abused dog

Question
QUESTION: hi patti..just over a year ago we found a stray cocker spaniel, about 2 and a half years old. as things turn out, he had been abused pretty badly. he is much better now, but we are trying to teach him how to play. he will play with our other dog, but we are trying to teach him, for example, how to play fetch with a ball. do you have any ideas on good ways to  do this? thank you!

ANSWER:
Hi James,

Your dog may not have been poorly socialized as a puppy, and so he didn't learn to play. At this point, he might learn to play, but he might not.

If your Cocker Spaniel is submissive (as many dogs who were abused are) playing tug of war style games is a good way of building his confidence. Unlike dogs who are dominate, a submissive dog can gain confidence when you allow them to win.
When starting to teach your dog to play tug of war, begin gently and allow him to instigate any rough play. Shake a towel, dog toy in front of him and tell him "get it". When he takes the towel or toy into his mouth and pulls, release the towel and LET him win. Then praise him generously. As your dog builds confidence and begins to pull more on the towel, offer a little resistance and tug back, but always let him win, and then praise generously.

You can try teaching him how to fetch, but if he enjoys playing with your other dog, and going on leashed walks with you, that's perfectly acceptable. If your other dog tolerates the Cocker, be sure to include him or her when playing fetch. Your Cocker might learn the finer points of the game from the other dog.

You can read about how to teach your dog to fetch here:

http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/85/Teaching-Your-Dog-to-Play-Fetch.aspx
http://www.trainyourdogmonth.com/tips/playwithtoys.aspx

When playing with your dog, act excited about the toy and the prospect of a game. Excitement is infectious, and he should at least start to focus on the toy. Some people have success by putting a toy on a string and dragging it along the ground. Your dog's instinct should kick in and he'll follow it.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi Patti and thank you again!  this cocker spaniel is not submissive; if he does not like what you did, then he will bite, so you need to have very fast hands. he can not be petted unless you show that there is nothing in your hand. when you wants you to pet him, he will slap your hand with his paw; if he does not do that then dont pet him. he will howl in his sleep about a time or two each month. he used to do that more but since he has been here over a year, his howling in his sleep is less. if i had a pic of him when he first got here, you would see the results of severe neglect. i was petting him one time and felt something that to me could be a broken bone that did not fuse correctly. we took him to the vet and someone had kicked him and broken that bone; that happened long ago. so anyway, is there any way you know of to teach a dog with this kind of temperment to play?  and thank you again!

Answer

Hi again James,

Your dog actually has a lot of issues, and not playing is the least of them. It just might be that because of your dog's earlier life, he never learned how to play, so it's not going to be something he wants to do now. Keeping him well exercised could be all the "play" he needs.

In your earlier message you didn't mention the aggression issues. Because of that, you should not play tug of war games with your dog.

You should get a referral from your vet for a a certified dog behaviorist. If your vet can't give you a referral, you might be able to find one here:

http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/caab-directory

http://iaabc.org

Best of luck,

Patti