Rescue dog with behavioural issues

[puppychaos]

We are rescuing our second dog in just a couple of days. She is one year old and unfortunately had a very hard start in life that left her with a fear of humans (especially men), and she also really hates going on walks. This could have been ironed out but she was homed with people who didn't cater to her needs and sadly a year down the line there is a lot of work to do.

Luckily we have another dog - apparently this was a must for rehoming her as she really learns from other dogs. Hopefully this will be useful.

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice/articles/prep we can look at for building a dog up to going on walks, and also the best ways to very slowly get her used to other people? I'm aware this will take months probably - luckily we live somewhere very quiet, and I was thinking of taking her on short walks at 6am down the farm track where we live until she's ready to leave the land we live on. I don't think she'll be ready for that until a couple of weeks in at the very least, though.

Any advice, or links to experts we can pay, would be really useful. Thanks!

Go slowly
Work with her
Do not force or move on too quickly
Do not set time scales
Look at change in behaviour over months not days

Do not work on her issues to start with
Work on getting her relaxed and happy in her new environment
Seek help from a professional behaviourist.
Do not take the advice of getting men to throw her treats!

Go slowly

Let her settle in first, before trying to work on any issues

Do some bonding activities with her - interactive play is great - think games like tug of war. Likewise doing some training practice where she can have lots of success (eg if she already knows sit and paw - do those with her - with lots of treats).

I'd be tempted to put her harness and lead on in the house sometimes without going out for a walk to try and ensure she doesn't come to associate the kit directly with scary walks.

The farm track sounds great - walks in places that become familiar and feel safe will be hugely advantageous. Sniffing is an activity that's both calming and tiring, so let her sniff to her hearts content, even if it feels like you're barely moving!

Keep your expectations low - if she can walk past a man calmly then you've had a massive win. This is probably not a dog who will ever be a social butterfly with humans - and that's absolutely fine!

Avoid visitors for a time - home will need to feel like a safe space for her, where she can decompress from a stressful walk.

Read up on canine body language - there's lots more to it than many of us realise! If you spot the subtle signs that your dog is uncomfortable then you can work with that before your dog has reached the point of growling etc. If you go onto YouTube there's a good video by Talk to the Paw / Clair Hickson about the ladder of aggression

Oh - and take it slowly (did I say that already?)

It will be a slow process. My rescue still does not like strangers. He had not been walked so it was a slow process even putting a lead on. Use plenty of rewards. Before you event attempt to walk him get him settled In at home and use to your usual household noises. My dog was scared of kettle , hoover etc. Also if you dog has not been walked it takes month for the muscles in the back legs to build up. My rescue was basically locked in a crate for months so was weak on his back legs. Go back to basics and imagine him being an 8 week old pup and start there. Months down the line My rescue is a different dog but does not like strangers getting to close. The guests entering the house we have not tackled as its covid but hes been on walks people watching. Don't expect too much its a slow process.

Go at her pace. I wouldn't walk her at all or a while, to be honest - get her used to being in your home with your family and dog before trying to take her outside where she'll be stressed and uncertain.

I walk a rescue who sounds very similar. When the owners re-homed him, he'd never been socialised or taken for walks. If you tried to put a lead on him he would try and bite you. He barked and lunged at people, dogs, cars, horses - you name it.

I've been walking him for about six months now and he will still react to certain dogs, loud vehicles and horses. It will take time. When he gets over his threshold there's nothing you can do to stop him which can be very difficult and it's not always possible to block his view or distract him.

It can be very hard when people judge you for having a barking, lunging dog on a lead. That's what I think is the most difficult part - so be prepared for disgusted looks and snide comments. Lots of people will think you have an uncontrollable dog and that you're a rubbish owner. I'm not saying that to upset you or warn you off - just to prepare you.

Don't always walk her with your stable dog or there's a chance your stable dog may pick up some anxieties. Make sure they both get separate walks too.

I adopted a rescue dog 3 months ago who had never been outside her rescue and was terrified of leavingi the apartment (we live in Bangkok and adopted her from a shelter in Ko Samui). She was 17 months when we adopted her.
Yes, take it slow but also read your dog. Obviously, I'm jsut taking from my one epxerience but you can take them a bit out of ther comfort zones. Not every dog responds well to that but my dog has and has made incredible progress. From a dog who refused to leave the apartment and trembled in the lift, she's become quite confident to go on our regular walk, most of the time the leash is loose and she's relaxed. Obviously, i don't want to overwhelm her so we have built up to it and we walk her when the streets are quiet (relatively - this is Bangkok after all!).
We worked with a trainer who knew Thai street dogs and their temperament and her advice was a bit different to the purely positive approach. It might not work for every dog but it's worked for ours and she has made amazing progress.
Good luck! It's hard work rehabilitating a rescue but so rewarding when you see the progress!

Thank you everyone. She's been home for a few days and these have been really useful. She is doing so well and doing everything at her own pace, we're really proud of her.

Good luck with her ☘️Brilliant that you have rescued her .

@Smallonesaremorejuicy thank you :) We're four days in and she is doing amazingly.