CHENNAI: Have you considered adopting and bringing home a dog who has survived abuse? While bringing home a new dog will be an adjustment itself, adopting an animal with a history of abuse may come with its own set of challenges.
Understanding a dog's past
Aggression and unpredictable behavior of a pet depends on to what extent the dog was abused and what they have faced during their traumatic experiences. Take the case of Petra, a Lab. From the time he was a puppy, he was tied with a short leash 24/7 and his only human interaction was when the family would beat him as a ”corrective measure“ for his barking out of sheer frustration. He was finally dumped in a shelter. Petra, who had never seen kindness in his entire life, was unpredictable and lashed out at anyone who approached him.
Petra stayed at the shelter for more than 2.5 years. When Melissa Marak decided to bring him home she was aware of the long and sustained effort and commitment it will take to win Petra’s trust again. Melissa worked extensively with an experienced trainer who helped her to understand Petra, understand his anger and distrust and to slowly integrate Petra into her family.
Working with Petra helped Melissa to realize that it is necessary to understand the past of such dogs but not to judge them, as each one of them deserves a second chance. Though there are still measures of adjustment needed for Petra, today he is happy dog learning to share space with his family of humans and dogs.
Agonizing humans
Bismi Anil talks about her adopted dog Twitter, who had developed ‘a severe fear for humans’ after his traumatic experience of being thrown from a three storey building by some miscreants. He was painfully wary of human presence and would hide whenever there were new people around.
Similarly, Matt Seemon, another pet lover talks about her adopted Indy pup, Pixie, who was beaten with a stick by her first family for ‘training’ purposes. She talks about how Pixie would tremble at the sight of a raised hand and even pee in fear. She was petrified at sight of men, being hit by both the man and son at her first house. It took Matt few months to reassure Pixie that a raised hand doesn’t always mean hitting A human hand can be used to cuddle too.
Don't overdo with the kindness
As these dogs have trust issues, sudden touching or petting, grooming at home should be avoided. Their contact with new people and other pets should also be minimized or done under strict supervision. Get to know them first, give them time and let them understand and trust you first. Dedicated efforts by you can give a new life to a dog that has been through hell.
Be patient, watch their body language , observe what makes them uncomfortable and slowly introduce them to places and people and create positive associations for them. If needed be guided by experienced canine behaviouralists to know and understand your pet better. The important thing to remember is that your role is to help your dog move beyond the abuse and create a new story. And that journey will be a worthwhile one, indeed.
The angry and abused
Three-year-old Max was abandoned, left tied to a pole on a deserted road late one night. The trauma of suddenly losing his home and family along with subsequent movements from shelter to shelter slowly transformed him into an angry and unpredictable dog. Srikant and Jayshree, his adopters saw Max’s picture and fell in love with him almost immediately. Despite sensing the difficulties, Srikants heart was set on Max. They now recall how the initial weeks were not easy.
It was a time when rules were established and a time spent getting to know and understand each the family and the dog. Max was stubborn, angry and disobedient. But patience, persistence and perseverance ultimately won. Jayshree says that the most important thing is to accept wholeheartedly that the dog is part of the family in every sense, as once Max sensed and understood that, the battle of wills was won.
Abused dogs may display various behavioral traits depending on the kind of mistreatment they have faced. Some might act angry like Max while some dogs may be extremely scared. They are easily startled by certain gestures like raising of hand, sudden sounds, raised voices and sudden moves. They will hide under the furniture and try to make themselves invisible.