Abuse Only Behaviours?

[sandgrubber]

When I was working at a shelter, quite often people would adopt a dog and be convinced it was abused, whether it's behaviour indicated that or not.

I think people believe that abandoned/rescue dogs are always neglected or abused but I don't think it's the case at all and I have seen, as others have said, caused digs abused dogs that showed no signs and well looked after dogs who you would swear have been beaten.

So in saying all that, I agree there's not much point worrying about what has happened to a dog, but just working with the dog and it's current behaviours.

+1

There's a sort of altruist who loves the idea that they have rescued a poor abused dog.

[Lhok]

Torque my kelpie has a naturally fearful nature and is often insecure around men and will stick her tail between her legs and run if they look at her the wrong way. It's quite frustrating constantly explaining that she hasn't been abused all the time. I need to get a coat that says "I'm not an abuse case just a headcase"

I think I need a coat like that for Treble, He hits the deck and shakes if we have to walk past black parked cars not sure why it is always black parked cars, other parked cars he will try to sniff.

--Lhok

[BlaznHotAussies]

Yup. Everyone thinks my dog has been attacked by other dogs (he runs away from anything non-BC or Aussie Shepherd looking basically because they're two breeds that he's used to on the farm) but really he just hasn't known them. Then I say I got him off my in-laws' farm and they go on this massive "aawww poor doggie being locked up all day"

Um. They're kept in yards so they don't go out and chase sheep/get bitten by snakes/hit by cars??

[Akayla]

perhaps you can look at how you fix the behaviour. For example my mum had a beautiful rough collie rescue. Lovely dog but you could tell certain things made him fearful. He wouldnt walk on grass lawn. He would be ok if you actually convinced him to go for a walk and say went across a grass oval but a back lawn would see him refuse. Nothing would get him on that lawn. He would shake and wet himself a little if pushed. We didnt do any amazing training techniques. Just loved him and never pressured him to stand on the lawn. He eventually over came his fear during the years. First by only standing underneath the trampoline and then eventually he felt ok about walking on it. You do just kind of get a feeling about some dogs and this one had many many issues but we didnt have to do anything. I think he just eventually realised he wouldnt get in trouble. If he was nervy or had a fright during a fear period it would have taken alot of work and there would be no guarante he would have improved. Another dog we had we knew for sure had been beaten and her reaction to any threat would be to eat you! So it can certainly vary. Just because a dog is afraid does not equal an abuse victim nor does an abused animal equal a frightened animal.

[Steph M]

I guess abuse is a pretty broad term too, safe to say if a dog is showing signs of being anti-social or incredibly nervy would it be fair to say some sort of abuse has likely occurred, be it physical, neglect or a serious lack of socialisation or any training?

No. My incredibly nervy, spook dog was born that way. I knew where she came from, how she was raised, saw her frequently before she came home and if you saw her reaction to picking up a mop/broom/stick then you would think, yes she has been abused. But she wasn't - 100% guaranteed.

I didn't think you beat her, hope I didn't offend you!

I was thinking more of a pound situation where it might be more likely, I guess in my mind the odds of a well managed, much loved dog with weak nerves ending up in a pound with minimal history is less likely than a dog who had perhaps been less carefully managed and the shelter staff less informed.

I imagine when someone takes the time to drop off a dog they genuinely care for and simply can't handle the question of any fears or phobias or 'quirks' shall we say, is probably asked, so perhaps even in that instance there might be more information available to the staff. In my mind anyway, I'm a bit idealistic though ;)

[persephone]

I need to get a coat that says "I'm not an abuse case just a headcase"

yes!!

:)

[SkySoaringMagpie]

There's a sort of altruist who loves the idea that they have rescued a poor abused dog.

I'm sure sometimes it is altruism but I'm afraid I think much of the time it's unexamined emotional baggage and people writing scripts for themselves that bear no resemblance to reality to suit their emotional needs. FB has ratcheted this up a notch or three with pages dedicated to very unfortunate dogs that IMO should be kindly PTS. Looking at them, a lot of them are more about getting recognition for the human than they are about the dog. Obedience trainers are also familiar with "he can't because he's a rescue and was abused" which generally means "I don't have to try because he's a rescue". I'll never forget one confident little dog who had his owner wrapped right around his paw, he wasn't not doing things because he was a terrified rescue, he was not doing them because she was refusing to provide any kind of leadership at all and he was a dog that really needed someone to set boundaries.

I'm saying this as someone who does breed rescue, not as someone who is anti-rescue. I want to see rescues placed, but I don't want to see lies about their background, because if people are prepared to make up stories about that, what else have they been fibbing to me about?

[BlackJaq]

Funnily enough, I find that people will often assume that if you have an ex poundie, the dog must have been abused previously, regardless of behaviour.

I have a dog from a rural pound who could sit, come and was house broken when I got her. Her socialization was definitely not up to par as she was timid with strangers (humans) but she snaps out of it quickly and has been doing agility with me recently without issue. I don't think she was abused, she is not scared of yelling and she is not worried about being hit.

I suspect she was probably well loved but wasn't claimed because she was entire and unreg and thus expensive to bail out.

And yet, when people hear she came from a pound, they feel sorry for her and usually will drop a comment about the abuse she must have suffered... There may or may not have been abuse but she certainly isn't showing any indicative behaviours as far as I can tell

[Maddy]

My youngest greyhound went to puppy training classes, basic obedience classes and was socialised as thoroughly as I could manage but if you saw us together in the front yard, you might be inclined to think that I beat the little monster on a daily basis.

In the house, he's fine- he'll come when called, follow me around, engage with visitors, no worries. But in the front yard.. nope. In the front yard, if I try to approach or touch him, he bolts away, he won't approach me (not even for treats) and basically behaves like a little feral.

There's no reason for it that I can see, either. From when we brought him home, I've played in the front yard with him, taken him out there to toilet and experiences have all been positive- he's just a bit of an odd dog. He also doesn't like to drink water out of a bowl and I'm 90% sure his water bowl hasn't abused him.

[dee lee]

I adopted an abused dog, we know this because she was directly rescued from the house by the breed rescue.

We were given her due to her beautiful temperament but were told of certain behaviours she'd developed due to being beaten as a means to training her. She would come when called and then hit the deck at your feet. Putting a lead on had her rolling over. She also flinched and ran from brooms & raised voices.

Happy to say, that after several months we were able to train these behaviours out & she remains a rocksteady (though spoilt!) dog years on.

So my experience does indicate to me that it's a lot to do with innate temperament & nerve, not all about the abuse.

Though I'd be happy to hear theories on why she MUST chase skywriting?!! Bloody nutter!

[Dame Aussie]

I'm getting to the stage where I would ask "why do you ask?". Because this need to have an abused dog and save it is something that I've become increasingly worried about, why do people want to think their dog has been abused?

I think it makes people feel heroic and virtuous. Whether that bears any resemblance to the reality appears irrelevant. Good for getting dogs rescued I guess, which is great, but to me just another way some people use dogs to address their own emotional deficits. Might need to crack out my flame suit, but I have seen it play out in ways that are not good for the dog.

Yeah I believe it's this too.

They like feeling as though they saved the dog, they like telling people they saved the dog etc. On its own there's nothing wrong with that and they should feel proud they have given a dog a good home.

It's when they become really obsessed with the idea the dog was abused that seems a bit wrong.

[Weasels]

I've encountered a couple of people who insist on knowing the reason why Weez is fearful - and if I don't immediately say he's a rescue they assume WE'VE been beating him! Doesn't occur to them at all there could be reasons other than beatings

[sandgrubber]

The basic problem is under-appreciation (denial?) of nature and an automatic assumption that all is nurture.

Experienced dog people generally end out respecting that some things are hardwired from birth.

I just wish breeders were as consistent and persistent and insistent on breeding for temperament as they are on breeding for the physical features described by their breed standards...or the interpretation of the breed standard that is in favor this year/decade.

Purebred dogs SHOULD NOT behave like creatures that have been beaten and abused. In my book fear-cringing, weeing in inappropriate situations, and other traits that present as having been abused -- when there is no history of abuse -- are serious faults.

Note, the opposite is pretty common. There are plenty of dogs who have suffered abuse and still present as normal, friendly dogs. I think those dogs deserve to be celebrated for their robustness.