If you are adopting a frightened, emotionally damaged dog, he may avoid your touch until he knows he can trust you. This process can be speeded up considerably if you don't have to coax him out from under beds and corners in order to love on him. Patience is key.

You can use a crate but some dogs become very protective of their space and will be snippy when you try to reach in to touch them. Also, you run the risk of him wanting to stay in the crate for safety all of the time - therefore not making any progress in his socialization. We suggest you try leashing him to the kitchen stove handle. Why the stove? Because it is heavy enough that you don't have to worry about it turning over and falling on him or him dragging it around and thereby scaring himself even more. However, you must first make sure you try it when you are home to observe him for at least an hour. We want to be sure he isn't going to chew the leash or panic and get tangled up in it. Place his food and water in the outer perimeter where he can reach it but not turn it over.

This can also serve as a housebreaking method. You get the small space idea of a crate so that he is not inclined to potty in his area, but it's a little less confining.

Place his bedding next to the stove. This way you can touch him and love on him often and he gets used to being out in the open rather than hiding. Of course, you will take him to the sofa or bed and spend time with him when you can but he will use this method instead of crate training for when you cannot be with him. It will be his 'station' until he progresses to feeling safer and is becoming housebroken. We find it works very well.

Please put him in a crate or station him somewhere else when you need to use the stove. We don't want any accidents.