The good news is that it is possible to help your dog recover to some degree from past trauma. Your dog will probably always be a little more nervous than other dogs, but with time and patience, you can give them a much better quality of life.
Acute post traumatic stress disorder is the most common form of PTSD seen in dogs. Acute reactions begin occurring directly after the traumatizing incident or incidents and generally subside within three months.
Other important parts of PTSD treatment include daily exercise, play sessions, and positive reinforcement training. Training could take weeks or years. It may not cure the PTSD, but it could help your dog live a healthy, happy life, so long as you limit their exposure to the things that trigger a stressful episode.
Symptoms of PTSD in dogs can include: panic, panting, fearfulness, being timid and clinging to their owners, aggressive reactions in dogs that were never aggressive before, depression, and hyper-vigilance (especially for working dogs and guard breeds).
Dogs may not fully understand their trauma and the details of how it occurred, but their brain will forever remember how they felt in that moment. Because of this, they can be triggered by similar scenarios or objects involved in these events.
Remember, healing from emotional abuse is a slow process, but with patience, love, and the right support, many dogs can make a full recovery.
You can't expect to turn things around after a couple of days. You need to be patient and give your new dog time to accept the new living situation and get over their fear. It can take months or even years for formerly abused dogs to recover and go from a reclusive and scared pooch to a trusting and loving companion.
A quiet bedroom, bathroom, or laundry room can be perfect for this. You can help reinforce the idea by making sure only good things happen in their safe space. Never send your pet there as punishment, and don't invade their territory. Eventually, their safe place will represent the idea that the world isn't scary.
“Dogs and cats may attempt to escape or flee situations where frightened, they may become aggressive when interacted with or if forced out of a hiding spot, may freeze or show avoidance behaviors such as hiding or becoming still, and fidget by pacing, jumping up, or repeatedly pawing at their owners.”
As with humans, exercise can be a great stress reducer. Physical activities like walking or playing fetch help both you and your dog release tension. It is also good to provide your dog with a safe place in the home where he can escape anxious situations. Everybody enjoys a calm place to retreat.
Sit with Them
One of the best ways to get any kind of scared animal to trust you is to sit with them. Don't talk to them or try to touch them, just sit as close as they will let you. This simple act will establish a certain level of trust over time as they recognize that you aren't there to harm them.
While humans take longer to fall asleep after a bad day, the dogs fell asleep more quickly after a bad experience than after a good one. This is thought to be a protective response to stress. But, just like humans, dogs did not sleep as well after the bad experience, showing their sleep was disturbed.
Some nerve injuries can resolve after several weeks or months; however, when total nerve rupture occurs, surgical reattachment is required for regeneration.
Unprovoked aggression, whining, or whimpering. Overly submissive (rolling onto back, tail tucked, urinating) Suddenly avoiding any physical contact. Attempts to bite or scratch when petted.
Dogs experience feelings, just like you and me; happiness, anxiety, fear and frustration. Of course, we can't control some of the factors that may upset our dogs—such as bad weather, loud fireworks or the mailman strolling by. But, similar to life, we can control one thing when raising our dogs: how we act.
“The symptoms of PTSD in dogs are similar to those in humans and include chronic anxiety; hypervigilance; avoidance of certain people, places, or situations; sleep disturbances; fear of being alone; decreased interest in a favorite activity; or aggression,” Teller said.
Although dogs are extremely loyal, part of that loyalty comes from a self-preservation instinct, as they know that if their owner is hurt, their food and shelter arrangements are at risk. If you own a dog that comes from an abusive background, you may notice that he is extra protective.
Signs of abuse and neglect are found in a number of maladaptive behavior patterns. Dogs may have food aggression, aggression toward people or animals, separation anxiety, and fear responses. The body language of an abused dog is characterized by signs the dog is fearful, aggressive, unpredictable, or anxious.
Ensure your home is tidy, quiet, and comfortable for your dog. They should have a little space they call their own; one that is their refuge. Start creating a bond with them through food. They should be fed at the same time and always have access to a fresh, clean water bowl.
While a one-off hit might be forgiven, dogs will find it hard to move on from repeated harsh discipline and it could negatively affect your bond. You should work on positive training techniques and seek the help of a dog behaviorist if you are struggling.
Pet the dog delicately.
Many dog who have been abused are hand shy, meaning that they are fearful when approached by hands. Pet your dog with your palm up under his or her head, not over the head or on the dog's rear end. It isn't an offensive motion if you use the palm up.