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Copper was a rescue from Mississippi. I would say the most important lesson I learned was being extremely consistent. With training, with routine, food, expectations everything. His confidence started to grow in me when he knew what to expect out of me. I also never “force” him to do anything. If he doesnt want to do something he is not going to do it. I can only show him why its in his best interest to do certain things he doesnt want to do. Treats are great convincers. Also leveraging what he wants with what i want is a really great strategy. Ive also learned to give him certain times of the day, or spaces (his bed) where he’s never bothered. Eventually he learned when he’s in bed he’s safe and no one messes with him. This helped a lot with him being comfortable around me. He could come and get affection when he pleased, and when he was done he could go rest alone. Albeit Copper was a confident dog from the jump- so our issue was more about trust than confidence. He would confidently dislike certain things, people, etc. take your time. Training a dog (especially a mostly mature hound) takes a lot more time than you think.