welllllll, feral dogs are street survivors and have probably suffered a good deal of abuse from humans. Feeding them is always welcomed by then, of course…….but they have to keep their guard up to make sure it’s not a trick.
My mother adopted a dog from a shelter that was abused as a puppy……and we had the dog for like 17 years……and it was still skittish if you moved too fast or came up behind it. We treated her like gold for years, and it still couldn’t shake that basic fear in her…..that someone was about to hurt her.
She eventually let us pet her…….but only a little bit, and then that was enough. She would get nervous that the other shoe was about to drop and then go hide.