Very shy and timid pup......HELP

[nsgoddess]

I took Reese in last month for her first vaccination and she hated the vet wanted to bite him and everything, he told me I would have problems with her because she didn't like men...she warmed up to the vetafter 10 or so minutes but was still timid. The next day I took her to my bf's place of employment (10 guys) in the shop and she was excellent wanted to play.
However we have noticed that she is very timid around some people and will bark and go hide between our legs and growl, but it doesn't matter if its a guy or a woman...she is good with some but not others. Why is she like that,,,she was born in Aug this year so she's never been abused that I know of,,,she came from a good family. What can I do to get her past this with people?? I've been taking her out meeting people, she gets treats from them to let her know theyare alright, but its just not working very good. Please Help.............

[Sargeant_C]

Have the guys stay calm around her and offer her treats. Socialize all the time. The more people she meets the better she will like them.

Take her into the vets for no reason except to get her used to the place. Possibly have someone give her a treat.

[Brooke&Ryan]

How old is she?

We had to work very hard in socializing Julius. He wasn't a growler...but he was very hand shy. He would duck his head or jump out of the way when someone tried to pet him.

We took him out every day...rain or shine to meet people & get used to new sights/sounds. We were armed with yummy treats as well. One of the things that I learned from the whole socializing experience is you can choose who you want to pet your dog. You don't just have to have any old person come up to him.

There were some people who I could tell were a bit nervous around Julius (yes, even at 9 weeks of age.. ) & so when they asked if they could pet Julius, I said, "Oh, I'm sorry...he's doing a bit of training." I didn't want someone who was going to try to pet him & jump back because they were scared of him. That would have set his training back quite a bit.

Just get her out everywhere & into a training class soon!

[brunie's mom]

Welcome to the forums!!
You say you got this pup from a "good family"??? Did you get to meet the mom and/or dad of the pups? I am asking, because often temperment is heriditary.
Did your breeder show her dogs in dog shows or in any other sport? I know in your part of Canada, good Rottweiler breeders are scarce. More then likely your pup is from a BYB, and you may keep having problems in the future.

A shy timid pup is not good... ...they often grow up to be fear biters.
I would get your girl into obedience classes ASAP. This will help her learn how to work around other people, and dogs and help build leadership for the both of you.
The classes will teach you how to teach the dog in a positive way, and the instructor will be able to show you what to do when she reacts in fear or shyness.

Get help before things get worse. I puppy that age should loving to meet new people...not shy or timid.

Gina

[Tracyd]

I'm so sorry for your situation. It is be so frustrating when your pup acts this way for no apparent reason. I have a fearful dog, he is about 14 months now, and I can say that with all the socializing and training we've done, it has not really gotten much better. He's a big boy now, and could really do some damage if he is afraid and feels cornered. Sometimes it's just in their genes, and you will always have to be on guard. Cannon started the same way, shy and scared of some people, but not all. As he got bigger, he's more likely to bite if someone tries to pet him, not out of aggression, but fear.
I'm sure you are attached to her, but do contact the breeder, see if you can return her, and not for another pup, which may have the same temperment.
I came to this forum seeking advice for the same type of behavior. I really thought I could socialize and train this out of my dog, but that hasn't happened. Cannon also came from a "Nice Family" where I did meet the parents and all seemed great. Somewhere there is a screw loose, and it came out in him.
If you are determined to keep your pup, put a lot of effort in to socializing and training asap. I wish you luck with her, it can be a long, hard road with a fearful dog.

[winniecnm]

I just want to add my .02 here.

I don't think the comment the vet made about the dog not liking men was called for. Young dogs are often nervous going to the vet, and your vet happens to be male. The dog can smell the other scared animals in the office, can hear other dogs whining in pain etc..and just think of the smells they can get a whiff off from the euthanasias performed at the office and stuff...If you could smell all that you would be pretty darn scared too!

Pups can get timid for a variety of reasons - maybe the people she is meeting are too boisterous or too hesitant with her, she might be in need for you to step it up a notch with positive encounters both at home and in obedience class. If she is not in classes, do not waste time getting her in them!

Get a vet that understands a bit more about pup behavior, find one that likes large breed dogs. IMO that blanket assessment he made about your pup was plain ignorant and that would be the last time he would be seeing me in that office. You deserved more advice than " boy you are going to have problems with HER - Good Luck" If I were there I would have slapped him senseless for you...

Anyway, good luck keep searching this site for advice, get a few books on rottweilers to read, enroll in classes if you haven't and keep on working with your pup. I think that she may not deserve that "shy, timid label" she has been given - she is still young and dogs do go through fearful periods as puppies....

[Tasha Turtle]

Tasha had some major issues as a pup. She is a BYB dog. She was very dominant and snarly. I thought I was in for it. The good things is I have worked with dogs for 10 years in various sanctuarys and shelters so I know the drill. I did the obedience classes and agility classes. We are going to start doing fly ball soon. I did not accept her bad attitude and I didn't cuddle her and tell her it was ok when she was insecure. All of my patience has paid off. She is a fabulous dog. She loves people and other dogs. I keep an eye on her in new surroundings and I am very aware of her body language. If it is not right I remove her from the situation.

[miccmill]

I have a fearful dog also. We took her off the streets at approx 14-15 weeks. Crucial developmental periods for socialization were over at that point so you see how important the socialization you have to do now is. You don't really have a lot of time.

Get into an obedience class like yesterday. You'll be looking for a puppy kindergarden type class. Did you say Reese was born in August. She's very young. what you learn there will be what turns this around.

A puppy this young should be innocently enthusiastic about meeting everyone. You should be controlling the introductions so all are happy and positive.

You'll find that the vet is not the person that necessairly understands behavior issues. Your puppy doesn't have an issue with men, she's fearful, period.

I don't have any experience socializing a very young fearful puppy but I will tell you that if the fearful behavior continues after critical developmental periods are over, the ball game changes quite a bit.

I would also be talking to the breeder. If they are reputable and actually know how to raise puppies, they would want to know this.

[nsgoddess]

Thanks for the advice everyone, Reese is improving slowly...but its funny some days she will have no problems with people or noises, and then other days she's just the opposite, barking and trying to run away from whatever the situation might be.... I have been socalizing her as much as I can... I have not been able to do puppy classes with her as yet though because there are none being offered in my area that I have found yet :( Small town I'm sure there will be one soon enough though.
As for the vet I took her too, she is due again for her second booster so I will see what he is like with her this time as well as she how she is with him....thanks again for all your help... Rhiannon & Reese

[winniecnm]

If you can find a class anywhere near your area do so immediately. Even if you have to drive an hour each way. It is going to make all the difference in the world to this dog. Also if you sense that your vet is not at ease with the pup the change vets ASAP, again - even if you have to drive a bit to go to appointments. That is because in a few months your dog is going to be quite a big girl and your vet might not be comfortable with large breed animals. We had a situation like that in Mass when the vet looked at my male and said "wow, he could put my whole head in his mouth!" then gave the vet tech the needles and scurried out of the room...

If you truely believe that this pup is fearful then a class is not an option it is a necessity, and it needs to be done NOW. It should be done ASAP even if the dog had no issues. It is the most important investment you can make in this dog's future.

Also you did not mention if this was your first dog, and how old the pup is - that info would be very helpful to people giving advice.

[rottcrazed]

I had a puppy bitch who sounds very much like yours a few years ago. She was purchased from a breeder who produces too many litters, doesn't social them correctly while in her care (all things I learned afterwards - this was another of my major 'dog' lessons) because she doesn't have time between all the litters.

Anyhow, she was socialized while in my care CONSTANTLY. Puppy classes, obedience classes, conformation handling classes WEEKLY. She went everywhere with me. She met literally hundreds of people in her 5 months with me. She had sleep overs at my friends houses (people I train with who know how to handle dogs), nothing worked.

After all that, she just couldn't do it. She had her first show, by all accounts, she was a nice girl, but she shyed away from both judges both days (she was 6 months old). Hand shy, she would just shrink away. She never showed any agression, but it could have developed into that, and I would not have that. After a month of hard consideration, I sent her back to the breeder and went on looking for another more reputable breeder who spent the time with their litters individually because they only produced one or two a year.

Dogs who are like this are very difficult because you just never know who they are going to like and who they are going to react strangly to. And there is always the question of whether or not they would one day turn their fear into biting. I couldn't risk that with small children in my home.

That's my experience,

Kristi

[nsgoddess]

Reese was born August 19th so that puts her right now at almost 13 weeks old...she is my second pure rotti...my first pup had to be put down :( I've had other dogs but they were only 1/2 rotti mix ...and reese is proving to be very much different from any of them even the pure rotti I had...

[derektjeep]

I fostered an American Bull dog that was scared of about everyone including myself. When I was ready to give her to the rescuer to have her adopted, she let a guy mechanic pet her. She didn't growl. It helped that I bought them to dog parks a lot. Also bought them to Pets Mart andPet Co. It also helps that I've 2 other dogs that have confidence in me.

Derek

[nsgoddess]

I just got home from taking Reese into the vet for a trial run and as usual she flipped out as soon as she got near the door, she wouldn't go in on her leash so I picked her up and she almost went for me, but decided not to. She was as stiff as a board though. I took her in got her weighed and she didn't want to be there at all...very tense. I left and went to another store with her and she growled at the lady and backed up near me, the guy who was there came over and she growled at him too and backed up. They gave her treats and after 10 minutes she was fine playing and jumping around. They told me to bring her back any time and they would puppy sit her and let her meet customers to get her adjusted some. Oh...and while at the store 2 other ladies walked in Reese growled at one and not the other. the one she growled at made her way over to Reese slowly and Reese ajudusted but only on her time...........

[Ilovemypuppy]

Rhiannon...where are you in Nova Scotia..maybe I can help find a trainer for you.....