Rescue dog timelines

[Hepzibaah]

It is very early days, I know.
We have adopted an ex-puppy farm stud dog - he is so gentle but is completely dead behind the eyes, and runs round and round our kitchen island, getting slower and looking into his open ‘den’ until he finally goes in and settles. As soon as someone moves he repeats the whole process.
We can’t let him off the lead yet in our garden as the one time we did, he bolted to the back of the big herbaceous border and wouldn’t come out.
He has yet to wag his tail, our resident very kind dog looks on in complete bemusement!

Should we stop him running in circles? (Always anti-clockwise) or will he eventually reduce this behaviour?

He is obviously very scared, poor little guy.

How long have you had him? Did you get much information about how he behaved in the rescue?

We rescued a dog from similar circumstances. He was very, very unsettled for the first few days and then got much more confident with us. BUT he'd been in the rescue for a few months and was reported to be friendly and loving hands-on affection.

How early? I think they say 3 days to decompress (may just hide entirely during this period) then 3 weeks to start to establish boundaries, and 3 months to settle. Sounds like very early days and hopefully with patience and treats and a nice honey spot he will calm down and realise he doesn’t have to be afraid.

My rescue came from a hoarding situation (was born into it), so had zero experience of normal life, which sounds similar to your boy. She took considerably longer than the 3:3:3 timescale frequently cited for rescue dogs: it was probably more like 5 days, 3 months, 8 months. Movement inside the house was a big trigger for her, and it sounds like it is for your boy. I made a conscious effort to move slowly and quietly around her (and to skirt her as far as possible)and to never ever make sudden movements (it’s become a habit now), and I think it helped.
If your dog is at all food-oriented, I would try and distract from the kitchen island running with treats. And because my dog seemed to be triggered by movement, and more specifically, legs, I used treats to get her to move around and between my legs to desensitise her.
Also, take things really slowly. For example, when starting to go out on walks, don’t go far (10-15 mins there and back), and always stick to the same route until your dog is no longer scared; it took my dog maybe eight to ten weeks before she stopped freezing and started enjoying her walks (and now would happily spend her entire day on a walk). Having another calm, sensible dog around on walks is a real help with this.
It was probably at least 6 months before she grudgingly accepted grooming and nail grinding without protest (licky mats and chews as distraction). And she’s only just started actually asking for a fuss rather than merely putting up with it, and only just started wagging her tail enthusiastically, one and a half years after adoption. It can be slow, but it can be done, and it’s an immense joy to see a shut-down dog gradually open up, blossom and flourish. Good luck.

That’s for ‘normal’ dogs not rescue dogs.

in my experience I would say that 3 weeks to decompress, 3 months to start establishing a routine and start to learn to trust, but 3 years until we achieved something close to being truly settled and relaxed.

The trauma can run very deep. Give them bucket loads of time, patience and love. Take things as they come and don’t place any expectations on them. Don’t expect them to react the same way as a normal dog and don’t force expected norms on them.

good luck

@businessflop25 agree with you 100%.

Thank you all- although we’re not in any rush at all, I had the 3:3:3 timeline in my head and we’re a week in and there had been no sign of him starting to de-stress at all.

It’s reassuring to hear your own ‘trauma’ rescue timelines @Graia @businessflop25

But just in the last day we’ve seen some sparks of hope.
He still runs round and round the kitchen island every time anyone moves but is doing fewer circuits each time before going on his bed and has started to want to stay close to our dog at least.

He won’t take any treats yet and eats his dinner by doing a couple of circuits of the island then grabbing a mouthful and doing another couple. I might try feeding him outside for a change.

He freezes then shakes when I put his lead on or try to touch him.

I will keep this periodically updated and hopefully look back in the future at how far he has come from where we are now.

This is the unseen side of puppy farming :(

He’d been in rescue 2 weeks, then had a very brief failed adoption (1 week) and is now with us.

What breed is he?
Would he be interested in eating from any of the complicated mats and bowls to slow him down, or a lick mat?
I walk a dog who was born on a puppy farm, he is lovely but always seems stressed. I wonder what happened to his parents, puppy farming is awful.
I hope your lad learns quickly, and can start to relax.

@Hepzibaahplease feel free to pm at any point. Having a rescue dog like this is bloody hard at times. Mumsnet sometimes isn’t as kind as it could be especially when it comes to dogs.
Just take things super slow. If he doesn’t want to take treats that’s fine. Taking food is super scary for a lot of dogs.
I would avoid trying to touch him for now. Wait until he is ready and starts coming to you. I also wouldn’t be taking him out anywhere for now. I would let his world be the house and garden for now. His brain will be in overdrive and he will be very over threshold.
the time for exercise will come but not yet. I’d wait until he is ready.
If you do need to take him out to let off steam then I’d go to a secure dog field. I wouldn’t be walking in public for now.

How are things going @Hepzibaah?

Things are moving in the right direction albeit very very slowly @businessflop25
He has:
-Mainly stopped running in circles round the kitchen island

-Will take treats when left for him (but not from me directly) and has discovered his nose works! (He’s a spaniel) I left a load of hot dog pieces scattered over the lawn and he spent quite a long time sniffing them out

He wagged his tail when I came into the kitchen first thing this morning and seemed to be half happy half worried if that makes sense

Negatives:
He is now quite difficult to get off his bed to go outside for toileting and exercise. I’ve tried to tempt him with treats with limited success.

I don’t want to drag him off, so I’ve resorted to picking him up gently and moving him- he will then walk once his harness is on.

He stills shakes and freezes when I bring him in from the garden.

He also pees in his bed a bit but great going outside apart from that.

Onwards and upwards!

I meant to ask @businessflop25 How do I
avoid touching him for getting him in/ out for toileting?
I don’t pet him or touch him at other times. He did lean over and sniff my hand from his bed yesterday when I was giving our other dog a fuss.

I would really try to avoid picking him up. That will be quite frightening for him. Is your garden secure? I would just let him out in it if you can. Or make a smaller secure pen outside so he has somewhere to go.
Id also use the fact he will use his nose and scatter food both inside and out. Lots of using his brain. I’d also just sit on the floor reading a book lots for now. You being around but without engaging directly with him till he is ready.
have you got a behaviourist onboard? If you’re wanting some support look up the dog geeks online. Ruth and Dawn are amazing and will be able to give you decent support. Both are force free behaviourist who have lots of experience of reactive dogs.

Is he a chewer? If not, I'd leave his harness on and attach a house line to it. Then you can gently lead him outside without touching or lifting him.
(Although you asked a week ago, so you may have solved the problem by now. Sorry.)

on the contrary that sound alike loads of progress in a short time

you sound very sensitive - with that in mind he will show you and you will know

I have a rescue who was so nervous when she came - they have to get used to eating or whatever it is without threat, it takes a while to learn but he will