I have rescued a 5 month old male rottie tonight
seems the idiot that owned it before had brought the pup from
a man in the pub while he was drunk.
the wife doesnt want it and feeds the pup when she remembers
and the pup has certainly been punished very harshly :( :(

I let him out in the garden while I cleaned up after my dogs
and the poor thing scaled the wall and gate to get away from me
( I had a long handled poop scoop), i think he thought i was going to use it on him.

Every noise is making him jump,I know nothing about his diet....
what would you recommend for a pup with no history/
I feed BARF and feel it may be a little too much (fresh meat).
Any help from people who rescue would be appreciated as i have never had a pup in this state.

Aaaaah poor boy ! Credit to you for taking him in..by the sounds of it he just needs some food... any food..little and often to build him up.Maybe a chicken and rice diet for now which is very gentle.
Think the biggest problem will be character building..gently does it methods.Bless him. Give him a ((((((((hug))))))))
Tracey

The poor lad :(
He's going to be wary of the uncertain for a while until he learns he can trust you. The way to a dogs heart is through his stomach (I'd rather feed a dog than a man ;) )...little and often like Tracey said.
Gentle ((hugs)) for the lad, I hope everything works out for you both :)

JacquiN
I'd rather feed and hug a dog than a man LOL :D
tracey

...Agreed! :D

i know how you are feeling i to rescued a dobe,any loud voices or shouting and he runs and hides,also if he is out having a run and when i call him back,if i have the lead in my hand he will cowl down as if i am going to hit him with it(with is embarressing ?if peaple are watching) i am sure people think i have done this.
i would be grateful if some body out there has any ideas how he can get over this.He now gets loads of cuddles but still very nervous

Sammie
Time is the greatest healer :)

How sad.I would try barf but I would also try handfeeding some of his feed and speaking very calmly to him while doing so(probably have to be down at his level while doing it).It might help build some trust.
Good luck Archer

Well done for rescuing the poor fellow, I agree with the others that time will help, just be very calm and gentle and try to not tell him off at all for anything for a time until he has really settled in and trusts you :)

If he does get scared just be "jolly" or ignore him, depending on the situation, but don't soothe him or he will think he is being praised for being scared.

Odds are he hasn't been socialised at all so when you feel he has bonded with you a little, I would conocentrate on this, and maybe enrol with a sympathetic trainer and go to classes to help with this too :)

Lots and lots of luck

Lindsay

I always found the best way of gaining confidence is to sit beside the puppy with a book and read ,
Now and then look at him and say his name and let a little titbit near your feet so he will approach you if he wants the treat .. Just take it easy and he will come round .
Mari

Hi Carolyn
Like the others have said, well done for rescuing the poor thing.
Our previous dog was a rescue dog, Sheba was a 14 mth old, GSD X. Poor thing was so scared of my husband (wasn't bad with me, but still not 100%). Anytime he went to her to give her some attention she would cowar down and wee on the floor, she was a very nervous dog. We obviously realised that she'd been mistreated by her previous owner, obviously the man of the family and she thought that all men were bad! When we had visitors we told them to ignore her until she came up to them, and when she did she was fine with them. She just had to learn to trust them first. It took us a good 18 mths before she was fully out of this behaviour, but after the initial 18 mths she turned out to be brilliant. After 1 yr we had our first child, naturally some of the family were worried how she would react with having a baby in the family. When Adam was about 1 yr old he sat on her back, bent down and bit her ear (poor girl!), Sheba just yelped and walked away. Since then nobody showed any concern about her. We had Sheba for 10 yrs. She unfortunately died in June last year of a heamhorrage. We now have Amber, our 6 mth Labrador who is very much like Sheba in many ways.
What I'm trying to say is if we hadn't have percevered with her we would have lost out on all those years of spending time with a great dog.
It will take time with this poor boy, but it will be worth it in the end.
Sorry if it's a long post, but I hope this helps you.
Good Luck
Lisa

When I was young, my parents took in a dog which was being very badly treated by the father in a family
The dog a mongrel we called Patch was a nervous wreck. It took over 6 months before he would even approach my dad. My dad never done more that speak gently to the dog and at first he never went near him. and while he learned eventually to trust us he remained mentaly scarred for life (18 years) He used to have fits which the vet could not explain, and he would only come out of them with lots of cuddles and gentle carressing. But he was the most wonderful pet. gentle, obedient, in fact everythig you would want in a family pet.
Patch has been dead for 22 years, but, I still think he is the best dog I have ever known.
The dog which is lucky to be with you may eventually get over his early experience with cruel owners, but, he may not. I agree with most other answers it will take time and lots of patience to help the dog, Good Luck

The important thing to remember when showing a (rescue) dog lots of attention, as we tend to do to make up for the fact that they have been treated so badly, is that stroking the head and neck/shoulders of the dog is actually an act of dominance.
The neck and head are the dog most vulnerable area and in nature the Alpha will lean over the neck to underline his leadership.
However cruel it sounds, I personally think its best to totally ignore these shy dogs and if they approach us out of their own free will, reward them with a tidbit or by stroking their chest if they will allow it.

Well I thought you may like an update on the young rottie pup we rescued.
George is a real sweetheart and is now in seventh heaven ( I hope)
he is such a happy little thing his tail (stump) wags all the time and he is eatting really well.:) :) :) :)
he is still a little nervous if sticks or simular are picked up but he is getting better :)
I know we arent allowed to advertise pups but if anyone hears of a home for him would they please let me know.

My respect to you for taking him in like that.
Im afraid I dont know anybody who could deal with a Rottie, but I'll keep my eyes and ears open :)

Carolyn, good on you for taking him in.

The poor baby, he's had a rough ride hasn't he?

I rescued a collie x staffie, and she screamed at everything, even when being stroked on the back of her neck. It was awful. But with a lot of gentle handling and even more love, she's turned into a beautiful happy little girl.

It'll probably take a while to get him to trust you, but it's worth it.

Good luck.

Lisa

(I agree with Jacqui and Tracey...would rather feed and hug a dog than a man! :) )