today i have become the proud owner of a 10 month old female rottweiler named layla.i went to meet her in her home and she was lovely.the house where i had her from was awful.she is very underweight.so we got her home only to find out she is affraid of every movement and sound and hates men.it has taken me hours and plenty of food to get her to let me stroke her.the problem i have is she will not go near my husband and barks at him and growls and if he puts his hand out to her she cowers.how can we reassure her that he will not hurt her.

I'm not an expert and have never dealt with such a nervous dog.
However this is what I'd do - I would let husband be fully resposible for feeding her and giving her any treats. I'd also get him to not approach her or 'force' any interaction.
She needs to learn to trust him and this will take a long time. If possible he should take her for walks aswell - this could mean you put her on lead etc then hand over to him once you are both out and about.

Well done on taking her on - I wish you lots of luck.

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A dog Possesses Beauty without Vanity,Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.

I'm sure someone more experienced than me will give you some good advice. My mum and dad got their dog when she was 6 months old and she is the same with men she doesn't know. We find that if they sit down and ignore her she will slowly go to them. If she is allowed to sniff them while they continue to ignore her it seems to work quicker than if they try to stroke her too soon. It helps if they have a few little treats that they can then drop for her at this stage. She soon makes friends then. I think it's best to let them come to you in their own time. She'll soon learn to trust you.

Have you just got her? If so everything is going to be strange to her, also it doesnt sounds like she has had very little if any socialisation and if shes afraid of men, then its either she hasnt mixed with many or shes had bad experiences with men.

I would think the best thing to do is to make her a safe area with her bed and maybe some toys so she has somewhere to go while she gets her bearings and works things out if she needs to. Then just give her a bit of space and time to come out of her shell and weigh things up. I wouldnt put her somewhere on her own, just her bed in a comfy corner with a little bit of distance. You need to go slowly and build up her trust especially your other half as shes scared of men. I would tell him just to ignore her at the moment totally, maybe if your sitting watching TV tell him to make sure hes got some tasty treats nearby, and if she shows interest and comes a bit nearer to him maybe put one or gently throw one with no quick sudden movements on the floor a distance away, then slowly build up to see if she will come to him in her own time and when she does, then maybe just offer her a treat again without looking directly at her or speaking to her. If she takes it then try him maybe speaking to her sofftly, then once she seems ok with the sound of his voice, then maybe put his hand out to see if she will sniff it, then see if she will let him softly touch her, then lastly look at her.

Dogs like her can see sudden movements, louder voices and direct eye contact and touch as a threat so it all needs to be done gently and slowly bit by bit at her pace. When she has got used to him it might be an idea if he feeds her in between as well, so she gradully and at her pace associates him/men with good things. Hope this might give you some ideas.

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You have taken on an adolescent Rottie which is a breed that generally goes through quite a strong second fear period around this time and be all accounts she has not had a great start in life.
This will not be easy.

I would just let her settle in right now. No pressure on her whatsoever. Give her a comfy place to hang out and just watch. This ideally would be a crate with a blanket over it or even just under a table with a blanket over it.

If its your husband she is spooked by then he must keep his distance so as to allow her to work out the lay of the land. Toss high value food treats to her from a distance and always allow her to set the pace.

She will need a vet workup but is unlikely to be able for that right now. She is also likely to require some professional help sooner rather than later.

Any new dog needs strict management so make sure that she wears a flat collar and drag leash only while supervised and that she has a place to go to retreat from the world. Apply DAP to her bedding and various areas in the house. Feed all of her meals from your hand by tossing it close to her.

There are lots of great resources that will be important for you as you work with her such as fearfuldogs.com Also having an understanding of doggie signaling will be essential - there is a thread devoted to that in this forum up the top.

You have your work cut out, please get some professional help and give this girl a little time to settle in. Best of luck

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Anne, owned by Rufus & Tripod

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"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

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there was a man in her life at some point but is in prison that is why the lady was getting rid of her.if we raise our arms in the air for any reason she cowers i honnestly think she has been beaten.she is awfully thin to the point you can see her hip bones,ribs and some spine.i know it is going to take time for her to settle in as it is all new to her.just i am not sure about the way to go about it.i am not a first time rottweiler owner as i had one from a pup until she was 12 but never had a behavial problems with her.when i took the new rotty home i commited myself to giving her a lifelong home which i am going to do.im sure with time she will start to trust us all.

Well done for taking her on, welcome 2 the forum as well

It will take time 2 build trust so don't push her, just leave her 2 adjust and try not to put any pressure on her or rush things, everything Sled dog has said makes perfect sense and the way to go with her, would b great 2 c pics of her. Once she is settled and feeling more at home, maybe look at a training class, your OH as the handler may b a good idea if she's more comfortable around him by then, good luck with her and let us know her progress x

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"Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way."
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i cant belive it she has just come to me on her own accord and put her head on my lap.a small step but progress

If you feel out of your depth, if you contact your vets, they will have a list of qualified behaviourist who will assess her and give you a tailor fit programme to work with and work along side of you. In the meantime the above various advice should see you through. Keep us posted how your doing and if you need anymore help in the meantime just sing out, theres always someone here to help.

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You have been given good advice and I agree with Tripod.

It is very early days yet, but I do think, given the traumatic start she has had, that you approach a good trainer/behaviourist (you could try here
Local Dog Trainers - Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK
to give you some advice - perhaps an initial home visit.

Given the behaviour she is displaying, it is really important that you do this right rather than try to muddle through and although these forums can be a help, they cannot replace experience and knowledgeable advice from a trainer/behaviourist who can see first hand how she is behaving (and show you how to handle her).

Good luck