Originally Posted by Belle's Daddy

I have a 2 year old rescue Basset. I feel sure she was abused....know for a fact she was abandoned. For the first few months whenever I picked up anything...she would pancake. That is flatten on the floor like she expected to be beaten. This could be a ruler, telephone, flash light, head set.......most anything. Or just reaching up to scratch my head......would make her pancake. Now nine moths later we are getting better. She does not pancake.....just a tuck and runs back a bit. I lay the object down and call her....let her sniff it. While I praise her for being such a brave girl. It helps that our other Basset, who was never mistreated, comes waddling in complete unconcerned....wanting her share of the praise. But I think it will be a year at the very least.....more like two years before we get completely past the pancake syndrome. Some mental scars will never heal....in dogs or people but lots of TLC will get most over their fears. So hang in there.....time and love do heal.