I know how you feel b/c I have the same problem. I rescued Titan almost a year ago from an abusive home. He lived for the first 9 months of his life in an abusive home ( I dont know how long they were treated that way though) to the point where he is scared of men and even shys away from some women who are larger in size (like the woman and man who had them). He loves kids however, but I also get the skittish reaction at the pet store. I keep taking him weekly to Petsmart b/c he does a little better each time in public. And oh boy- if anybody ever accuses me of abusing my dog they better watch out b/c they're lookin for a fight. That dog lives a life of luxury compared to what he started out as. IF someone does mention something about him being scared, I usually just say "well he had a rough few months of his life, but he's doing much better now that he's came to live with us". That is subtle enough to get the point across (to MYOB) without telling info that really doesn't pertain to them.