Abused Dog

Dear Cesar,

I bought your book and several DVDs. Your grandfather reminds me of my grandmother in Germany, when dogs were treated as dogs. We adopted a dog almost a year ago from a local shelter. He was terrified and cowered in the corner because of abuse.

After 20 hours with us, he was able to run away when I walked out the door. Today, almost 11 months later, he was found in a neighboring county, still behaving the same. Terrified, cowering down, no eye contact, unwilling to walk.

The animal shelter worker petted him and reassured him everything was alright. I now know that is wrong to do. She carried him to the lobby because he wouldn't walk. I took the leash from her and tried to do what I learned from you. The dog actually walked out the door to the car. At home he tried to hide in a corner. I took him for a walk, and when we returned, there was an incredible improvement noticed. He is now lying on the floor, not quite relaxed but not terrified either.

My question is: what do you think I should do to help this dog? We have another dog also who is fairly new to our family. Archie obviously has a lot of problems. He is terrified, but I have hope for him, and I think he will be a great dog. We have not petted him but allowed him to sniff us, which he is reluctant to do. He is a five year-old Border collie mix. Any suggestions? We truly appreciate all that you do. You have a great gift.

Sincerely,
Jutta Vermeulen

Dear Jutta,

From what you describe, it appears that the dog has a high level of fear, which means a high level of distrust for humans. Focus on rebuilding that trust. Cases that involve a lack of trust - shy, fearful, or insecure dogs - take longer than those which involve a lack of respect.

It sounds like the dog has already improved under your care. That's great! It's just a matter of time and consistency. Keep respecting Archie as a dog by providing exercise, discipline, and then affection - and practicing no touch, no talk, and no eye contact when he is in a flight or avoidance state. Make sure you bring the nose into everything you do. If you find that he is afraid of certain objects or situations, help him to overcome these fears. He will realize that you helped him to do that, and this will also help you gain his trust.

Don't be discouraged. Again, these cases can take a lot of time. Stick with it, and I believe you will be rewarded for your dedication!

Stay calm and assertive,

Cesar Millan

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Sat, 2009-11-14 11:57 — nicoleseman@yah...

Dear Cesar,

Wow, I'm really glad that I decided to look through these posts. First of all, congratulations to Jutta on the success you've had so far with your abused dog and I wish you all the best with his recovery. I was actually on this site looking for some answers to the same problem.

I work at a shelter for stray and homeless animals and we brought in a schnauzer about a month ago who was found on the streets but obviously has suffered abuse in the past. He is the most extreme case of anxiety/fear I have seen. He shows no signs of fear-aggression, he has never bared teeth or growled at anyone, but he expresses his fears in a bizarre way. Anytime he becomes nervous or uncomfortable, he completely freezes up like a statue. His back goes stiff like a board and his eyes almost glaze over, like he can't even see what he's looking at anymore, it's just him and his cloud of fear.

Whenever a person walks into the room he comes right up to his run and wags his tail, bounces up and down, and tries to lick at us, but when the person makes contact with him, again he goes into that statue-like state. If you put a lead around his neck he will crouch in the corner, freeze into position, and begin to drool. He never makes a whimper or a sudden movement, which I feel would actually make more sense, he simply stops moving. To bring him outside he just stands in the grass, motionless and always watching you.

I know that the key to helping him lies in Cesar's way: being calm and assertive so that he will learn to live in the now and let his fears go. What I don't know is how to make this connection with him without triggering that immediate response that sends him into his shell. I have seen dogs with trust issues in the past and I have seen dogs who don't know how to walk on the leash, or are afraid of the leash, but they usually have some sort of physical reaction. What makes this one seem so much harder, for me, is that his reaction is to just stop doing anything, and the slightest bit of contact is all it takes. Benny is such a love and I know that if he just learns to relax he will have the chance to be a happy, healthy dog. Any advice to get me started is greatly appreciated.

Nicole