Dog abuse is a pretty hot topic these days, especially with stories of dogs being locked in hot cars, of Animal Care and Control rescuing multitudes of dogs from hoarders, and of the Humane Society taking in puppies and dogs with tragic stories.
I hear it a lot when dealing with shy, introverted, or fearful-reactive dogs – “I think she was abused.” Dogs, oftentimes who are coming from the Humane Society or other rescue organizations, seem to have a stigma attached to them if they are anything other than carefree, tail-wagging, face-licking pups.
The reality of the situation is that, yes, maybe that particular dog was abused, but unless there are scars or other kinds of proof to show it, there are so many other possibilities.
Take my dog, Karma, for example. I adopted her from the Humane Society and if you were to come over to my house six months after I got her, this is what you’d find – an energetic, happy dog playing with her toys, running around, or maybe snoozing on the couch. If you were a friend of hers, she’d be on your lap, or bringing toys to you with her tail wagging. Unless you picked up a flyswatter.
The dreaded flyswatter. The change would be instant. She’d go from little miss full-of-playful-energy, into 30lbs of shaking, cowering fear hiding under the table.
If that happened to be all a person saw, “abuse” would be the first thought.
Here’s the real story. Karma came to me with no feelings at all towards the flyswatter. She just so happened to get paired up with a human (me) who hates spiders and who may or may not (definitely does) scream a little when killing one.
After six months of that, and you get a dog who starts to fear the flyswatter – not because she was ever hit with it – but because it makes her leader fearful and, in turn, she becomes fearful.
Luckily, I caught this very quickly and, today, when I pick up the flyswatter, she just continues on with her life as planned, whether that be napping, playing with her toys, or just watching my every move
Other dogs who shy away or flinch from quick movements, especially near their heads, haven’t necessarily suffered abuse. Some dogs are just genetically shy and don’t like to be touched – or they may be feeling stressed out because of being around new people, which puts them into a state of hyper-sensitivity to movement and sounds – some people are the same way.
The biggest reason, however, for canines showing this kind of “was this dog abused” behavior, is under-socialization as puppies. An under-socialized dog will be fearful, shy, stressed, and reactive – presenting many of the symptoms of an abused dog.
The good news is that, abused or not, these dogs can all be helped. They can all learn to manage their fear and anxiety, and they all deserve the chance to learn how to do so.
I mean, truth be told, these days, Karma can eat treats off the (well cleaned) flyswatter, and even follows its movements and commands when it mimics hand signals. What once used to provoke a sense of fear in Karma, has now become a training tool representing fun and treats.
Dogs are resilient and flexible. Almost any previous life experience can be overcome; it just takes patience, training, and, of course, a lot of love and understanding.
If you have any questions you would like to ask a Certified Dog Trainer, you can submit them right here at Naptown Buzz. Every week, Elizabeth Wilhelm, Certified Dog Trainer will tackle one of the submitted questions. For more information about Elizabeth, you may visit her website at www.TrainingKarma.com.