by Justine Blair Carroll

Created on: November 09, 2008   Last Updated: December 05, 2008

Rescue dogs tend to be timid in one way or another. Most have recently experienced an upheaval in their environments which can make a dog proceed in a cautious manner and rightly so! Many, but not all, have had some form of abuse that can also make a dog feel out of balance and act timid.

As a Dog Trainer and a former Foster Volunteer with a NYC Rescue Group, I have had a wide array of Dogs who have come into my home helping them make the transition and make them more "adoptable" to their new family. I begin my Rehabilitation Program with some very dedicated & disciplined approaches which I call REBUILDING CONFIDENCE.

The biggest mistake that most people make is to FEEL SORRY FOR THE RESCUE DOG. I say this because that ATTITUDE is not helpful to the Dog, in fact, that energy you wind up sending to the Dog inadvertently deters him from coming out of his shell. It only serves to REINFORCE the inner stress and neurosis they are feeling. Meaning, when you talk in baby voice tones and give the Dog too much affection at first, you are only signaling to him that being uptight and stressed out is Okay..... i.e. "It's OKAY to feel scared and uptight right now..." Why? Because Dogs do not understand the human verbal language or the words you are speaking. (until you begin to teach them) They do understand touch and tone of voice, so it's important to WAIT to give them affection while in a timid state or they will misinterpret this as telling them it's GOOD to be timid, it's GOOD to be stressed out. REMEMBER: The Dog is in a GOOD PLACE now!
Here are some BASIC PROTOCOLS that might be helpful in helping that Dog find his Confidence again so that he can begin a new life again!

1. GIVE THE DOG SOME SPACE: Both physical & emotional. Just let him be for awhile so he gets a chance to observe his new surroundings without being provoked to do anything. Let him settle and rest. Provide a quiet safe zone in your home. A crate is best with the door open when you are home. This should also be his Private Space where he is not disturbed and off limits to children. Dogs can often feel a bit cornered when someone is moving towards them and blocking an escape route. This can lead to a Fear Bite even if the dog is NOT aggressive. So just let him be so he can relax and unwind.

2. ESTABLISH A GOOD ROUTINE & FEEDING SCHEDULE: Keeping things consistent and predictable truly help a Dog become less fearful and timid. Dogs quickly pick up on patterns and if you do things consistently,

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