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Taming the Forcibly Domesticated Feral Dog

Although it may seem inconceivable in this day and age there are some dogs who continue to live a feral lifestyle. There are many reasons for this; many of them have at least one member of their family that was at one point a beloved house pet who found themselves unwanted at some point of another. They learned to adapt to life in the wild, and this legacy was passed on to their posterity.

Is it possible to make one of these animals into a house pet once again? It is, although the chances of them ever becoming as fully domesticated as their counterparts is slim to none; they will never forget life in the wild, and are going to require a great deal of freedom if they are to willingly remain a part of your home. The chances of a dog adapting to its new environment depend greatly on how it was brought to said environment. There are two likely scenarios; either the dog was captured and brought in off the streets, such as is the case when animal control is called in, or it may be a feral dog who has found you and your home to be a curiosity. The protocol for success varies in each of these situations.

If you are attempting to break a dog which has been captured from the wild and has been forcibly domesticated you are going to find yourself with a fight on your hands. The moment you remove your pet’s restraints they are going to run, far and fast back to the life they have known. It is important before you bring them home that you establish some sort of pen for them where they will be able to run without the impediment of a chain. Within this pen should be some means of shelter, such as a tarp or a large doghouse, where they will be able to find shelter without feeling as though they are caged in. Remember, the feral dog has always been raised in the wild and will object forcibly to losing their freedom. Making them feel as though they are being placed in a cage within a cage will result in them refusing to take advantage of shelter and instead remaining exposed to the elements.

Approach the feral dog slowly. You are going to have to earn its trust before you can do anything else with it, and if it has been captured earning its trust is going to be easier said than done. Approach it carefully. For the first few days or weeks you probably will not be able to either get close or touch it, so it is best that you not even try. Bring the dog food and water daily, being sure that it sees you do so, and then leave. After a while, when it appears to be comfortable with the fact that you bring it food and do not intend to harm it, begin to stay nearby while it eats. Do any number of chores within its viewing range and allow it to become comfortable with your presence. Over time the dog should become curious enough that it will approach the fence to watch what you are doing, and you can take this opportunity to speak to it and, eventually, draw close enough to touch it.

Remember, not all dogs can be domesticated. If the animal repeatedly attacks you or appears to be harming itself in captivity it may be necessary to either let it go or have it put to sleep. It is also essential that prior to bringing such an animal home you allow a veterinarian to establish that it does not have rabies or any other form of illness that will make it unfit for your home.

Working with a feral dog is going to require a great deal of patience and forbearance on your part. This is not an achievement that is going to e made overnight, nor is it going to be, by any definition of the word, easy; however, once you have breached the walls of their reserve and earned its loyalty you will never find a more faithful companion.

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