Was beaten before?

[Elyse]

Hi guys,

So some of you probably already know that I got my dog at the shelter and that I'm his 3rd owner. His 2nd owner only had him for a year.

I have a question in mind. Suka displays some strange behaviour that leads me to believe he was beat as a punishment?

He doesn't like feet touching him or going close to him, or else he does a little quick growl (defensive growl?) and goes away. His tail doesn't go in between his legs when he does this.

Also he doesn't like his back paws being touched, but I can play with his front paws as much as I want and he doesn't care. (Like I can move the toes apart and stick my fingers in between the toes to gently feel the bones/webbing inside. It's pretty cool!)

Sometimes, when we make quick movements with our hands towards him (with the palm out, usually. Like if we suddenly decide we want to pet him.) he'll flinch and move away. (By either jumping away or just walking away.)

I'm wondering if this is just part of his personality or if he was actually beaten? His first owner was the mother of a murderer, if that helps any. (I know, freaky right?)

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

sounds like there was a possibilty he was beaten - my staffy x was beaten before we got him - when we raise our arms he will flinch - he also doesnt like shouting or swearing - like if you stub ur toe - and swear/shout out - he will go and hide

are his back legs ok - and not in any pain? my staffy was fine about his legs - till he hurt one of them now he does exactly what ur boy does will growl and snap out but not actually bite

[Taylor Piskorski]

He may have been hit has punishment, if he flinches when you put your hands near him too quickly. You need to assure him that he's not going to be hit, and hands and touching are not bad. Poor boy

[valkyries]

when we first got Loki she was 2 years old, you could not touch her back end at all. She would growl and even snap at you, i think she's had afew hits there. Any way we just ignored it, we never tried to stroke her there, but when we brushed and combed her we did.

At first she did not like it but we would brush her every where but her back end, once she was rel;axed we gave her a toy or treat only then did we try to brush her back end.

Now she don't care we brush her pat her stroke her but it took along time for her to trust us. she's still not to sure of other people touching her there but is getting better, there are a few people she will allow xxxxxxxx

[Arooroomom]

Odin flinches when I go to pet his head palm facing him. He's gotten better and doesn't make it as dramatic as he used to be.

[Removed #2]

Andy was like that initially. We were his 5th and final home...and when my partner would lean over to pet his head he would flinch and close his eyes. He still doesn't really like us touching his feet, even cleaning after a walk or play but is getting better. I think the feet thing could just be a husky thing too as my other husky never liked us touching her feet and would often scream like we were beating her! (Of course, we weren't). I would suggest just moving slow. Coordinate it so he is experiencing something he likes while you start gently to touch him places he doesn't like. Have you tried doing his nails yet? We usually incorprate peanut butter or treats, usually in a fist so they have to work to get it....but don't underestimate what a palm full of peanut butter oozing out between your fingers could get! Good luck, he's a beauty and bless you for adopting an older dog...I will never do it any other way!

[tazdevil]

Our Koda was very nervous when we got him at 6 months old. He'd been bought as a Xmas pressie for a lad's g.friend at a cost of £650.00 at 3 months old and taken back to the breeders at 6 months. When we got him (after quizzing them about his past etc), we found out he hadn't had his jabs, wasn't house trained, scared of humans and had the trotts. Apart from that..........well! Needless to say, house training was a doddle, got his jabs sorted (inc got him chipped), trotts were ongoing for nearly 5 years till we sorted his stomach out through ton's of different foods. I took him to work with me at my bicycle shop so there would always be people around him (he was the star attraction...lol!). But if a bloke came in dressed in either black or dark clothing, especially if he also had a walking stick with him, he run up the stairs like a shot with his tail between his legs?! This was regular and the only way I've got him out of this was by chasing him, with a yard brush (making a game out of it) and pretend to be kicking/sweeping my boot under his back end for him to curl his tail under and getting all excited as he could see I was only messing about with him. Drove our lass daft, but we were having fun! He is just a little wary of my Uncle who has a walking stick. Koda keeps walking up and down next to my Uncle giving off a quiet WOOF under his breath....lol

Ian & The Ingleby Krew

[BlueWolf]

Glala doesn't like to be touched on her paws and sometimes her belly. Although what she allows seems to change each day, she will produce a little growl when I touch her on these places. She doesn't do anything though. As a pup she was very sick and had to visit the vet many many times. I think that has put a trauma on her. I can't hug her, as in putting my arms around her. She growls when you attempt brush her and when you put a towel around her to dry her of. Sometimes she even growls when I put her harness on. However, when I say a clear No she doesn't know how fast to make it good my licking your face. But apart from that I just keep going and praising her as I know she just stands up and walks away if she REALLY doesn't like it. She doesn't bite (I wouldn't do that with a dog I don't know!).

But since yours flinches when moving your hands too fast (Glala doesn't do that), it definitely sounds like he has been beaten before. Try to show him as much as possible that hands are only for the good things. Giving treats, getting petted. I think praises and treats are the way to go in this case

[husky princess]

he could well have had some nasty experiences. keep some treats in your pocket and everytime you walk near/pass him offer him a treat. it only needs to be tiny treat. he will soon learn that coming to you is a good thing. from there you can start developing further but perhaps stroking him is too much for him right now??

As for his feet, that could be something which he isnt used to from a pup. my welfare boy storm doesnt like his back paws touched but ok with the front ones yet he doesnt display any behaviour which would suggest he's been beaten...inappropriate home and left on his own for too long yes but not beaten.

I would say you need to go slowly with him and go at his pace. you will need to earn his trust

[Elyse]

Thanks guys! I'll try the tips.

Well, the worrying thing is that we had him for (almost) 2 years now...yet he still acts the way I described. We've never hurt him or beat him (obviously) and I only raise my voice at him when he's been a bad boy but I don't scream at him...just raise my voice to be assertive. He's much better than when he first came home, though.

[HuskyCouture]

poor boy at least he's in a good home now

[Spinstorm]

Every time I try to touch Flash's paws he freaks out and screams!!! It is very annoying as his nails are too long and I want to cut them!My god his screaming is the worst noise EVER... It actually made me sad and nervous even though I wasn't even doing anything not to mention slightly death!

[Removed #2]

Every time I try to touch Flash's paws he freaks out and screams!!! It is very annoying as his nails are too long and I want to cut them!My god his screaming is the worst noise EVER... It actually made me sad and nervous even though I wasn't even doing anything not to mention slightly death!

Sorry to say I had to chuckle when I heard this because this is just how Stormy was....and Andy started that way. I would suggest you let the vet or a groomer do nails...then he won't be always mad at you!

[dygosamikita]

Every time I try to touch Flash's paws he freaks out and screams!!! It is very annoying as his nails are too long and I want to cut them!My god his screaming is the worst noise EVER... It actually made me sad and nervous even though I wasn't even doing anything not to mention slightly death!

Sampson is the same way. I have to take him to the vet to get his cut, it take two of us to hold him and one to cut the nails. The vet has him come in after they have closed for the morning, afraid she won't have any patient after hearing him carry on

[SaraB]

My new pup Elara screams like I'm trying to kill her when I trim her nails at home. But I started using a different kind of nail trimmers at someone else's place and she's fine then. Go figure. Went from guillotine style to sissor style ones (best way I could describe them). But putting some peanut butter in a kong or on your foot for them to lick while your trimming their nails helps a lot.

[Sarah]

Kaiser my younger boy is a bit like that although doesn't snap or anything - a sudden hand movement might make him flinch or move back etc - i've had him from a pup and have never ever beaten him or his brother Kimba (incidentally - kimba doesn't bother with sudden movements)

[snssewell]

Zihna backs up too when you want to touch her sometime. She never been beaten though. Sometimes she just don't want to be bothered. My daughter always gets irritated cause Zihna will come up to her and but her head on her legs and as soon as my daughter lifts a hand to stroke her she will run lol. She does it with me too sometime but she usually wants something when she comes to me so she sort of deals with it while making this BORING face! LOL.

I would suggest to start petting him on his chest or under his muzzle for a while. I do that with Zihna a lot. If you massage their chest in slow circles its supposed to be really relaxing to them. Some dogs find it scary when a hand comes from on top of them, especially if he has been beaten before it may be easier for him to get used to the hands when it comes from the bottom. Both mine love that chest massage and their heads go up and they get the bedroom look and just enjoy it. If he still does not like the hand approaching him, maybe hand him a treat and then move your hand towards his chest while he is eating the treat and before he even knows it you will be rubbing his chest and it will feel soooooo good to him.

Whisper used to growl and snap when I touched his paws too...all 4 of them. I attempted to clip his nails a few times and gave up. He is now going to the groomer a few times a year and they do it and he has gotten better and I am even able to remove the little snowballs that get stuck between his toes when he is out in the snow.

I don't know about him growling at feet...hmmm could be he been kicked a lot. Not sure what to tell you about that. Maybe give him belly rubs with your foot if he ever lays by your feet.

[Lil Miss Bump]

dexter has obviously been beaten really badly and tried to be drowned, he's terrifed of water and crouches as small as he can get against the floor if you look angry-which is why we point and do finger of doom instead-i cant stand to see him like that..............

fingers crossed you can show him that he's now in a loving home like we're trying to do with ours

xxxx

[Kechara]

Jake's got a flinch like that too. About a week after I got him, my younger step sister tried throwing a stick for him to fetch (or chase) and all he did was shut his eyes and bow his front end to the ground. I felt so bad! I started to initiate head petting from the side on his cheek instead of from straight above on the top of his head; he didn't seem to be as threatened that way.

After a year, he's gotten a little better about it but will still shut his eyes sometimes when I go to pet him. He doesn't look flat out scared anymore so I think it's more of a habitual response that will take some time to get rid of completely.

He's not picky about his feet though. His temperament is really amazing; even when his foot was still in pain when we got him, we could touch it and he'd let the vet examine it without issue. If it hurt, the most he would do is reach back and lightly nibble whoever's hand.

[Cathy]

As our Nik got older (around 12), we noticed him starting to flinch, flatten his ears, and cock his head when we approached his head from above to pet him, even slowly. We began instead approaching petting him from below his muzzle, and he'd be fine. We at first suspected (incorrectly) that a 12-year-old neighbor was popping him on the head.

Good thing we didn't accuse her -- in our case, it turned out that Nik was beginning to lose his eyesight a bit, and apparently a hand approaching from above had become somehow startling. He never did lose his eyesight completely (he lived to almost 17), but the hand thing remained startling to him to the very end. Until we figured it out, it was pretty embarrassing to take him places and have him react like that when a stranger asked to pet him. It sure looked like we beat him!