Expert: Jannie Balliett - 8/4/2010

Question
My husband and I recently [3 weeks ago] adopted a beautiful female fawn boxer [Liz] who is estimated to be about 2 1/2 years old. I have had boxers since I was 2 years old and my relatives are all boxer owners so we are familiar with the breed. There wasn't much information available on her past so we are starting from scratch and using a lot of guess work in establishing her history. The rescue organization and our vet [who owns Boxers] strongly believe that she was abused and breed way too soon and continuously. She has taken to me quite well and established trust with me quickly. She follows me everywhere I go and keeps me within eye sight at all times. She likes my husband and will now be alone with him [she wouldn’t go near him for the first week] and has even started “wrestling” with him a little.
We are constantly giving her praise and making sure that she knows she is loved. Whoever had her before us beat her into submission as she is always looking over her shoulder and won’t even eat until you confirm at least twice that it’s okay. We bought her a ham bone when she came home the first day and she just starred at it with a questioning “what am I supposed to do with this” look until I put it in her mouth. Even after that I had to reassure her that she could have it. I’ve never seen a boxer who didn’t pounce on a bone the second you put it in front of them… We know that things are going to take time with her but we are really concerned about how scared she gets and are wondering what the best things for us to do are.
I take her for walks 3 times a day around our neighborhood and she doesn’t bark [hasn’t made any noise in the few weeks we’ve had heard besides a couple of whimpers and small growl at my father] or really even notice other dogs but if any male person comes around she tries to run to the other side of the street or hide behind me. She’s timid around other women and children too but adjusts after a few moments but with men it takes hours before she is even slightly calm. My parents came over to meet her and she took a few minutes to warm up to my mom but she wanted nothing to do with my dad and kept running around the house to stay away from him. My dad was so sad, he’s owned 7 boxers over the years and has never had one so scared.  My parent’s have a 4 year old neutered male and an 8 week old male puppy that she hasn’t met yet because after her first vet visit we found out she had giardia so we are waiting for that to pass before they meet.
She also avoids sprinklers and refuses to drink out of the hose [I can get her in the bathtub for a bath though]. We’ve had a few thunderstorms recently and these are the worst for her. Her poor little body just shakes almost to the point that she seems to be seizing.  The same thing happened the one time I’ve had to scold her for getting food off the counter [my fault for having it there]. I didn’t even really raise my voice… Our vet gave us a mild sedative to use this weekend since we are moving to a new place [with a fully fenced yard for her] and I was concerned with all of the people that will be coming in and out to help us move. My family has never used sedatives so I’m a little unsure what to expect.


Answer
Besides being abused, she was probably left outside and suffered through rain and thunder storms, so she is afraid and always will be. That will never change now.

She is not used to anything and has not been exposed to normal things-- so it will take time, more than 3 weeks, to learn everything and experience everything.

This will take months of exposure and getting use to things.

Be patient.

She is gentle and loving, so gaining your trust is a key.

She might be scared of people that remind her of her abuser(s) so she will shy away from them. She might learn to trust them, and she might not.

Accept her the way she is, and keep encouraging her, be patient for her learning, and give her love and your trust.

She will change within 4-5-6 months.