Scared new puppy

shelee said:
Of course we have a Walmart! Ha, its the only thing we basically have and its always busy. I did not think about driving there and sitting in the parking lot. I will try that, but how do I get the puppy to actually not hide under my arm and actually look out the window? Also, I was wondering for the rather short distance to town would you crate her or let her ride in the seat on a blanket?
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Let her hide in the beginning...hold her and talk softly to her so she feels safe in your arms but don't force her to look out the window...as she adjusts to the noises and smells outside the window she will get curious and want to look...but it may take time, even several trips to the parking lot... and that's OK. I never have a dog not crated in my car...it is too dangerous for a dog to ride free...in the case you suddenly have to slam on the breaks or get into even a minor accident a free doggie becomes a projectile and can be thrown against a wall or window and seriously hurt or killed. We had a friend years ago who let their 2 year old sheltie just ride loose on the seat since she was so well behaved in the car. They got into a fender bender, the humans in the car were all in seat belts and no one was hurt, but their little sheltie was thrown into the windshield and broke her neck...she had to be put to sleep. It was heartbreaking for them and they still blame themselves for what happened.
Trini
 
You’ve gotten great advice Here. I know when I got Finnie (he’s 3 now) he was quite fearful of lots of things. One thing I’d add is to take a really really good treat when you go to new places or have new people over. Puppies and dogs won’t take just boring kibble when they’re scared...I’d try very small bits of cheese or wieners cut up very small. You don’t want to use too much because puppies can get diarrhea easily and that’s never fun! Perhaps intersperse kibble with a yummy treat. Puppies, once they’ll take the treat will start to realize that things aren’t quite as scary if they’re eating.
 
Piper's mom said:
You’ve gotten great advice Here. I know when I got Finnie (he’s 3 now) he was quite fearful of lots of things. One thing I’d add is to take a really really good treat when you go to new places or have new people over. Puppies and dogs won’t take just boring kibble when they’re scared...I’d try very small bits of cheese or wieners cut up very small. You don’t want to use too much because puppies can get diarrhea easily and that’s never fun! Perhaps intersperse kibble with a yummy treat. Puppies, once they’ll take the treat will start to realize that things aren’t quite as scary if they’re eating.
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So......my friend brought some sort of little liver treats she gives her Goldens yesterday. She was here 90 mins feeding her treats the whole time convinced she was going to be able to pet Ella. (She failed). Last night at 8 she got diarrhea! She went outside, but also all over me, the rug, and the floor! Thank goodness it was short lived and was over 30 mins but it was alot longer clean up!
 
shelee said:
So......my friend brought some sort of little liver treats she gives her Goldens yesterday. She was here 90 mins feeding her treats the whole time convinced she was going to be able to pet Ella. (She failed). Last night at 8 she got diarrhea! She went outside, but also all over me, the rug, and the floor! Thank goodness it was short lived and was over 30 mins but it was alot longer clean up!
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I am so sorry...that much liver treats is way too much on any dog's system but especially so on a tiny pup. Usually the package that liver treats come in will give you the number of treats safe for different sized doggies...but even for big dogs it is only a few treats. Ella should be fine but it may take a while for her system to get back to normal and if she continues to have diarrhea call your vet...puppies can get dehydrated if the diarrhea continues too long.
I tend to use baked white meat chicken breast that I cut into super tiny pieces...just enough for a pup to be able to taste the chicken. I prefer white meat to the dark meat because the dark is much higher in fat and that can cause issues too. But even with chicken you don't want to overdo with constant treats for a long period of time.
Hope Ella feels better soon.
Trini
 
shelee said:
So......my friend brought some sort of little liver treats she gives her Goldens yesterday. She was here 90 mins feeding her treats the whole time convinced she was going to be able to pet Ella. (She failed). Last night at 8 she got diarrhea! She went outside, but also all over me, the rug, and the floor! Thank goodness it was short lived and was over 30 mins but it was alot longer clean up!
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Liver is VERY rich and should only be given in very small quantities.
So sorry you had to go through that! When my oldest Piper was a pup I took him to a dog show to watch the obedience but had given him wayyyy too much cheese the night before. He had diarrhea in the main aisle of the venue. Talk about embarrassing! Lol
Puppies keep us busy!
 
Piper's mom said:
Liver is VERY rich and should only be given in very small quantities.
So sorry you had to go through that! When my oldest Piper was a pup I took him to a dog show to watch the obedience but had given him wayyyy too much cheese the night before. He had diarrhea in the main aisle of the venue. Talk about embarrassing! Lol
Puppies keep us busy!
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I should have known to make her slow down on the treats. We would no way "make" Ella come to a stranger, but she was convinced Ella would let her pet her. Ella appears fine now, she actually seemed good by 10 pm.
 
shelee said:
I should have known to make her slow down on the treats. We would no way "make" Ella come to a stranger, but she was convinced Ella would let her pet her. Ella appears fine now, she actually seemed good by 10 pm.
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While Ella is still a very young pup I honestly would find some other treat rather than liver...as Piper's Mom says liver is very rich. Also when your friend is trying to pat Ella does she reach over Ella's head to pat her on her head or body? With a shy dog you never want to reach over them, it will always cause them to be fearful. Have your friend just hold out her hand...down very low and let Ella approach...tell your friend not to move her hand at all because it will startle Ella...just let Ella take her time to sniff your friend's hand. This may be all Ella will be comfortable with at first...patience, soft praise and tiny appropriate treats will slowly gain Ella's trust. One method I often used for very frightened rescues was to place on the floor a straight line (about 6' long) of tiny pieces of chicken about 7-8" apart and sit like a statue on the floor without moving at the end of that line. When the pup would eat the treats and come closer and closer to me all I did was talk softly to him/her...absolutely no movement to startle. Sometimes it took several days before I could even slowly reach out a hand toward the pup without causing fear...but Ella probably won't take that long as she doesn't have negative treatment in her background to overcome as so many older rescues sadly do, she just has the normal shyness of a sheltie pup that hasn't had a chance to get to know the world yet.
You and Ella will do fine! :)
Trini
 
Lots of good advice here - definitely slow down the treats and very tiny pieces to avoid the tummy troubles. Shelties are the exact opposite of Goldens so your friend is coming from a different set of expectations. Generally Goldens love everyone and everything immediately. You will have to have a LOT of patience but I'm sure Ella will come around. Just baby steps and feel good about any little spark of progress.
 
Wellness also has some treats called Soft Puppy Bites. They have crunchy too, but not a fan. We actually split the tiny treat into 3 or 4 pieces with a finger nail. Potty, walks, new stuff, all gets rewarded with treats.

Week 1 or 2, anything can cause diarrhea, your water is new, treats are new, even your soil outside is new. If the diarrhea or soft stools keep up, have the vet check the poo. Pups can sometimes get stuff that causes the diarrhea and stress can bring it out.

Deacon drools in the car - motion sickness and nerves - Brodie barfed... I prefer the drooling. One day he blew bubbles with drool. He is slowly getting over it; he is 21 weeks.

Deacon loves people, but is NOT a fan of other dogs. He was 2nd smallest in litter and the other bi-blue boys picked on him. He's a gentle, sweet heart of a puppy - I think his brothers scarred him! He is over-confident in our house, but puppy class was a fail. He loved being passed around to the human groups but had no interest in puppy playtime so he sat and watched. We start puppy obedience next week which I am hoping will be more on his level. He can be in the room, see other dogs, but not have to interact with them. He wouldn't even meet our neighbor's daughter Corgi puppy who is kind, gentle, loving. Deacon wanted NO part of her, literally put his nose in the air when she tried to meet noses with him.

The whole puppy age is overwhelming at times as is. Covid has brought along new challenges. This is a GREAT community of folks who can help with issues. The first year of puppy life is ups and downs to be honest. And puppy life is a lot of work for us humans. It doesn't end after puppy life. Training is an ongoing process. If you think you are in over your head, maybe a soul searching on if this is best for you and if this is best for Ella. Once that soul searching is complete, you stick with your decision - no looking back! :) Either way, you do what is right for you and you will both be happy. Have you contacted the breeder about your concerns with her fear levels? It is all new to her, she is still a baby and will be for a while. Around here, Home Depot, Lowes, Petco and JoAnn's fabric are all dog friendly. I carry a blanket in my vehicle that I lay in the cart. When tiny, pup is in the child area, harnessed to the cart as well as on a leash. As pup grows, they start sitting in the carriage part of the cart. I carry treats and if someone comments on pup, I offer a treat and show how to offer it to pup. If pup is okay with that and allows a pet, good. Sometimes pup refuses the treat, and has no interest and that is okay too. It more about the experience, smelling the scents, hearing the noises, being in new experiences and realizing 'phew, I made it out of there just fine!'. LOTS of praise and pets from you! Hearing the love and excitement in your voice is very powerful in helping them gain confidence in themselves.
 
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