. The news last night had three stories. One was the tape of three teenagers including a girl who got a kitten from an ad and then fed it to a pit bull while filming it. Lucky the idiot girl showed it to a friend who told her dad who called the police and they will all have jail time..the little punks., But it won't be enough..3-23 months. The next story was a pony who had hooves overgrown where he could not walk, and the third was a dog left in a house alone for three weeks by this idiot guy. He said he was saving money to have it euthanized. The dog died minutes after rescue. Makes me sick. I know one of my cats was abused because she ducks every time I pet her head and I rescued her five years ago,

Patience.

And if some days you don't feel like dealing with it - just don't.

Lots of food rewards.

An opposite-sex dog buddy. Smaller in size or more gentle in temperament than your current dog.

Accept your new dog for who he is - don't expect him to ever be the affectionate pet that other dogs might be. Take him places in your car - he's probably never known that joy.

Several years ago I found a cocker-spaniel mix puppy. I'm NOT a cocker-spaniel type girl - I like the bully breeds. I kept this puppy (and still have him) simply because he does nothing wrong. He's timid to an extent (I HATE timid!) and I've never found him to be very interesting --------------UNTIL I became more educated about dogs in general and began to appreciate breeds for what they were intended. Would I cry if he ever got lost?? No - but I would look for him and welcome him back. Now when I take him out to run free in the fields I love him for who he is - a dog bred for retrieving.

My point is that you not put pressure on this dog to become the perfect pet - you'll be frustrated because the dog will not be able to be that for you. Love him for what he is able to do.

vicky

Just because an animal ducks their head, when you go to pet it doesn't necessarily mean it has been abused. Its a false assumption.

My calico ducks her head when I try to pet her. Shes never been beaten. She just prefers to have her back touched, rather than her head. Or sometimes shes just far too busy for pets. Neither of my cats like their stomachs touched. No ones ever hurt their stomachs, they just hate it. Doesn't mean they were abused.

Raising an abused dog is not an easy task. My family of five including myself took in a 12 year old miniature Schnazuer whom was abandoned. He was our first dog , we have had cats our entire life however we did not realize how much a dog could bring to our household. Shortly after we recived him he passed away to heartworm disease.

Couple months down the road we adopted a five month old miniature Schnauzer poodle mix from owners who could not take care of him due to work and the dog being alone in a tiny apartement. It will be a year this coming July.

Chester had little to no obedience trainning and was incredibly hard to walk at first. We also learned very quickly that he had been abused, Anytime you would raise your hand or pull out the broom to sweep the kitchen floor he would freak out and become incredibly aggressive towards anybody. He also has anxiety problems, anytime you touch car keys, a jacket or anything else that would give him a sign that you were leaving he would become aggressive and uncontrolable.

It has been a struggle to juggle between "Breaking his alpha dog" and his anxiety. We've learned as a family how to read his body language, we've taught him how to walk and he is just starting to trust us. As i write this his by my side and enjoying his belly rub :)

The point to my wall of text is not to give up! Patients & consistency is key. Somedays are harder than others however you love the dog for who he is and not what the nextdor neighbours dog is.

Good luck and don't give up :)

Just rescued a shephard 1 yr old. She is the only dog I have ever observed that does not come when called and hardly moves and when she does, any slight noise or movement by a person scares her back into her little hiding places. So I have been spending my lunch time laying down with her, stroking her fur, talking to her lovingly, feeding her smaller amounts several times a day, taking her out in the backyard on leash and off leash while watching her every movement. This is day #3 and she is just now responding more normal/healthly.

Our last dog was also a 1 yr old stray rescue, a larger retreiver mix. He was skiddish, but more responsive. This one will take longer, but I have heard her breed is extremely loyal once they gain your trust.

So about 3 years ago I went to a shelter and was found by a Husky mixed breed. They were going to put him to sleep for being too aggressive they said. It was obvious that he was abused because if people raised there hands when talking he would flinch. When I brought him home he got violently sick and almost was on his death bed. After months I was able to nurse him back to help with lots of vet visit and tlc. After we had to work through separation anxiety and now he is happily kennel training and loves his little home when I go to work. Years have past and time has moved on and now I am engaged getting ready to start a family. I have been living with my future wife for the last 8 months now and it seems lime my dogs behavior is going backwards. He still listens to me but only me and not her. It has gotten to the point that if she even let's him out of his cage he will pee. If she puts the leash on him he pees and if she tries to brush him he pees. Also he thinks there is pain if u put your hands on his hips. The vets said there is nothing wrong with the hips. My future wife has finally hit her breaking point and feels that she is a terrible dog owner and she always wanted a dog. I don't want to break apart my new family but no matter what I try with her and the dog he will not listen to her or follow directions. I am so hurt! I need help before this gets any worse does anyone have any ideas? Keep in mind worse case I still will never give him to a shelter, but I would have to start looking for a new home for him. Please please any help would be great!