Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly  Dogs mostly bite out of fear and over time, it becomes reactive and reflexive. Not that many are truly aggressive and want to injure. He's just very mistrusting and fearful of humans and can't come to reconcile those old feelings with you and his new family. He's like a soldier with PTSD and in only a few months, even with intense medical and medicinal help, they still have many problems. An abused dog is very like that - suffering the associations of humans nowadays with human proximity in the past and reacting as he used to do. It's a type of "muscle memory". It's always helped him stay safe in the past and he'll use it for control when he feels unsure.
I would start my dog on the Nothing In Life Is Free training concept(Google the term and read many of the sites about how best to use this training) and I would get him busy in obedience training. Again, you can Google obedience training and find good ways to start your own little program. Working actively with a troubled dog will get his mind going forward and learning teamwork with people for a positive reward. It will in time start to reshape his behavior and interactions with you. Keep the sessions short and frequent and all positive.
In the meantime, you must work on rehabbing him another way and that is the interpersonal, downtime type interactions. I would ignore him and allow him to approach me. Stay reserved, aloof, use little hand contact(as human hands could have a great deal of negative meaning to him) and let him do the touching, asking for attention - BUT DON'T GIVE it yet. Just look at him and smile pleasantly and go about your business. Make him become the one who seeks your attentions and affections in time and only give it by touching with an arm or leaning into him, a smiling look but don't engage him with eyes for a long time as some dogs are intimidated/challenged by that when in a fearful state.
He'll need at least two good, long walks a day. Let the first part of the walk consist of him sniffing and marking all he wants in order to fulfill his social and instinctive needs. The last half should be heeling-up and brisk, to work his muscles good and hard, tensions flowing as he goes.
As for the constant growling if all his needs of exercise, food, potty and mental stimulation are met for the day, redirect him with a kong toy or ignore him. For an abused dog, he's likely learned this gives him some space or gets him some attention, gives him a little power, a bit of control, etc. - who knows right now. The thing is he doesn't know how else to react to you right now or ask for what he wants and it is so hard for him to trust again so early in your relationship so try not to let him start this activity. If you see him coming to sit before you, preparatory to starting the growling, cut him off and give him something to play with, a chew toy or let him outside, take a walk, get up and walk away - anything to start to break the habit. His growling sounds like a guy with PTSD or an attack of nerves that doesn't know what to do with themselves so they chew their fingernails, play endless video games, play pool for hours and hours, pace, smoke or drink endlessly and obsessively. You've seen extremely damaged human beings no doubt and realize it can take a lot of work to rehab them. Dogs are far easier usually. Just a lot of NILIF, obedience training, getting into some agility, exercise, exercise, exercise, ignoring bad/unwanted behavior and redirection and an active life full of patience and love can help him fairly soon. Start to read up on some books about abused dogs and how to rehab and work with them.
Just remember, if you were hurt or harmed over and over by dogs for a long time, you would be very leery of them and imagine if you had to look to them for your food and well-being - how conflicted would you feel? When would you start to trust? Well, that's likely what he's feeling about humans and he can't "talk" it out. All he can do is tell you by his inappropriate behavior that there are problems and he's asking for help through that behavior.
When you take on an abused dog you take on the responsibility to help him and it goes far beyond love and food and comforting in the sense that we think of comforting. To a dog, human closeness can bring up associations of pain and fear and keeping him active, learning and redirected and staying somewhat aloof in the process of rehabbing will in time teach him to trust you. Staying remote and aloof will show him that you respect him, will give him his needed space and time and that you are willing to let him make the moves to approach you and initiate closeness. And when he does, keep it brief. Only a little, then redirect him to another activity before he has time to get worried or start bad associations. With time, patience, understanding and not letting him start his unwanted activities, you can help him to eventually blossom into the dog he was meant to be. But it could take up to two years with an adult dog to get where you want to be. But it is well worth the effort, let me tell you! You will one day know the great happiness of taking a dog destined for the needle and instead making him a little happy, healthy and fulfilled pet and loving companion. It is a great thing to do for yourself and for the dog. |