Timid dog

I know it sounds tough but I remeber a story that my father in laws daddy told me of a dog that he had like that...he had gotten him from a feller that couldnt even catch him after the hunt,, well the feller was gonna get rid of him so he took him.. He told me he had to nearly starve him for a week but he put him in a pen with water and would walk out every evening with a bowl of food in his hands and until the dog would come and get it at his feet he would walk back inside.. It took that long but he finally came to him and ate at his feet. He did say that the dog never did let no one else go close to him,,, just a one man dog..