She is so traumatised by her past she thinks everybody wants to hurt her - but rescuers refuse to give up on finding her a home.
Little Elsie, who is between 10 and 11-months-old, was rescued from abusers in Romania and flown over to the UK for a second chance at life.
The mixed breed is currently at Oakwood Dog Rescue in Hull - but is in desperate need of a loving home.
A spokesperson said: " Dogs like Elsie have been under socialised with people.
"The only interactions they will have had with people prior to arriving at the rescue centre will have been negative – consisting of abuse, beatings, dragged on a catchpole and scruffing, if not more.
Sign up to our TeamDogs newsletter for your weekly dose of dog news, pictures and stories.
"The treatment of puppies is not any different and can really affect their view of people."
Since arriving as an emaciated and terrified puppy, Elise has been slowly learning how to trust humans.
"Elsie is still very timid; we have been hand-off with her so that she doesn’t have to fear that we are going to hurt her or force her to do anything she is not comfortable with," the spokesperson added.
"She has made progress since this time; she will come over for treats and investigate people, but she is not ready for touches or strokes."
Elsie is a "project dog" who will need a good amount of time to settle into her home - and will need an owner who is willing to let her take as long as she needs to get there.
The spokesperson said: "Dogs like Elsie usually do not progress past a certain point in rescue, and most progress will be seen once she has fully settled into the home environment.
"We know this because we have rehomed lots of dogs that were just as timid as Elsie that have gone on to really bond with their owners, learn to walk on the lead and live fantastic lives."
Elsie is brilliant with other dogs and gains confidence from them. She displays submissive body language and just wants to be their friend.
"She needs a confident dog, or dogs in the home to help her to progress and learn from them," the spokesperson adds.
"She will be a dog that you don’t need to do much with for a good while, your current pooches will be the best teachers for Elsie, and she will begin to mimic their behaviours."
As Elsie is very shy, she will need to live in an adult-only home or a home with child over aged 16. She has not been tested with cats.
The spokesperson said: "We understand that dogs like Elsie are not for everyone, we have had applicants admit that they have not experienced dogs as timid as ours before despite having years of dog experience.
"Yet, we have had many first-time dog owners adopt and succeed with very timid dogs – all it takes is patience and taking on board advice from staff.
"Many rescues would overlook dogs like Elsie, but we believe that she has lots of potential in a home and deserves a chance at happiness.
"Adopting Elsie will be an incredibly rewarding journey, seeing her enter the home as a timid dog and working with her to become a loving, trusting and valued member of the family is one of the best journeys you could ever embark on."
If you're interested in rehoming Elsie, or any other dogs at Oakwood Dog Rescue, contact their team via adoptions@oakwooddogrescue.co.uk.
Do you have a dog story to sell? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
