Gaining the trust of cocker spaniel who used to be a kennel dog

Question
Hi,  I recently lost our 1 yr old male cocker spaniel to a car.......heart-broken and missing him I just took over the responsibility of taking an abused and/or unsocialized femal cocker who I was told, had been a kennel dog for 4 years.  She is very skittish and shy and runs or bows down when you walk by her.  The first day she hid under my bed and would not come out without me having to pull her out.  I have two very dog-loving boys, as my mother owns her own dog kennel, and I tell them that with alot of TLC and abundance of love and hands on petting, she'll come around.  Am I right by just being patient and teaching my 4 and 8 year old that patience and love is what this dog needs?  Is there anything else I can do to help this poor beautiful breed to trust us?

Answer
Hello.. i know exactly what you are going through. I got a rescue dog and she was the same way. What you need is a trainer that can train the dog with your family at home with gently positive praise methods only. This will help your bond and also help the self esteem of the dog. It will take a while,..it took my dog about a year, but she is great now. Be patient....it will get there....good luck
nancy