soft dog and gaining confidence...

[Canula2000]

I tried to do a search on a soft (shy) dog and how to help it gain confidence but I couldn't find anything. How do I help my shy guy gain confidence in himself so that he loves to go places with me. He also will run from me if I approach him too quickly and to have him come to me I must lower myself and say happy words. Silly boy! Anyway I want to have a happy dog and I don't know how to help him.

[AngelBunny]

How old is your dog? Where did you get him? How long have you had him?

[smileygirl]

Same questions How old?..How long have you had him? I additional question, is he in training. My rescue is shy but now at 2 with alot of training Puppy K..then agility..now trying OB(A little hyper still at 2!) the confidence level seems to rise as we complete training sessions...Tina

[Jill L]

I don't mean to hijack the thread but can we clarify the terminology....I didn't think soft necessarily meant shy. Does it?

[Brooke&Ryan]

Julius was a very hand-shy pup & needed to gain confidence around strangers. We worked on tons of positive socialization. We were out & about on a daily basis.

I ordered a book from Amazon a year or so ago (long after Julius was through with his shyness) & it was a great read. There are so many different topics that are covered in the book & it gave some wonderful ideas. It might be worth picking up.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/087...g=UTF8&s=books

http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

"Help for Your Shy Dog: Turning Your Terrified Dog into a Terrific Pet" by Deborah Wood

Also "The Cautious Canine" by Patrica McConnell is a great book as well. It deals with different types of shyness.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/189...g=UTF8&s=books

[SABELLESMOM]

To me, gaining confidence is done best thru positive training, lots of reinforcement and socalization. The more tasks a dog understands the larger the menu. He can then choose from the menu or be directed by you, to an acceptable behavior that has pleased you in the past.

For example: Doorbells and dinner. When the doorbell rings, teach him/her to sit in a selected spot while you answer the door. When dinner is served for you and your family, the dog is to lie down until you are finished.

It doesn't matter much whether you still have to direct the dog to do these tasks. The point is he will have confidence, thru knowlege of what to do in either situation. And most likely he/she will want to please you.

You can easily see how to make encounters more positive with strangers. Have the dog stand or sit to accept a treat or a chest rub. ...And praise, praise, praise.

And I thing just having "fun," playing, helps relax the dog. Rottweilers have a wonderful sense of humor and play. If I forget, on a rainy day, they haven't had much exercise, my girls will bring me fetching items to throw. They will initiate play with each other as well. One brings out a stretchy snakie to squeek and tug with.

Raven has several items she likes to fetch or jump up to snatch out of the air. She has 2-3 different balls, a few stuffed items, and the snakie. When she's done (about an hour later) she'll give a satisfied grunt, and settles down with a good bone. Sable likes her frisbee and the tug snakies.

Your dog own personality will help you choose your own games. You said you can't approach him too quickly and happy words help? Try to have the dog (come to you) seek and find you. Start without the hiding first, but have a handful of yummy treats (hot dog bits, diced deli end cuts, leftover steak, chops, chicken, cheese bits) in your pocket and you can start in the house.

Call the dog ONCE! When the dog arrives, give him a treat and say, "YAY! What a good boy!" Repeat a few times and stop. Play the game again later. Eventually, you should have a dog who really wants those yummy things, and comes immediately. Now, you can continue to play inside, or take the game outside. A fenced area is best, but a long (30' polyurethane 1/2" rope from Lowes or Home Depot) lead works fine. Now slip behind a tree (or hide behind your bed upstairs) and call the dog! It's loads of fun. Let the dog investigate the yard, and do it again.

You can also try running away from him. Him chasing you is MUCH more fun than the other way around.

HAVE FUN! Always praise and end everything on a good note!

[Canula2000]

thanks, Dog is about 8-9 months old and we have had him only 2 1/2 months. He does very well in his own element which is the backyard where he spends the majority of his day due to my working schedule. However once he is beyond that he becomes very submissive and apprehensive of everything. He also has made traveling with him impossible due to the fact he refuses to go in the car and now is too big for me to carry in.

[RottieGirl86]

Originally Posted by Canula2000

thanks, Dog is about 8-9 months old and we have had him only 2 1/2 months. He does very well in his own element which is the backyard where he spends the majority of his day due to my working schedule. However once he is beyond that he becomes very submissive and apprehensive of everything. He also has made traveling with him impossible due to the fact he refuses to go in the car and now is too big for me to carry in.

1) it's not his decision...be firm but fair
2) use bribes - lure him in car for treat *I really like Newman's dog treats. They are small and heart shaped. Bag of them is about 3 or 4 dollars. I break them in half and give a piece to each of my 2 when reinforcing a behavior. It's just a tidbit to entice them, not a meal
3) start with short tips around where you live, so he's desensitized to car trips
4) don't baby him but use positive re-inforcment. ( babying may lead to bullying behavior)
5) watch the dogs body language. My girl's giveaway signal is a slight tremor in her paw. It signals me she's anxious.(it's her tell - like poker , lol). Other dogs will submissively pee. /shrug it happens. The house I grew up in, my parents were very forceful in discipline for dogs. I realized 1 day, Athena doesn't need it. *I* needed to back off. I was making her anxious and she's already a pleaser. She'd trip over herself to sit & give paw. While Max is much more confident even though he's a rescue. He's stubborn, so I have to out think him.
6) training - my girl got a lot more confident with tricks and training. She loves praise, but after 10 jumps ( over a rod 2 foot off the ground) or so, she wants a treat, lol.

good luck!

[AngelBunny]

Your puppy won't grow out of his retiring behavior--in fact, it'll get worse. You do not have a choice--you MUST get your puppy out and about into the bigger world and make doing so positive. Is there someone in your family who could do this while you're working? Enroll yourself and your puppy yesterday in an obed class where the trainer uses positive reinforcement. Take him and a bag of yummy treats to the school yard or to a ball game and have people feed him and interact with him in a friendly fashion.

You said in your puppy spends the majority of his day in your backyard. How is he confined? I hope it's in a secure kennel and not on a tie-out.

[Nyla's Mom]

On top of the obedience training I would highly suggest dog socialization. He is still a pup, so you should look into puppy socials in your area. Our girl was very shy with other dogs but is doing much better now. She sure has come a long way but it took a lot of time. We started her at 3 months and she is now almost 10 and she still has a long way to go but the improvement in her is soooo noticable. Now she actually aproaches other dogs instead of hiding behind my legs. Also it would be good for your dog to have socializtion with other people, you should try inviting people over so your rott gets familiar with them and learns that this is ok. Dr. Ian Dunbar says your pup should have atleast met 100 different people by the time its 3 months of age. Quoted from the book, After You Get Your Puppy. Good read!! Good Luck and never give up. It takes a lot of hard work but your guy will definently reap the benefits.