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How To Help A Dog With An Abusive History

Last year, Beth, a single mother of three teenage boys,had been in contact with a rescue group that finds homes for retired racing greyhounds. She asked the group if they had an adult dog that would get along well with cats, as Beth also loved cats and had several of them.

A lovely greyhound named Buddy fit the bill. Just several days later Buddy was welcomed with loving arms into his new home fit for a king.

Buddy didn't know a lot of small things right away, such as how to climb up steps or comprehend a see-through glass door and windows, etc. He did not know how to play and was very weary of people, particularly very tall, thin males. And something also peculiar – he was literally afraid of his own shadow !

Any of these things caused fear in Buddy, and the resulting behavior was aggression, snarling and growling. Beth was worried that his behavior would go beyond this reaction, leading into biting or attacking a friend, family member or stranger.

Soon Buddy showed fear towards another specific occurrence: Anytime Beth's father would come to visit, and wearing his usual leather jacket and ball cap, Buddy would again start his aggressive stance and snarling. The same thing happened when Beth's sons would come home with their noisy teenage friends.

The Cause Of Buddy's Fear

As you know, Buddy was an ex-race dog, so once Beth was able to contact a canine behavior specialist, the specialist was able to identify the problem right away. She had asked Beth to obtain a picture of the dog's ex-trainer, which turned out to be a very tall, skinny man that wore a long black coat, along with a specific hat that resembled a baseball cap.

Add to this evidence the obvious experiences of the dog having raced at the track: lots of noisy people, confinement, guns firing, running, more confinement, lots of harsh training commands from his trainer – it was no wonder why Buddy reacted the way he did when he was adopted.

Managing these issues was not going to be an easy task. It required Beth to have constant vigilance. The specialist instructed her to remove the noisy teenagers from his presence, teaching Beth to be cautious of how she gave commands to Buddy, as well as have her father remove his black leather jacket and ball cap when visiting.

In time, Buddy was able to calm down and within 12 months was less afraid of noise and the appearance of any man that resembled his past trainer became less of a threat. Buddy lived to be thirteen years old and because of his new owner's love and care to learn to communicate, he was one lucky dog – one that enjoyed the right that every canine has – to be loved and included in a real family.

What You Can Learn From This Story

If you are also considering bringing home an adult dog that has had a history of competing in sports, such as a racing dog, for example, then prepare yourself by taking lessons from the above story. It will not only teach you how to communicate with your problem dog, but could also save him or her from being sentenced to a lonely life inside of the pound or worse euthanized.

Finding a canine behavior consultant/specialist or dog behaviorist could really help put things in perspective and solve your dog problems so don't be afraid to seek professional help. Never give up ! Don't expect your abused dog to magically be fixed overnight, it will take time ,diligence and patience, the rewards are greater than you could imagined.

Angela Donald

Canine Behavior Consultant

http://www.hitowerboxers.com/caninebehaviorconsultant.html