It's great if you've decided to rescue a dog from an animal shelter. Even if the animals are in good hands at the shelter, it is very important for a dog's well-being to have a carer, i.e. a master or mistress who will lovingly look after it. Unfortunately, dogs from animal shelters have usually had a traumatic experience. This does not make it easy for them to trust a new person, because the previous owner has disappointed and abandoned them.
As dogs from animal shelters are usually already adults, the trust between humans and animals must first be built up with a lot of patience and understanding.
Around a quarter of all shelter dogs are pedigree dogs. Adopting a pedigree dog is usually a little easier, as each breed has certain characteristics that are reflected in the individual dog. If you know the characteristics of the dog breed, it is easier to understand the dog and thus build up a relationship of trust.
Mixed breeds, on the other hand, can be very different. They carry the genes of different breeds and therefore have their own individual characteristics, which makes them all the more endearing to many people. However, this also means that you first have to get to know your dog's individual characteristics. The best thing to do is to try to find out which dog breeds are united in your dog and get to know the characteristic traits of this dog in more detail.
The older the dog is, the greater its trauma is likely to be. This makes his behaviour unpredictable at the beginning. Try to find out as much as possible about your dog's past in order to better understand its history and its world. It is important that you understand that although aggressive behaviour on the part of the dog should not be tolerated, it is based on fear and bad experiences. First of all, you need to understand why the dog shows aggressive behaviour in certain situations so that you can slowly work with him to reduce this fear. You should never punish the dog for its behaviour. Show him that you don't want him to behave like this, but remain his friend so that he doesn't develop fears of you.
You need to be careful and patient when training and disciplining. Don't expect great results after a short time and expect occasional relapses. Depending on where the dog comes from, it may have spent its previous life chained up outdoors and not allowed to come into the house. Or it may have been tied to a tree and abandoned. Give him time to get used to his new reality. If he hides at the beginning, leave him in his hiding place until he wants to come out on his own. This will give him time to observe how his new home works and he won't feel pressurised.
Every traumatised dog can be "reprogrammed" with time, patience and a lot of understanding. Fears can only be alleviated through positive associations, never through violence and harshness. If the dog is afraid of certain things or situations, give him a positive outcome through rewards or toys. Any overcoming of fear should be rewarded, but the dog must do this voluntarily and should be allowed to retreat again immediately. In this way he learns to trust and believe you.
If a dog has suffered a particularly severe trauma that you cannot cope with even after a long period of training, ask a vet or dog expert for advice. Nothing would be worse for the dog than being taken back to the pound. Aggressive behaviour in dogs can often be treated with medication.
Give your dog back his zest for life by doing little things that are pleasant for him. Give him lots of love and time, only then will he learn that he can trust you.
