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Abused Aussie

by Micky
(Howe, IN, United States)

I and my husband just adopted n Aussie named Rusty. He is 7 yrs old and was abused by the man that used to have him. A lady took him in and cleaned him up and I am getting Rusty from her. Rusty is very touchy about having his collar grabbed and if you do he will show you his teeth and also he was locked in a cage. I am wondering how I can get him to trust men again as he will be my husband's and my dog.

Comments for Abused Aussie

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EFT for Abused Pets, and Behoavior-Modification Discipline
by: Horsense

Learn how to 'reprogram' your dog, to trust his new pack (with 'EFT'), and learn how to discipline him so that he will see you as his *pack leaders*.

'EFT' = Emotional Freedom Technique.

My sister adopted an abused Rottweiler mix, for her boyfriend. The dog had reportedly belonged to some heartless drug-dealers, and the people she got it from had actually 'stolen' it from that 'situation'. However, over a period of about a year, it had never bonded with anyone in the family, or their pets. It never played with or trusted anyone. I wanted things to go well for the dog in its new home, so I did some 'EFT' on the dog, for fear, anger, and any negative feeling that might have been stored in its energy meridians. I directed that it would release all those negative feelings (naming each one separately) and that it would trust its new owners as well as its new doggy-siblings. The next day when she brought him home, he got along fine with her dogs, and also with her boyfriend. They bonded well!

You can learn how to 'do EFT' yourself, or, hire an EFT coach who is experienced with treating abused animals.

"About EFT and This Site"
- What is EFT?
- - How do I learn EFT? www.eftuniverse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=3337

When I used EFT on my Rottie, she became much less aggressive toward my other dog, and much less likely to become defensive when out for walks & we came upon aggressive dogs behind fences. (She had always lunged toward them, before, but began to ignore them.)

I also did things to support those results, like teaching her to eat *only* after me *&* when I say 'OK'... to only go through gates & doors *after* me... to stay off of furniture (except her bed)... not to jump on any people... and, to play with the toy of *my* choice at *my* time, rather than letting her make the choices!...

To be the 'pack leader' in your dog's mind, you *have to behave like one!* (I also saw where someone recently suggested getting one's own scent on their dog's food before feeding them, because a pack leader in the canine world provides the pack's food, and that is another reinforcing technique.)

Abused Aussie
by: Richard Bryant

Lots of love, trips to the dog park and maybe find if he takes to the ball or Frisbee or other activity. Out of our 3, Jack is ball/Frisbee crazy, Zoey is the agility dog and Ozzie the goofy herder.

Bless you and good luck.

Abused Aussie
by: Hamilton, Ontario

I too rescued an Aussie and building trust takes time. The first thing I did when we brought her home was to call a trainer for professional help as I did not want to do more damage. Also, make sure friends and family are aware and set boundaries for them when interacting with him. We have had our Aussie now for 2-years, she is still apprehensive of men but we have learned to read her body language and are aware of her insecurities. She is a great dog, very loving and is now my grand-daughters best friend. Set your Aussie up for success and keep us updated.

Tough Deal for the Dog
by: Mike

I would find a dog trainer with the CPDT-KA certification in your area. They can help with assessment and behavior issues.

http://www.apdt.com/join/certification/

You can search out a trainer from this link on the left side.

It is going to take patience, love and time.

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