New puppy-she was abused and abandoned

It's possible she had little or no human contact before you got her.  Do you know that someone actually abused her?  Dogs without any human contact are sometimes very fearful of humans but that should improve with time.  Her young age is a big advantage.  I would caution you not to allow her to spend too much time with your other dogs.  This will increase her bond with them but will work against you as far as becoming socialized to humans.  The critical socialization period for dogs ends at around 16 weeks of age.

This might be very helpful to you.  All puppies are not created equal and this article explains why some puppies have to go at a slower pace in the socialization process.  http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/can-too-much-socialization-ruin-puppy

Good luck with her and I think in time you'll see a big difference.  You might want to read some other articles written by animal behaviorists on the subject of puppy socialization.  Dr. Sophia Yin, Patricia McConnell and Jean Donaldson have websites with lots of helpful articles.

 Good for you wanting to help this baby!  At her age, you should be able to overcome most if not all of her previous bad experiences. 

 Having other dogs in the home, already socialized, will help LOTS!  I am not surprised she took to them quickly!  Instinct, the pack mentality, is strong with dogs. 

 My Tasha is a survivor / rescue from a puppy mill.  She was almost age 5 years when the rescue pulled her out of there.  For her, rehabilitation is a life long process.  I've had her 3 years and she has come a LONG way.  This is a link to the steps we take with mill rescues.  You may find this helpful as you go along:  http://www.smallpawsrescue.org/newsletters/images/rehab.html  I think from "Handling" to "Trust" will help you.

You are so right, moving slowly with her.  And treats will be the best way to communicate with her! Tasha overcame many of her initial fears by watching and emulating behavior of my other dogs, and by me offering her treats.  The rescue I used to volunteer with would only place a mill rescue in a home with an already socialized dog, and so many times even now, I see Tasha looking to the others to see if they are nervous, or eager to try something new.

 Best wishes, and hope you can share some photos with us!

 

Hi Jackie, Thank you for the great advice. I am headed over to the link you sent me. We do know that she did not have much contact with humans. When she did I'm assuming it was not a pleasant one. I shared this in my intro post and will share it here to. Maybe it will help me a bit more on how to care for her and do the right things. Intro-Sadly I found out from the rescuer we got her from That the people before her shot & killed Willows Mom and Dad. All because they could not find homes for them. That said a lot to me! I don't know how the rescuer we got her from saved Willow & her two brothers, but I am so thankful she did! I didn't know that about the animal bonding and it working against me! I am learning new things every day. I will make sure we do equal amounts of both. Thank you also for the names of other animal behaviorist. I will research them as well :-).

ladymagnolia

I didn't know that about the animal bonding and it working against me! I am learning new things every day. I will make sure we do equal amounts of both

I put part of your quote in bold because that's the key part.  I don't want you or anyone to think I was suggesting she not be allowed to play and interact with your other dogs, only that dogs being dogs, will naturally enjoy spending time with their own species. That's why it's rarely a good idea for people to adopt litter mates.Often the pups prefer spending their time with each other and become very hard to train as adults.  A fearful of human pup would naturally feel safer with other dogs until she gets comfortable with you and others.  I'd suggest feeding her by hand, if possible, as food is one of the most powerful tools in dog training. 

Good luck with her and I'm glad she's got a safe home with a new family to love.

Hi Jackie, That thought never crossed my mind. Willow needs all of us. And your right about litter pups being kept together. When our Chihuahua Chelsey had her two babies-we decided to keep them both. They clung to each other for dear life. So I understand that not doing this properly could back fire on me. I thought your advice was great and it made it easier for me to have another good & positive step towards Willow being a happy baby :-). Thank you.

First of all just wanted to thank you for getting a dog in need. You obviously care and that is the best start. All the advice on the thread has been fantastic so far - you do need to socialize Willow with both humans and dogs. And just as a reminder, I know it can be really difficult at times when things seem disheartening and there doesn't seem to be progress, but there is nothing more rewarding than seeing your pups become healthy, happy adult doggies. Just wanted to wish the best of luck!