God Bless You,
I know it is hard to believe now, but in a short while, you will not even recognize the dog you wil have as the same one you have now. Our Tibetan Mastiff was 2 last February when we got him from rescue. He was living in doggy h*ll before he was rescued, fostered and we adopted him. His collar had grown into his neck, he weighed around 80 lbs, he was very leery of everyone, scared to walk through doors or any tight area. I literally had to corner him and grab his collar to force him to let me pet him. He would not even take raw meat or bones out of your hand, you had to lay them down and let him pick them up. Now, he squeezes between me and the kitchen counter if he smells something I am cooking that he thinks he wants. He meets me at the door and follows me around if I don't rub the sides of his face and rub noses with him when I come home. He barks and growls at anyone who comes into my house. I don't know what he would do if I didn't intercede and tell him OK. Basically, you have to decide that he is going to be a normal dog and get treated just like his siblings. Force him to accept you and whatever you choose to do with him. I forced Cody to go with me to Petsmart, doggy park, pet fairs, craft fairs, anywhere I could take him to get used to strange people, sights, sounds, etc. Socializing him is going to be your best bet to get him to come around and be comfortable with you and his new life. Just feeding him good food, preferably in at least 2 separate meals, treats and snacks, vitamins if you feel he needs them, supplements like fish oil and Vitamin C are good for him also. Cody has gained over 40 lbs in the last 10 months and grown a new extremely thick shiny coat that feels just like velvet. He takes treats out of my hand, sits, stays, and comes when called. The first time he curled his tail up over his back walking through the house I cried. Your dog is soo young, he will come around quickly and hopefully think his past life was just a nightmare and never happened. Seriously, he is young enough that it should not affect him at all. Good luck with your new boy and I am sure he will come around quickly. It is amazing what children and puppies can go through with seemingly no after effects.
Kathy