Our adopted dog was abused?

My husband and I adopted Jake,a 6 year old Bichon Frise from the animal shelter in January.When we got him he was in pretty bad shape.His hair was matted and had to be all shaved off, his toenails were so long that he was limping and he was really underweight (11 pounds).We've seen had him groomed,toenails clipped and he's up to 17 pounds.He is such a great dog,but is skittish and afraid of everything.When we bend to pick him up he'll roll flat on his back with his legs in the air.A few weeks ago I was drying off and when he saw me pick up the towel he cried and laid flat on his back. Whenever my husband is home Jake is like his shadow, always either sitting next to him or on his lap.If he's in the bathroom Jake will be at the door crying and whining.I think it's pretty obvious that he has abandonment issues and was probably abused before we got him.I was wondering what can I do,beside hug him and talk nice to him,to help him adjust and be trusting of us?

Our adopted dog was abused?

Just be nice to him but don't force him to be with you let him come to you. Once he is used to the two of you he will develop into a great loving dog.

Good Luck!!!%26lt;3

Our adopted dog was abused?

just be the best "mommy and daddy" you can to Jake. He will eventually warm up to you both and start trusting people again.

Hope this helps!

Our adopted dog was abused?

well i had a relative with an abused rottweiler, and thats a terrible sight. Dogs will remember their tool of abuse and often be afraid of it. So a guess is that someone frequently hurt him with a towel. As for the rolling over its a sign of hierarchy and he is showing you his genitals as a way of saying youre his superior. As for trust, it just takes time. and since hes a little dog hell age slower so you have time.

Our adopted dog was abused?

Sounds like you've given him a lot of love and have saved him from further abuse. Just keep on loving him and trying to be gentle and soft with him. It broke my heart reading about the "towel" incident. I'm so glad you've given Jake a wonderful home.

Anyone who would abuse an animal deserves the same treatment. They're sick.

Our adopted dog was abused?

Perhaps you should try spending time with your dog and doing things, such as playing fetch or taking him for walks and such.

Good luck and I hope I helped you!

Our adopted dog was abused?

feeding him nice treats and playing with him is good way to gain his trust. just give him some time.

Our adopted dog was abused?

It's just going to take time. You have to be careful to walk that fine line between loving him and reinforcing all good behaviour, while at the same time NOT babying him when he acts skittish and afraid. If you do, you're just teaching him that he has a reason to be afraid and he'll never get over it. And, think about it, a dog who lives in fear, is not enjoying his life.

You want this dog to come out of his shell and develop some self-confidence. So what you want to do is be up-beat and give him lots and lots of praise for every bit of improvement he makes, while pretty much ignoring, not babying, his whining for no reason.

Try a little bit of obedience with him. I don't mean taking him to classes, I don't think he's ready for a class situation. Just you or your husband - use a ton of praise for everything he does right. Dogs who succeed, gain confidence and that's just what he needs.

Take him for walks in places where he's likely to meet only a few other people and dogs at a time so he won't be overwhelmed. Encourage him to meet other people. Don't let strangers approach him - let him go to them when he's ready.

It's just going to take time, patience and common sense. Sounds like Jake's making progress already!!

Our adopted dog was abused?

Well, thank God for people like you! Poor dog.

You will have to keep being kind to him and eventually you will earn his trust. He may continue to have some sort of separation anxiety all his life though. You could try taking him to training classes too. We found out from taking our dog to training that we were actually adding to his separation anxiety by fussing over him before we left the house.

My sister and brother-in-law adopted an abused dog. He was scarred and found chained up outdoors in upstate NY in the middle of winter almost starved to death. He actually turned into an excellent dog with lots of love and training. Good luck with your dog.

Our adopted dog was abused?

Just give him time and show him that you will NOT hurt him, when your around him talk in a calm quiet voice. He needs time, he was abused, and the way he kind of favors your husband indicates, a woman abused him

Our adopted dog was abused?

we adopted a pup a few months ago and was in very bad shape also.she had no hair and very very skinny.weve done our best but is still very under weight.

she wont go on the lead as she was tied up.she is very cute but can be quite aggressive.all we can do (and u can do)is feed her with as much love and affection that we can.esp wen u have to clean up 1 load of sh1t on the kitchen floor (AHEM!)

best of luck!xxx

Our adopted dog was abused?

This is so sad;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

but there is hope for your dog I to have gotten a abused dog a dachshund shes 1yr 1mo. but she has ADJUSTED so well. You must show the dog you Love it don't yell at the dog. If the dog does some thing wrong go about whatever you are doing don't hurt the dog.so on and so on,!!!!!!!

This shows the dog you are NOT going to hit slap or kick. hes learning to TRUST YOU.And believe me this will come may take a long time but well worth it. when THE DOG ROLLS OVER HE IS SHOWING SUSMISSON.

The dog has taken a liking to your husband that's good.

When you are out of dogs sight he feels you have left him when you are where he can't see talk to him like its ok boy iam in the kitchen all he wants is to hear some ones voice,

Your dog will be happier soon it took me mons to get tink better but shes doing great and she is mommies dog now

Hope some of this helps with JAKE.

Our adopted dog was abused?

Well, I'm not sure that he has "abandonment issues". It may simply be a matter of temperament:

"Prospective buyers should keep in mind that this breed needs to be with people; families that spend most of the time away from home should select another breed."

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/bichon.htm...

And if he shows you his belly, he DOES trust you! If you want to keep that trust, never use harsh correction. In time he will become less fearful. Other info:

"Bichon training

The Bichon is a wonderfully trainable breed. He enjoys obedience, tricks, therapy work, and agility. Training must be gentle and firm, with no harsh corrections or scolding. Buckle collars, leather training collars, or reversed pinch collars are acceptable for training, but chain or nylon chokers will get tangled in the hair. Treat training works well, although an owner could easily fall into the habit of treating a Bichon into obesity when the little dog learns the variety of tricks he is capable of. Roughhousing is definitely out with this guy, and play-training is in.

The Bichon is highly sociable but can become frantic if not appropriately trained as a puppy and young adult. He's fairly active indoors, so owners must teach some manners for control."

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/bichon.htm...