Extremely Shy Puppy

Thank you so much to everyone who responded! A Sheltie puppy is a new experience for us since we got our Maggie Mae when she was 2.5 years old as a rescue. Also, she is very social. My goal today is to find a Martingale collar for him! Also, to enroll him in a class as of the November 1.

Thanks again everyone!! Oh, yes, and the clicker! When Buddy is frightened or pulling on the leash, he doesn't seem to be able to focus on me at all. I think the clicker and the treat will be a great incentive!! :yes:
 
Everyone pretty much covered it.

Socialize, socialize, socialize and praise with treats. If a stranger wants to pet her, ask them if they'll give her a treat first. This will help her associate strangers with something positive.
 
MaggieMae said:
My goal today is to find a Martingale collar for him! Also, to enroll him in a class as of the November 1.

:
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I 5th the martingale! I know he's too young for the custom collar in the following link, but I just had to send it for when he's older (you need to wait for him to grow out because the collar is not adjustable.....but I and few others :wink2: love them!

http://www.leashesbydesign.com/page8/page13/page13.html


Puppy school will be good for him, but be prepared. Some of the pups can be pretty out there and may intimidate him further until he's ready. Talk to the trainer before hand so that they are aware of his timidness.

When I brought Bacca to puppy school, in the free play session they paired Bacca up with other herding dogs thinking the dogs would just herd each other. Wrong! ....one was an aggressive older rescue collie....Bacca would not leave my legs. He was only 6 months old! Cripes!

And don't be frustrated. You'll see other pups performing wonderfully and you'll want your pup to do the same. Just remember what your purpose is.

When you go to the pet shop, bring your puppy with you. Any chance to slowly acclimatize him will help.

I remember just before I brought Bacca home at 8 weeks, I got an email from the breeder. The last few days, she spent sitting on the front lawn with pup beside her, just watching cars go by. Never push pup further than he's capable of going, because you want to have successes and reward those successes. So if you can only walk him to the end of the driveway, so be it. Do that little walk and stop before he starts to panic. Praise and reward and back inside. Maybe next time you'll make it to the corner.
 
BarbV said:
Puppy school will be good for him, but be prepared. Some of the pups can be pretty out there and may intimidate him further until he's ready. Talk to the trainer before hand so that they are aware of his timidness.
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I don't know that I would jump into puppy classes unless it was only your dog with a trainer. Smudge snapped tonight and almost put my grandmother's pom, Bullet, in her place! :eek2: A dog that is scared can turn into a fear biter in a matter of seconds.
 
Thanks again for the info. I tried to find a Martingale collar today at Petco. They didn't even know what it was! I think I'll need to go to one of the websites. We've been playing fetch with Buddy and he loves it. He does focus completely and for the most part seems fearless while he's fetching unless he hears something unusual! Off to get a collar from one of the websites!
 
MaggieMae said:
Thanks again for the info. I tried to find a Martingale collar today at Petco. They didn't even know what it was! I think I'll need to go to one of the websites. We've been playing fetch with Buddy and he loves it. He does focus completely and for the most part seems fearless while he's fetching unless he hears something unusual! Off to get a collar from one of the websites!
Click to expand...

Here's a couple of sites...

http://www.mypetspecialties.com/p-46-fido-finery-martingale-dog-collar-collars.aspx

http://www.2houndsdesign.com/X-Small-Dog-Collars-c-5.html

I also know that Petsmart carries them.

Do try to get as narrow a band as possible. I also prefer the variety, where the martingale part is chain rather than fabric. It slides faster - and still without choking if you fit it right.
 
I bought Kasey's collar at Petco but they called it something different (which of course I can't remember for sure) - a half check collar maybe? Looks just like the pictures of a martingale though. It is adjustable but the nylon part is a bit thick. It would make a mess of her ruff if she had one.

At what age is it safe to invest in a nice one? She is 8 months old, so I hope she's about done growing but I've heard they fill out for a while yet. I don't want to put much money into one she will grow out of in a few months.
 
when my puppy meets new people, especially kids, I ask them to give her a treat before they pet her. This always calms her nerves and she begins to trust them and then all she does is want to play with them. It's helps her associate people with something good.

I think puppy classes is a great idea. Yes, a scared dog can become aggressive, but if she doesn't get over her fear as a puppy, she will most likely be timid the rest of his life. It's a lot easier to socialize a puppy then an adult dog. Puppies are very impressionable.

My friend's shiba inu came over and Bailey was very scared at first. She was hiding behind the furniture. I just ignored her when she jumped for me to pick her. All I did was get her to play with a toy ball and I petted the shiba at the same time. After about 10 minutes, she was running around and wrestling with him.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/State...ref=ts#/photo.php?pid=3423022&id=149028321525

Another tip, unless your dog is in danger then ignore her fear or shyness. Don't pick him up or give him attention for being scared. If you do that then you're letting him know that it's okay to be scared. Ignore unwanted behavior and praise her good behavior.
 
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Thank you all for this helpful information - yesterday I tried to take Buddy for a walk (still don't have the proper collar, but thought I would try it). He couldn't focus at all. I had treats and called his name but there was no response - just pulling and jumping with fright. Not for the first time, my husband and I thought about trying to place him. We're at a stressful point in our lives and Buddy is adding so much stress to us and our gentle, older Sheltie.

We both think he's getting a bit "stranger" as he gets older. It's so hard to describe how he sits and stares at us and won't come to the gate - yet sometimes he won't leave us alone and can't stop trying to eat the carpet!

It may be decision time - so hard.

Thanks again for all your help!

Julie
 
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