Helping a Formerly Abused Rescue Dog Regain Her Trust in Humans

In this in home dog behavior session we worked with Poppy, a fearful Mastiff who was rescued out of an abusive situation which caused her to be extremely fearful of strangers.

Knowing that Poppy is scared of new people, I laid out a trail of high value treats and positioned myself outside of her view from the door to her house. It took a little time, but it was a good investment as Poppy only barked at me once and was eating treats out of my hand within minutes.

Our new trainer Laura was watching the encounter from her car. After successfully meeting Poppy, the guardians called her away so Laura could take my spot to meet this anxious Mastiff the same way. You can watch Laura meet and start earning Poppy’s trust by watching the free positve dog training video below.

It was great seeing Laura start to earn this scared Mastiff’s trust so quickly. I suggested that the guardians repeat this activity a few times this week without anyone at the end of the treat trail to help the dog feel good about the activity. After a few practice runs, Id like to see the guardians arrange for a friend or neighbor to take Laura’s spot at least once a week. This should set the dog up for success and help her build confidence when meeting new people.

Due to the dog’s intense fear and insecurities, her guardian arranged for the amazing Laura to come back to help build on Poppy’s progress.

This dog had a tough start to life, but her awesome guardians have answered the call. Better days for this gentle giant are starting to come into focus. We are so grateful to have been called in to help Poppy regain her trust in humans.