I saw on the Dog Whisper that with these types of situations you might want to take things in a different direction. He said you should sit on the floor with your back to them (when they are in there crate) do not look them in the eyes (and they should have on a leash, I think) and allow them to come to you. This develops trust from a untrusting abused animal. You might want to see if you can go to his website and see about ordering his tapes and books. The way he stated it love and affection are not enough... sometimes it doesn't do a neglected and abused dog any good. You can give them all the affection and love you can muster but it won't cure their fear.
Hope this helps point you in the right direction for some answers and help.
