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Originally Posted by DomAndCats Dad  Just got a 5 month old pup. |
Where did you get her from? Do you have any background on her?
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Originally Posted by DomAndCats Dad ...everytime I go near her she lays straight down on the floor. Why would she react this way? |
She obviously feels threatened and is trying to appease the threat (you) by becoming submissive.
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Originally Posted by DomAndCats Dad Has anyone else had this problem and whats the best course to correct this? |
There are some things you can do to convey to her you aren't a threat to her safety, and in fact you are a pretty cool guy!
1) Do not approach her head on....always approach in a sweeping arc (like the letter "C")
2) Avoid direct eye contact....keep your head turned away from her rather than facing her directly eye-to-eye. You can watch her from the corner of your eye even when your head is turned away.
3) Put your other dog up somewhere else and spend some time with this dog...just you and her. Sit on the floor, ignoring her completely, and start placing bits of treats around you on the floor, some farther away, some closer to you. Use something she loves to eat (kibble, cheese bits, hot dog bits, chicken bits, etc). If she is shy about approaching, toss a few out a bit farther while she's watching, but take care not to toss is towards her - toss it to a place she can move forward or away (from you) towards.
4) Don't reach to pet her when she comes close to eat the goodies. Keep your hands quiet and resting on your leg. Once she's willing to come get the goodies without being too skittish, put some on your leg and let her get them....then in your palm with the back of your hand on the floor. When she's finally decided you're the best thing since sliced bread, offer her a treat and give her a quick little scritch under her chin. Don't try to pet her on top of her head, as this is a dominant move to a dog. Always under the chin, on her chest or shoulder.
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Originally Posted by DomAndCats Dad Or if I'm petting my lab mix she comes over and starts licking my hand, but if I go to touch her she cowers again. |
Don't make any effort to touch her in this scenario (yet). Just pet the other dog and talk to her (no direct eye contact), telling her softly what a brave puppy she is to approach the boogieman.
She sounds very shy and submissive and it will take time for her to overcome it, and may always be a soft dog....but you can help her a lot. Training classes, as long as they are based on positive reinforcement, will help her gain confidence and help you understand how to work with her better, so make sure you find a good trainer that understands how to work with a shy dog that's lacking in confidence.