"Billy," a 4 month old miniature long-haired dachshund, crept into puppy class clinging to the wall. His little tail was between his legs and his already low set ears were about as low as they could go. Needless to say, "Billy" was not a happy puppy. "He is so playful at home, I don't understand this," said his owner, Mary Karlin of New Jersey.
It isn't unusual to see timid pups on the first night of class. "My veterinarian told me to keep him in until he had all of his shots," said Mary. In this case, "Billy" was essentially kept in social isolation. Not good for anyone, especially not a pup during his most crucial period of social development.
Prevent Problems: I usually suggest people discuss with their veterinarians finding a balance between protecting their dog's physical health and mental health. Carrying a young pup around for walks is a good idea. Also, most veterinarians I know are happy to host socialization parties for puppies from their client list. And of course, you should invite all of your friends over (a few at a time) to greet your new family member and to help you to train him (see below). This applies to newly adopted adult dogs as well.
Build Confidence: If your dog has already developed a timid attitude, as was the case with "Billy," rebuild his confidence by gradually exposing him to new experiences as he is rewarded with great things, like tasty treats. If I was afraid of men with beards I'm pretty sure I'd get over the fear if I was offered 0 each time I met such a man. It is hard not to make a positive association with something when it is paired with something you already love. "I bring some of "Billy's" favorite treats with me on walks and give him a small bit many times on each walk. He seemed to immediately enjoy walks more," Mary told me. It is also a great idea to teach your dog to respond to as many behaviors on cue as possible. Don't stop at just sit, stand and down. Teach your pooch to rollover, shake, bow and more! The more things he learns the less likely he is to focus on the things he is afraid. Plus, having fun during training time is sure to make your dog feel more confident in himself and more sure of what is expected of him. If you haven't been already, working with a shy dog will surely convince you that fun, motivational training techniques are the way to go. Forcing behaviors with any dog can have negative side effects but attempting to force a shy dog to do something will most definitely result in him crawling farther back into his shell. Instead, use Lure/Reward or Reward training to motivate your dog to want to play the training game.
Avoid Feeding the Fear: On Mary's first night in class, she kept picking "Billy" up and cuddling him in an attempt to soothe him. This kind reaction to a fearful dog will usually cause more harm than good. Coddling a fearful dog is a surefire way to encourage the fear. After all, if petting your dog when he sits promptly at your request is meant to reward him and make that behavior more likely to happen again, the same must hold true for petting your dog when he is behaving fearfully.
Create a Safe Zone: While you don't want your dog to constantly retreat to a corner when he is afraid, it is generally a good idea to give your dog a spot of his own where he can go for some peace and quiet. This is especially important if you have a busy household. A plastic crate placed in a social (but not too loud) area of the house, such as the kitchen, is a good choice.
For most dog trainers, there is little that is more gratifying than seeing a shy, timid dog come out of it's shell and enjoy his life to the fullest. According to Mary, "These days "Billy" is as adorably playful outside as in. I take him with me to walk the girls to school, he goes for trips to the dog run and all of us join him at Agility class where he is like a little rocket flying over the obstacles!"
