To baby or not to baby, when puppy is scared???

[tangtang]

Hi everyone,

I have heared several different opinions on this would like to get some input from other rottie owners.
I took "Kira" my 5months old Rottie to a dog park for the first time yesterday (i know...i know.......dogpark). Anyways, as soon as a dog approached her she would run back to me and either hide under my chair and cry, or try to get up on the chair with me. Also, when dogs approached her from behind and she didn't see them right away, she got spooked to the point where she jumped 2 feet in the air.

Now to my question: Should I leave her be or should I baby her? People have said to me that I should not baby her because it would hurt her confidence down the road. On the other hand, shouldn't your dog have a safe place to come to when she feels threatened, in this case "me"????
Let me know what you think.

[Daisy Duke]

I would let her come to you, but dont pat her and make a stink about her.

[zorro13]

This is me personally, I never put young pups/dogs in positions like this. As an alpha, you are protector of the pack. A class would be better for her, it is controlled, and she can develop confidence this way with no fear. A young dog/pup should never be put in a position where it may have to fend for itself.

[tangtang]

Originally Posted by zorro13

This is me personally, I never put young pups/dogs in positions like this. As an alpha, you are protector of the pack. A class would be better for her, it is controlled, and she can develop confidence this way with no fear. A young dog/pup should never be put in a position where it may have to fend for itself.

ok...before this thread takes another direction.......I'm not trying to put my pup in a situation where she has to fend for herself! I'm simply asking for some advice on how to handle her being scared of other dogs. Whether this may be in a dogpark, class, on a walk, in my yard, on the beach, in the pet store or where ever else she may encounter other dogs.

[rottgirl]

I'm sure others with more experience will chime in but I would not baby her - you are only reinforcing her fear. I think it's ok for her to come to you and you pat her. Try building her confidence slowly in a controlled situation.

Good Luck, Michele

[Ayoka]

Originally Posted by tangtang

ok...before this thread takes another direction.......I'm not trying to put my pup in a situation where she has to fend for herself! I'm simply asking for some advice on how to handle her being scared of other dogs. Whether this may be in a dogpark, class, on a walk, in my yard, on the beach, in the pet store or where ever else she may encounter other dogs.

Actually I think that post had a point.

If your dog lacks confidence then it might be best to have her interact with other dogs in a safe environment than what most dog parks (or the beach or the street) can provide.

Once I was in an environment where I was confident the pup would be safe then if she came to hide I'd likely ignore her by not making eye contact and maybe even moving away.

[tangtang]

Originally Posted by Ayoka

Actually I think that post had a point.

If your dog lacks confidence then it might be best to have her interact with other dogs in a safe environment than what most dog parks (or the beach or the street) can provide.

Once I was in an environment where I was confident the pup would be safe then if she came to hide I'd likely ignore her by not making eye contact and maybe even moving away.

I'm not saying the post didn't have a point, and I appreciate the input. I understand that the confidence needs to be build and know that it should be done in a safe environment. Let's just say we are in a safe environment, what to do then?

[Ayoka]

Originally Posted by tangtang

Let's just say we are in a safe environment, what to do then?

I'd be on the "not to baby" side I'd not say anything to her and not make eye contact.

[AngelBunny]

Talking to your dog in a soothing, reassuring tone and petting are rewards.

Logically, if you speak in such a tone and touch your dog--regardless of the circumstances--you're rewarding your dog.

So, talking in a comforting tone and petting your dog when the puppy is nervous in a new, scary environment, you're rewarding your puppy for being shy and retiring.

[JuneyB]

just keep walking and act as if nothing has happened. Once she sees you are OK with strange dogs being relatively close...she should figure out that its ok.

this works well whether it be dogs; motorcycles; noisy teens....whatever is happening that she may not have been exposed to before. Your entire body language of "this is normal" is transmitted to her.

A place I loved socializing my dog when he was young was our local hardware store (Home Depot type) that allows dogs. There was always tons of activity, noise, people, kids, other dogs...and every corner turned brought an entire new "world" into existence for him. And the fact that the cashiers were passing out doggy treats at the exit didnt hurt either!!!!

[Rubyhead]

Just a thought....
When we were socializing our dogs (they were puppies), in addition to obed.classes we took them to a smaller dog park. The dogs were also smaller and as a result our puppies were encountering dogs that were closer to their own size. As they got bigger we took them to the bigger dog park with lots of running room and size appropriate dogs to play with.

[smileygirl]

Does your trainer have any "puppy play" times? My second spent puppy K under my chair for the most part. We KEPT going and encouraging "come out and play". After several rounds of classes and when it was one on one "show your stuff" time no chair was needed...confidence rose and we ended up with a not so shy, fairly well mannered pup(were still working on that a 2). Keep trying...Good Luck...Tina