What helped your nervous rescue dog?

[FfissiLlissi]

First of all, I’m working with a trainer and behaviourist and vet, so I’m taking a variety of professional advice but I also want to hear some real world experiences.

We adopted DDog eighteen months ago when she was about 5. She’s a golden cocker, former puppy farm breeder. She has a wonderful kind nature but was evidently never socialised and seems to have been beaten as she is terrified of raised hands and sudden movements even after a year and a half.

She is much better than she was and loves walks and affection but she’s still very anxious on a daily basis. Any commotion in the house upsets her for days and she will wee on her bed, the carpets and furniture until she’s feeling secure again.

She absolutely cannot tolerate travelling in the car and is sick within half a mile, so we are very limited on where we can take her. We have taken her out on longer journeys once or twice to National Trust houses and she loves it when she gets there but finds the travelling very traumatic so we don’t do it at the moment.

She has a number of beds and safe spaces around the house. Her favourite is her crate which has a blanket over it but allows her to look out over the garden through the French doors and back into the kitchen, so she feels hidden but still in touch with what’s happening in her territory.

Photo tax coming.

Photo tax. Please ignore the pyjamas 🙈

Honestly, all of this is incredibly normal for an ex-breeding bitch from a puppy farm.

My parents have a rescue cocker spaniel (lovingly dubbed Satan). She was a breeding bitch, rescued at about a similar age but perhaps a bit older.

The only thing that ever works for dogs in these circumstances is time. It took years to get Satan to a point where someone could get up off the sofa without her flying off and barking at anything, months before she'd eat properly without being coaxed and even longer before she would actively approach and seek affection.

My parents deliberately didn't have my DDs over for over a year (children and traumatised rescues is never a good idea), they never pushed her for anything, they gave her space, they rewarded good behaviour but didn't criticise negative - if she barked they just ignored it. But it is just a matter of time. One day it will just click and she'll trust you. But it could take another two or even five years.

They've had Satan about 7 years now so she's about 13(ish) and it's only the last few years that she has really softened. Honestly, she's probably the most loyal dog my parents have ever had and she's utterly devoted to my mum - but that's because she is a rescue and rescues 'love' in a different way to dogs you've had from puppyhood.

Satan 😂😭🐾🐾❤️

Our trainer recommended Vet Spec Calm & Focused. Definitely seems to have help our rescue to relax without making him drowsy.

I just came to reply to this again, and I already have, but she is absolutely beautiful. We have a sleeve that we can slip over the lead of our Dog, that says give me space. Which just helps him to manage any anxiety he has went out of and about. But we don’t struggle with driving in the car. I think as everyone else has said it’s just time, and in awareness at the life that you are giving her, even if it is somewhat restricted by not being able to take her very far, is infinitely better than the life that she previously had. She is safe, she is loved she is comfortable, and she is well cared for, and you get her out and about locally. She is having a good life, and with time I’m sure will improve.

Thank you everyone. I do feel that she is in a much better place than she ever has been. She has a comfortable life within the boundaries she chooses to set. She’s a wonderful dog and she definitely knows she’s loved. I just needed some
reassurance that she’s living the best life she can. She’s very loved and will always be safe with us.

Often the very best thing is another, not nervous, dog. I appreciate that’s a big ask and may not be possible, but it really can make a huge difference.

I was going to say this, but kept quiet as I don’t have direct experience.

She is so beautiful 😍

Thank you for giving her as wonderful a life as she could hope for.

We foster for a project that deals with dogs who are often fairly traumatised. One foster we had for 9 months and she was absolutely terrified of the car. Literal buckets full of drool each time she travelled even 100 yards....

It felt impossible (and people told me it was) but I started spending teeny tiny amounts of time in the boot with her, with the car stationary. I slowly increased the amount of time and kept the boot open at first... eventually building up to eating meals in there, having cups of tea etc, sometimes three to four times a day..... It took at least several weeks of this before turning the engine on and sitting with it running and eventually building up to making short journeys to the end of the road. I nearly cried with happiness for her when we got to the secure dog field15 minutes away one day, with no drool! 🥳

An adaptil collar wrapped round the headrest may have helped but I think it was largely the desensitisation work.

Good luck ❤️

My experience is limited but it definitely supports this, which I’ve heard from others. A friend’s very nervous rescue dog never settled and in the end, I took her in for a few days with my boy until the rescue centre could take him back. She was calmer and happier with another dog to follow around than I had ever seen her before. They rehomed her successfully in a home with another dog and she settled quickly.

Last year I got a young corgi who’d been poorly socialised with people. She is nervous although she’s come on leaps and bounds and one the reason why I got her instead of others who were interested is that I already have a super confident adult dog. She is absolutely devoted to him and especially in the beginning very much relied on him to confirm that life wasn’t quite so terrifying. 10 months since she arrived I can’t say she’s now a friendly outgoing dog but she’s come a long way.
Should also add that I’ve never forced her to like me or be friendly to me she’s got lots of odd little quirks which I just live with. She seems happy I never go to her she always comes to me she hates it when well meaning people try and “win her over” but she does love food which helps and her recall is good but I never rush. If I need her to do something like put her lead on before going for a walk, put her in the car we have a routine I always say the same phrases give treats in the same way so she knows what’s going to happen. I now frequently find her lying on her back with her legs in the air looking very relaxed I would never go over to her but can now get within a few feet without her running away and she wags her tail now when she sees me.
IME which with nervous dogs is limited but lots and lots of experience of nervous horses/cows etc you just have to quietly persevere and keep everything you do low key and quiet.

I would agree that living with another, confident dog is the absolute best thing you can, though I appreciate that’s often impossible.

We have an elderly Jack Russell. He’s not very sociable and doesn’t engage with us much, which I don’t think helps. We got the cocker after we lost my wonderful old springer that he was bonded with and they get on very well, choose to share a bed. At some point I hope we’ll have another dog but for now he wouldn’t tolerate anything new.

We have a rescue from exactly the same background and behaviours but different breed. We’ve had her for four years and she’s still nervous, flattens to the floor if come approach too quickly or move too quickly. Doesn’t like the house to be out of routine she will show anxiety and hide and is scared of random things. But she also the sweetest most loving thing and has done so well. I don’t think she’ll ever lose her fear which is heartbreaking and I’m so angry at what she went through but we give her the comfort and love and routine and safety she needs, that’s all we can do. We took her to give her the life she has now, not so that she could become the perfect dog for us so we move at her pace and accept she’ll always be a little weirdo about certain things

It's not just a matter of time. The right training strategies help hugely but you have to be skilled and consistent and it's often beyond most people, me included! My calm non-reactive dog helps my anxious rescue dog but it's not the whole solution. Anti anxiety meds can help to break the patterns of behaviour and allow the dog to think and process, rather than just blindly panic or react. It's really hard. You have my sympathy.

Oh she’s beautiful! I think you summed it up well saying she has a lovely life within the boundaries she’s choosing to set. We are in a similar position with a little rescue dachshund who is nearly 2 so reading the thread to see if there are any suggestions we haven’t tried.

Our girl has come on leaps and bounds with us in the 10 months we've had her but hadn't been socialised early on and is still very anxious with any visitors in the house, even regular visitors like my mum, she barks nervously at strangers as well as other dogs.

We do have a sleeve on the lead too saying nervous rescue which helps and most people will keep a distance but we’ve had to accept walking her at quiet times or in a dog field so she doesn’t have too many stressful encounters. It makes me sad though that we’re limited to where she can go as she gets so incredibly stressed but at home with us, she’s sweet, funny and honestly the most affectionate dog I’ve ever had.

We did have a breakthrough last week when I took her to visit my mum and she trotted in, went straight to her and greeted her without a single bark. We’d been advised to let her go at her own pace and she finally decided 10 months down the line that mum wasn’t a threat and climbed up next to her for a stroke. It was quite an emotional moment!