I have reched my boiling point

I think you've gotten some good advice here - including that many rescue dogs do come with "excess baggage". I know my "Lottie" STILL has issues. She'd always been a "kennel dog" until I adopted her about 2 1/2 years ago - I saw her picture online and fell in love with her, she looked sooooo vulnerable and so sad - and tho I had no plans to add another beagle to the pack, something about her "called" to me. I'm so glad it did, as she came with many physical problems as well as "psychological". The day after I picked her up at the airport, I took her to my vet (as I always do with ANY dog I add to the pack), and he immediately performed emergency oral surgery on her - removing 7 abcessed and/or broken teeth - and in the process discovering that her little jaw had been broken at some time, and he removed a dime-sized chunk of dead, black bone from her jaw. She also had an ear infection - tape worms, and a uterine infection. She was extremely shy, cowering at any loud noise or sudden movement. She is so much better - but it's taken a lot of work and love with her and she STILL cowers at times :eyes: . With your permission, I'd like to ask my co-manager on my beagle group for HER advice - she's helped me a lot - and is very knowledgeable. Let me know if it's alright to seek her advice. She's VERY good with training issues.

I really think she has some "baggage" - and you'll probably never know what it is - just as I don't know what my Lottie's "baggage" is - she is soooo much better than she was when she came here, but it still breaks my heart when she "cowers" at noises or movements. She DOES love all of us (daughter, son in law and me), but we all have to be very careful. If I call her with a treat in my hand, she won't come UNLESS I get down to her level - then she'll come get it - otherwise, she just sits and looks at me. If I kneel down with the treat in my hand, she'll come get it. She likes to sleep with me and curls up on my arm, she loves to be talked to and petted.
Here's my "scared little girl", "Ladmar's Whole Lotta Trouble" - aka "Little Lottie".

Interesting you mentioned "research labs" - I live near a major university with a huge vet teaching hospital - while they won't admit that they use dogs for research, they DO. I've known several people who have adopted these dogs when the labs are through with them (they SAY they're doing food research). Anyway, these dogs have many problem adjusting to life outside a lab - many have never been on grass, know nothing of life outside a cage. Often they wind up in shelters or rescues because of the problems adjusting to "real life". It takes a LOT of patience with this dogs to get them over their "baggage". And you probably know that MOST of these dogs are beagles. :angryfire: A few years ago a friend of mine who worked at the university called me in a panic - "Glenda can you help they have between 100-150 beagles that they need to find homes for asap or they'll be put to sleep". I did what I could to help - posted them on many boards - and several of my beagle group members wanted to adopt them - BUT when I finally was able to get through to a HUMAN at the university, was told "I don't know where you got your information, but we don't have any beagles here". I got a major run around - it seems the university was a little "paranoid" to admit to using dogs (and other animals) for research purposes because they were afraid of PETA and their tactics. We contacted the Seattle Beagle Rescue, and they were able to save the remaining beagles. I do know some vet techs there who have QUIT because of research done there. Needless to say, RESEARCH is one of MY personal PET PEEVES.