You might want to check out the website Working with a fearful, scared or shy dog to learn more about how to handle scared or abused animals. Remember that depending on the animal and the situation the changes you want to see will take a varying amount of time. Dogs that were not properly socialized may never be the same as dogs that were and wolves, just by virtue of being wolves rarely become as adept at interpreting people, as dogs do.

Books I'd suggest include

The Cautious Canine
Calming Signals

You need to understand counter conditioning, desensitization, triggers and thresholds and the more you understand about body language the better.

Good luck!

Debbie

Thanks a ton for your specific information, I'll be taking a look at your suggestions!