insecure and barking

Question
We adopted a 9 month old Wolfhound/poodle from a rescue 5 days ago.  He
seemed very comfortable with my 2 girls and husband at the rescue.  He is
calm & sweet but very insecure.  He barks at anyone who enters the room or
comes downstairs.  He avoids people by retreating upstairs.  He runs away
from all of us but has started to bond with me a little and loves affection.  We
tell him "No Barking" and try to praise him when he is behaving positively or
stops barking.  He also whines for no apparent reason.  I ignore him and
avoid eye or physical contact and he stops. He came from a rescue with 50
other dogs and a husband/wife team.  I think he had plenty of dog
socialization but not human.  He was brought to the rescue at 9wks. with his
littermates. He is potty trained and supposedly crate trained.  We are trying to
crate train him so we can leave the house.  He barks and whines when left
outside.  I am most concerned about his barking and sometimes growling at
us.  I am afraid this may turn into aggressive behavior.  He is also so
shy/timid.  I just don't understand.  If around a group of people or in a new
surrounding he keeps his tail between his legs.  We were told not to take him
out on walks or expose him to new people for 2wks. so he can adjust and
bond with us.  I know the owners at the rescue take great care of their dogs
and insist on rehoming any dog that doesn't adjust but we really want to keep
Liam.  I have read a lot in the past several days and it sounds like we missed
out on the socialization timeline.  What do we do next?  His bark is big, loud
and a little intimidating for my girls and newcomers.  We also try to let him
know if we are entering a room or coming down stairs by talking to him
which has alleviated some barking.  I can give you a lot more info if you have
questions.  Thanks for your help.  Tobie

Answer
this rescue had this dog since NINE WEEKS of age and did NOT socialize him to people?? Unconscionable.

Your first description portrayed this puppy/adolescent as shy (insecure) and avoidant.  THEN you mentioned that he is "growling" at you (YOU, meaning your children, also??)  You need professional intervention, not anything I can offer in a text box.  The dog needs to be evaluated for temperament, observed closely with you, your husband and children, and then taken outdoors for evaluation of behavior among others.  Mind you, he apparently came from a situation where his basic needs (if he is to succeed in a home) have NOT BEEN MET.  Allowing any puppy to bond with his litter mates and NOT socialize him/them to people, situations external to the home, etc. is NOT acceptable.  The dog has been in your home for a mere FIVE DAYS and his avoidance and insecurity, given what was not done for him when it would have made all the difference in his future life experience, are to be expected.  The "growling" is what bothers me, especially at nine months of age.  Find a certified applied animal behaviorist ASAP (call the veterinary school in your geographical area for referral or call around to the high end veterinary practices and see if they can refer someone.)  Don't bring in a 'dog trainer', per se; anyone can be a dog trainer but it takes education and a lot of experience to be certified as a dog behavior expert.

Meanwhile, do not force this dog to interact with anyone; do not reward his fear by petting him, giving him treats, making eye contact; allow him his space; introduce (after the first month) some positive reinforcement training to build his confidence in you; reward his non-fear acceptance and interaction with praise; protect him from any over enthusiasm of the kids (especially since he is growling.)  And for god's sake DO NOT LEAVE HIM OUTSIDE when you're not home!! I think you've bitten off more than you can chew and I'm not convinced this so-called rescue did its job when they evaluated your home for this dog.  I wouldn't adopt any dog to anyone who was planning to leave the dog outside!  Nor do I think it necessary for the dog to be crated if he is house trained.  You may not be a candidate for a rescue dog, not even one from a bona fide rescue organization whose dogs are socialized and carefully evaluated for placement in a home with children and basically inexperienced dog owners.  Without expert in-person evaluation and help, this dog will most likely fail in your home.  I don't mean to be hard on you, but your family situation doesn't appear appropriate for this particular dog.  A growl is a bite waiting to happen. When one has children of any age, one must be sure the dog one adopts is very well socialized to children, their noise, their chaotic behaviors (they're kids after all) and a plethora of other things, including their noisy, chaotic friends!  I doubt this dog will ever be able to happily manage any of this.