Rufio was adopted at approximately 4 years old from the local shelter. He is a friendly, playful dog who loves a good game of fetch. However, shortly after he was adopted, one of his new family members picked up a stick to throw for him. Rufio screamed and cowered and tried to run away.

Millie was found dumped on the streets as a very young puppy. Her ears had been cut so close to her skull they were barely visible. Her body was scarred and broken. When she first arrived at puppy class, she was terrified of people and dogs alike.

When asked which of these dogs was abused, many people might say “All of them.”

In fact, Mac was adopted by me at 5 weeks old. He was neither abused nor neglected – far from it. His issues came from his removal from the litter at far too young, a lack of early socialization, and my inability to take a leadership role in our “pack structure” when behavior problems did arise.

Rufio’s true past will never be known. However, based on his reaction to the stick, and that he never reacts the same way to people throwing tennis balls or other toys, it is likely that he was hit with a stick at some point in his life.

Of all these dogs, Millie is the only one we are certain was abused. It was clear from her ears and her injuries that she was used as a “bait” dog in fighting rings, that is, she was used to encourage other fighting dogs’ aggression. A true and all-too-common story of abuse, Millie has made an amazing recovery. She is now a social butterfly. Her adopted mother is working with Millie to become a therapy dog.

YOUR DOG’S PAST

There is no disputing that horrible cases of abuse are discovered every day. We’ve heard the stories and seen the pictures. These stories of abuse make us ashamed to be human. And many of these animals do end up in shelters and rescue groups. So there is a possibility that your shy or reactive dog could have been abused before you adopted him or her. However, many animals at shelters and rescues are not there because they were abused, but rather because their owners got divorced or moved, or “didn’t have time for them.”

Despite the fact that most of the dogs at shelters and rescues were not abused, many owners use their pet’s imagined past as an excuse for their present behavior. If a dog exhibits fearful behavior towards a stranger, most commonly men, it might be cuddled and stroked while the owner reassures the dog that “It’s okay, Mommy’s here” and may explain to the stranger, “He was abused before we got him.”

And it’s not surprising that this is our reaction. This is how we were reassured when we were babies and children. Our parents provided security and comfort when we were hurt or scared. For all the horrible things that humans do to animals, we are, for the most part, nurturing creatures. We rescue animals and nurse them back to health – not because we have to and certainly not because we are going to get rich doing it, but because we know it is the right thing to do.

Although the instinct to reassure our dog is based in a desire to help them, what many owners don’t realize is that by coddling an ‘abused’ dog and making excuses for their behavior we may be hurting them more than helping.

COMFORTING OR CODDLING?

Imagine two small children are in the playground. Both fall and skin their knee.

The first child cries while her parents examine the wound. They reassure her that she’s fine and send her off. She stops crying and resumes her play.

The second child is also comforted by her parents while she cries. The more she cries, the more they try to placate her. The more they console her, the harder she cries. They promise her ice cream and cookies and are overly generous with the hugs and kisses. Finally, they take her favorite fast food restaurant “….to make it all better.”

Not only does the second child receive excessive amounts of attention for her injury, but also confirmation that it was, in fact, a big deal. She will likely repeat her behavior the next time she hurts herself, and may even react more outrageously, perhaps throwing temper tantrums and hitting those who try to calm her.

Now, imagine the second child was adopted as a baby. It is believed that she came from an abusive home. Is it her past abuse that will cause her to repeat this behavior, or the actions of her adoptive parents? Are her adoptive parents helping her overcome her past by overcompensating for every scrape and bruise?

Many owners respond the same way to their pet's fearful or reactive behavior because they feel the need to overcompensate for the dog's past. Just as treating a child in this manner will raise a brat, coddling your dog because of its past, real or imagined, will often produce a dog with unacceptable behavior. The difference is, however, Child Protective Services will not euthanize a bratty child who hits and bites, nor is that child likely to cause much damage. A dog, on the other hand, is capable of causing serious injury....or worse.

SOCIALIZATION

Some of our dogs’ most amazing qualities are the ability to adapt to new environments and live in the present moment. Without these qualities, most dogs would never recover from being adopted and re-homed several times throughout their lives, let alone from abusive or neglectful environments.

Socialization requires more than a puppy kindergarten class or a trip to the dog park. Puppies go through several critical developmental periods during their growth. What the puppy is exposed to, or isn’t exposed to, during these periods can forever shape their behaviors as an adult.

For example, if a 4 week-old puppy is accidentally frightened by a man with a beard and cowboy hat; it may always have a fear of men with beards and cowboy hats. Similarly, a two year-old dog who has never lived in a house with a family may act terrified when someone pulls out the broom to sweep.

Even though the critical developmental periods end with puppyhood, the need to continue socializing your dog and exposing them to new and different experiences never ends.

Dogs can be socialized and they can be de-socialized. If you spend the first 6 months of your puppy’s life socializing him and exposing him to a variety of new sounds, sights and experiences, you’ve started on the right path. If you then do not take your puppy out at all for the next 3 years, you will no longer have a well-socialized dog.

Unfortunately for dogs who do have residual behavioral issues because of their past, we can’t go back and change what they were or were not exposed to. And the fact is, it doesn’t really matter. All we can do is focus on modifying the existing behavior of both our dogs and ourselves. Whether the issue is fear or aggression, the same principles of training and behavior modification almost always apply.

HOW CAN I HELP MY DOG?

You must always keep in mind that, even if you have firm evidence of past abuse, your dog now lives in a safe, loving home. Rather than use their past as an excuse for bad behavior, focus on modifying the existing behavior using these important tools:

WORKING WITH A TRAINER

FINAL THOUGHTS

It is up to you to build your dog’s confidence - not only in themselves, but in you as their leader and protector.

Also read Canine-11, by Jon Katz