Originally Posted by debbieumphress
BTW it does matter because in a previous post, this is a rescue dog and is 5 yrs old and no telling how she was abused in the life before Craftybear rescued her. I think it is relevant. Just saying...these are the facts that weren't on this post.♥♥
No, I still don't believe it matters. One of our rescues, Charlie, was four when he became a member of our household. He had been neglected and abused, and locked in a small crate in the backyard of a house on an army base (think firing range) for at least two of those years. When he came to us he was terrified of EVERYTHING. During thunderstorms, if the TV was loud, if we were loud, when my husband practiced his tuba or bass, when a truck went by...any loud noise sent him under the furniture, where he would pee and shiver until a good hour after everything stopped.
He is no longer afraid of anything except thunder, which we're still working on. He no longer hides for any reason, including thunderstorms, and hasn't peed out of anxiety since the first month he was here.
We don't coddle him - it does not help him. He trusts us more every day; we've all worked hard to ear that. This was not a short time deal - he's been with us for 2 1/2 years. We aren't perfect leaders, and he had some serious issues coming in. But the progress he's made has been transformative, and he's a far more relaxed and happier dog today for our efforts.
For what it's worth. :)