My poor rescue dog just cowered away from me

[BellaGoth]

He was running around having a crazy moment and unfortunately his head made rather forceful contact with my leg. I yelled out in pain and poor pup dog dropped right to the floor, tale flicking, ears back. I felt so bad for him.

We've had him since April, he was found straying in December and taken into rescue, they estimated him to be about 5 months old. So about twenty weeks. What did his previous "owners" do to him in twenty weeks? He was just a baby. It makes me so angry.

He's not my first rescue, I know he'll get more confident the more secure and loved he feels, but it still makes me sad for him.

Why do people do it?

Sorry, I needed to vent.

Poor baby. Give him loads of cuddles. The Yelp probably just startled him. He'll soon learn you mean love and safety.

Poor little puppy, tbh he's just young though and likely to be easily scared by any loud noise or shout

Yes mine does occasionally still too 3 years since she was revoked, makes me angry and upset as she is particularly sweet natured sand cuddly

He's right as rain now, back to racing around the garden like a loon. They don't dwell on things like us, do they?

my leg is bloody sore

Heartbreaking :)
Even when a rescue pup is thriving in a lovely home you can sometimes see the fear come back and it's so sad.

( sorry, don't know where that inappropriate smiley face came from...)

I know, Bubble. Our girl is also a rescue - she was a puppy farm breeder and very badly treated. We've had her for 5 years now and there's still that flicker ever now and then. It never leaves her.

His reaction doesn't necessarily mean he's been beaten or abused, some dogs just react like that regardless of their background.

DDog2 (rescue, came to us at 5 weeks old) would react similarly, as might DWhippet2 (came to us at 8 weeks old from a lovely breeder) depending on his mood.

Ours was 2ish when we got her. Didn't know how to walk up or down stairs and would whimper if dh or I so much as picked up a newspaper / magazine. She still hates having her tail touched. Heartbreak to think what her life was before she found us.

Ive had mine 5 years and he still squeezes his eyes shut if a hand is coming towards him

We have a very confident black lab pup ( 8mnths) who has cowered when meeting people since we had her from 9 weeks. She will bound up to people and other dogs very confidently the turns turtle as she gets to them. She is just not a particurly dominant dog. She is not scared of much noise wise, breezed through the thunderstorms last week and is oblivious to the noise of shotguns. Some dogs are just naturally submissive. Our last one was the exact opposite. She would ignore dogs and people when out walking letting them approach her but show no deference, usually walking straight past them! She was so much harder to train than the new lab who although still full of the beans, walks well at heal and sticks to the house rules. The only exception being DS12 who she sees as an equal. He also breaks the house dog rules!

It's like a flash of what might have happened before we got them isn't it but he was startled and fine now it's sad to see though

My old girl, who died from cancer aged 11, was a rescue and never stopped occassionally flinching . We adopted her when she was 1, so what happened to her?

Some pups just are naturally timid doesnt necessarily mean they've been abused. I've got one at the minute who has never known anything but love, affection, kindness and utter devotion towards him but still flinches/cowers at loud noises. Also, puts tail down and looks terrified when kindly people want to fuss him.