Shy/Timid dogs?

Does anyone have any good resources for shy and/or fearful dogs? We had someone write to us that she got a pug off of CL, and he's very scared of everything, he barks and runs away with new people, etc. She'd like to work with him but isn't sure how to go about it. I gave her some tips, but if you have any articles or good sites, let me know.

Thanks!

http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/product/cautious-canine-dog-training-book

I've heard excellent things about that book.

Here you go, Saira--blessed if I can remember where I got this:

Helping a shy/fearful dog.
Long time back, we were given a list of tips to help a shy, under-confident small dog that was fostered, then adopted. Some of these may be applicable for your girl....or variations. Selected ones helped the small dog:

*Encourge her to do chasey games, when a treat or toy is tied at the end of a string.
And she's encouraged to chase it. Apparently that helps the
submissive dog to 'feel' & act more dominantly.

* Try to protect the dog's personal space. Do not let strangers
overwhelm him, etc. You may not be aware of a passersby
actually petting the dog. It is amazing what really goes on. Do
not allow people (even family members) to pet the dog on the top
of the head or behind his ears. Instead, pat and scratch the dog
on his chest and neck. This is much less threatening to a dog.

* Teach the dog how to play with you. Entice the dog for a game
of chase, with the dog chasing you. If he won't chase you while
you're running, try crawling, yes really. Crawl on the floor on all
fours away from him, then lie down and roll. Cover your face and
make high-pitched whimpering noises. This should entice the
dog to come over to you. This is success, praise the dog and
then walk away and try it again later.

* If the dog is scared of people, instruct people to sit down with
their backs facing the dog. Then, hold out a their hand (behind
them) for the dog with a food treat in it. Gradually, the person
can turn so that they are sideways, and then facing the dog.
Avoid eye-contact until the dog is no longer scared of this
particular person.

* Do not stroke a scared dog and say "It's OK." This is perceived
as praise by the dog and will make it more likely that the dog will
repeat his fear again next time. Instead, give robust pats on the
sides and act happy, pretend there is nothing to be scared
about, and if at all possible, remove him from the frightful
situation.

* Yawning is a calming signal for dogs. When your dog is
nervous or unsure of a situation or person, you (and that person)
should sit down by your dog, turn your head and focus slightly
away from the dog, and yawn continually. I am not talking about
30 seconds of yawning, rather 3-30 minutes of consistent,
passive yawning. Try it, over time it should make your dog more
comfortable.

* It is important to avoid eye-contact, especially if the dog is used
to running away or submissive peeing. When you are able to be
close to the dog, kneel or sit down so you are on his level and
turn your head away from the dog and lick your lips. Continue
doing this until the dog either ceases being nervous, or brings
their face closer to yours in a gesture of friendship. If/when this
occurs, praise the dog's efforts with kind words and a gentle
chest rub, however still avoid eye-contact. Whenever you are
close to a scared or submissive dog, it is important to avoid
eye-contact so the dog will not feel threatened in any way.

* If she's food oriented give visitors/family members some little treats to hold in their
hands & occasionally drop next to her as they walk by.

* Do not over-stimulate or push the dog too far to fast. Let the
dog regulate how close he can get to other people, places and
things. If you push a scared dog too far, you will create a
neurosis that will be more difficult to treat.

* If the dog is scared of human contact, even from you, pet the
dog unexpectedly as you walk by. Do it quickly and friendly, and
then keep walking. The dog will probably be scared and
surprised, for if he knew you were going to pet him, he would've
run away and not allowed it. By sneaking in friendly petting with
no consequences (you simply walk away) the dog will learn that
being touched is not a bad thing.

* Being scared is very stressful. Exercise is one of the most
beneficial ways to relieve stress, so make sure your dog gets
plenty of it. If your dog likes other dogs (if you don't know, find
out) I strongly recommend that you find a dog for him to play with
on a weekly basis (more often, even better). Canine
companionship is very important to dogs, and especially a dog
that does not trust many humans, another canine can relieve
more stress than anything else. Be sure to allow the dogs to
romp around and play unrestricted (except for a fence) until they
tire out. This may be one of the best therapies that you can give
a shy dog.

Thanks guy, I will pass it on, and hope she sticks with me.

Saira--here is a link that looks pretty decent:

http://topdogblog1.blogspot.com/2010/03/helping-your-dog-overcome-shyness.html

She was really appreciative of all the tips, and will start using them today.

I'll have to check my computer when I get home and hope I still have the link for it. A long time ago I came across a website for shy/timid dogs that had great tips. Maybe I'll do a quick google and see if I can find it. Will post the link if I come across it.

Blanche has come up with some great tips and the Cautious Canine book is wonderful.

One thing I can add is that daily 5 minute outings are better than a weekly hour long outing and optimal is several brief outings a day if they can do that.

I love "watch me" for my dogs, be they shy/aggressive or whatever. Many fearful dogs spend their time scanning the horizon when they're out of their comfort zone and if they're looking for something to freak out over, they'll sure find it. Teaching an attention cue gives the dog something positive to focus on instead of scanning the horizon. Many times they won't even see the person/dog if the handler works on a good attention cue. As I worked with Eli and got to the point where people could touch him, I taught him to watch me while people petted him and it's funny now that people will comment on how devoted he is to me, they don't realize that that's the behavior I taught him instead of biting :)

And Blanche mentioned earlier how important is is to never put a fearful/shy dog in a situation they can't handle. If I'm working with a shy dog and someone approaches, I make a big deal about not letting the person near so the shy dog knows I've got their back, letting the dog know that they can trust you is invaluable. I will body-block someone who doesn't listen to me.

And if this dog is a pug, treats go a long way towards speeding up the socialization process! I will use lots of high value treats for these remedial socialization outings and the only time the dog gets these treats is on outings.

And remind them to go at the dog's pace and not the human's pace.....

pugasaurus wrote:Blanche has come up with some great tips and the Cautious Canine book is wonderful.

One thing I can add is that daily 5 minute outings are better than a weekly hour long outing and optimal is several brief outings a day if they can do that.

I love "watch me" for my dogs, be they shy/aggressive or whatever. Many fearful dogs spend their time scanning the horizon when they're out of their comfort zone and if they're looking for something to freak out over, they'll sure find it. Teaching an attention cue gives the dog something positive to focus on instead of scanning the horizon. Many times they won't even see the person/dog if the handler works on a good attention cue. As I worked with Eli and got to the point where people could touch him, I taught him to watch me while people petted him and it's funny now that people will comment on how devoted he is to me, they don't realize that that's the behavior I taught him instead of biting :)

And Blanche mentioned earlier how important is is to never put a fearful/shy dog in a situation they can't handle. If I'm working with a shy dog and someone approaches, I make a big deal about not letting the person near so the shy dog knows I've got their back, letting the dog know that they can trust you is invaluable. I will body-block someone who doesn't listen to me.

And if this dog is a pug, treats go a long way towards speeding up the socialization process! I will use lots of high value treats for these remedial socialization outings and the only time the dog gets these treats is on outings.

And remind them to go at the dog's pace and not the human's pace.....

Yeah that was the main thing. They were kind of just throwing him into situations that stressed him out right away, so these tips are great. I think she gets it too about going slowly now so you don't make him worse.