Very timid, frightened rescue dog

We have fallen in love with a beautiful collie at our local rescue centre where we are volunteer walkers. She trembles when out on a lead but does calm down slightly as the walk progress's. There s no background info on her as she has come from the pound but she flinches whenever you move either slowly or suddenly so I have a feeling she may have been abused.
We are seriously thinking of taking her home and giving her the loving home she deserves. However can anyone advise me of what to expect, how to approach desensitising her etc. We have a caravan and go away regularly and obviously want to take her with us, but I'm concerned about introducing her to too many new experiences too soon.
We are a very quiet home with not many visitors, we have a 5yr old granddaughter that regularly visits but she is very gentle and also would understand that the dog needs her own space.
Has anyone done this before and if so what is your advice. We need to act quick cos she is a beauty and will be snapped up really soon - hopefully by us.
I should just add that we have had other dogs in the past so are not complete novices.

Tell me, does this dog interact with you at all when you have her out ie does she initiate and/or maintain eye/verbal/body contact?

Dogs behave very differently in different environments. If she is allowing you to walk her then that is a good sign.
When settling in a timid dog, I think the main thing is to allow them to set the pace. So provide a bed, a place to eat and drink for her then leave her alone. Let her make the approach but don`t make too much of it when it comes.
It takes time for a dog to learn to trust again, but they do learn. It is very rewarding to see them blossom.
When she accepts you - try hand-feeding treats, encouraging her to look at you. When she is comfortable with this, you can start to reward behaviour you want, then move into training using rewards. Positive training helps a dog gain confidence.
I woud take my time introducing new experiences. However, a caravan with people she knows shouldn`t be that threatening IMO. Maybe quiet places to walk though?

No real advice just wanted to say well done you on considering taking on a rescue. I really hope it works out for you all xx

My Jackjack was terrified when I first got him home. Moving into a house seemed to trigger all sorts of flashbacks. He would scream and run, ran straight into walls if I made any sudden moves...

For two weeks I banned all visitors, I ate sat on the floor in the living room and slept on the sofa. I fed him in a bowl on the floor next to me and talked calmly to him all the time, sometimes reading to him from my book, occasionally throwing an extra tasty treat in his direction. After a few days he came and sat next to me waiting for his next treat. I didn't push things, but slowly I built up to scratching his chest before I gave him his next treat. Then one day while I was eating my dinner he reached out and oh so gently put a paw on me to get my attention and even wagged his tail a fraction when we made eye contact... (I think I burst into tears)...

Slowly day by day we built up on the interaction. He loved to play with a ball and with my other dog, so we would break up quiet 'get close to me' sessions with mad run around the garden sessions...

It took time to build up the trust... But I never had a more loyal loving and fab little dog as my Jackjack...

There will be dark days ahead if you bring her home.. But that light at the end of the tunnel is so bright it will shine forever in your heart trust me

Taking a potential rescue dog for a walk is, IMHO, not a terribuly useful way of determining the suitability of the dog for you.

As Sue Sternberg says, most dogs are simply too distracted by smells, sounds and sights of the great outdoors to focus on the potential owner.

Thus the potential owner does not get a good idea of how sociable the dog may be.

This is why very good rescues have a room set up like a living room in a house where the adopter can focus on the dog and vice versa.

Be very careful about making decisions based on going for a walk.

In particular you need to consider certain behaviours in light of the specific breed.

For example BCs which are touch sensitive can have lightening reactions, they MAY choose to move away in the great outdoors, but what about in a confined space where escape is not possible?

You have a 5 year old grandaughter, so you may need to consider how robust this dog is with the fast movements and high pitched sounds that can be associated with small children.

This may be the best dog on the planet for YOU, or it may not, I am slightly concerned that you appear to feel the need to act quickly.

My personal opinion is that the LAST thing you should be considering is making a decision on potential dog ownership based on time..............

After all it is not as if we are running out of potential dogs to adopt is it? There is, unfortunately no shortage........

There is no right TIME to adopt a dog, but there is always the right DOG, the latter is more important than the former.

We adopted 2 rescue dogs in Ireland, one was extremely nervous all his life. We loved him and he was happy and secure with us but he didn't ever manage children or other dogs well. Wouldn't have swapped him for the world though. He died last summer. The other one is flying around at 13, the nosiest, bossiest, gentlest dog you would ever meet. We have just adopted a rescue dog here in Switzerland and the system is different. They insist you take the dog on a 2 week trial before committing. Would that be something to consider? Good luck with your decision

I've fostered a lot of dogs who behave like this. For the vast majority, given their own space and plenty of love, they desensitize well.

Is their scope for taking the dog home with you for a little while? Some of the rescues around here allow this for people who are really interested in a dog, to see how they behave in a different environment. The staff might know more about her usual behaviour, too - has she bonded with any member of staff in particular?

If you've got the time and persistance, I've found timid dogs very rewarding.

Just one word of advice from me......

Patience...

Good luck - you sound perfect for each other

x0x

I remember when I took Jessie a walk at the rescue (also a collie) she just ran in circles at the end of the lead, it was almost like she didnt know how to walk on a lead or was scared of it. But having come from a farm, there is a possibility she'd never been walked on one before.

Once i'd brought her home, she didnt go to the toilet for 3 days, not even for a wee and any kind of movement would have her cowering and trembling. She was an absolute nervous wreck.

However, I think having the other 2 dogs helped her overcome her fears and she started to learn that 99% of things she was scared of (like me throwing a toy) were harmless because the other 2 dogs didnt react negatively.

She can still be timid but has gained an unbelievable amount of confidence and now hardly worries about anything (although a raised voice is guaranteed to still have her concerned). She walks beautifully on a lead now, is settled in the house, loves playing with toys and other dogs and is a very happy dog whos tail wags all the time.

I think sometimes, depending on the dogs background, they dont know what to expect from new situations or people and their behaviour can be extreme but once settled they are a very normal dog.

When I think back to how Jessie was when I first got her, and how she is now, you wouldnt think it was the same dog.