Aw, poor little guy. 
I'm so glad he has you to love him!! You've gotten some great replies, so I just wanted to give you some encouragement that he CAN overcome his fearfulness. Our older dog, Dixon, spent her early puppy months in a home with a woman who is VERY loud, screechy, she stomps around a lot, etc. (She happens to be my mother-in-law. ) Every dog she has ever had ended up being a nervous wreck.
Dixon was definitely no exception. She was the most skittish dog I'd ever seen! She's 7 now, and even up until earlier this year, the slightest sound would make her jump/send her cowering. We worked with her so much on it, gave her lots of love, and although it got a little better, she stayed fearful of loud sounds.
Then, in January, we brought our two new puppies into our lives. I never expected this, but those little puppies helped her overcome her skittishness. The two puppies are confident and fearless... seriously, nothing phases them. And Dixon has been picking up on their confidence! It's amazing. I always dread the Fourth of July because Dixon freaks out and hides under the bed, but although she stayed inside with my husband and me for the most part while the puppies went out (totally unphased by the booming -- they would cock their heads curiously then go about their playing), she wasn't trembling and cowering like she always had.
So, I guess I'm saying that lovemygreys is 100% on the money with this:
In the meantime, giving him plenty of love and positive attention can only be good for him. He's so new to your home, part of his anxiety is probably the anxiety of being in a completely new place. As he gets used to his surroundings and gets love from you, he will relax a bit.
I feel for you... I know it's heart-breaking to see a dog being so fearful... but I know he can get better... I'm so glad he's got a great, loving Mom now to give him the wonderful life he deserves!
I'm so glad he has you to love him!! You've gotten some great replies, so I just wanted to give you some encouragement that he CAN overcome his fearfulness. Our older dog, Dixon, spent her early puppy months in a home with a woman who is VERY loud, screechy, she stomps around a lot, etc. (She happens to be my mother-in-law. ) Every dog she has ever had ended up being a nervous wreck.Dixon was definitely no exception. She was the most skittish dog I'd ever seen! She's 7 now, and even up until earlier this year, the slightest sound would make her jump/send her cowering. We worked with her so much on it, gave her lots of love, and although it got a little better, she stayed fearful of loud sounds.
Then, in January, we brought our two new puppies into our lives. I never expected this, but those little puppies helped her overcome her skittishness. The two puppies are confident and fearless... seriously, nothing phases them. And Dixon has been picking up on their confidence! It's amazing. I always dread the Fourth of July because Dixon freaks out and hides under the bed, but although she stayed inside with my husband and me for the most part while the puppies went out (totally unphased by the booming -- they would cock their heads curiously then go about their playing), she wasn't trembling and cowering like she always had.
So, I guess I'm saying that lovemygreys is 100% on the money with this:
Of course, I realize it's not always practical to bring another new pup into the home, especially when you just adopted one, but there are other ways to give him this confidence-building. You could seek out a confident, well-behaved dog in the neighborhood and let them gradually get to know each other. With regular play dates and maybe even walks together, it could only be good for your pup. Obedience and/or agility classes are another great confidence-booster.
In the meantime, giving him plenty of love and positive attention can only be good for him. He's so new to your home, part of his anxiety is probably the anxiety of being in a completely new place. As he gets used to his surroundings and gets love from you, he will relax a bit.
I feel for you... I know it's heart-breaking to see a dog being so fearful... but I know he can get better... I'm so glad he's got a great, loving Mom now to give him the wonderful life he deserves!
