Shy/Nervous Puppy

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bdargavell

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Hello everyone!

I have about a 3 month old puppy named Nova that I got from a rescue place. I've had her for 3 days and I'm a little worried about her being so shy. She's been around me more than my mom and dad, who I live with. I've also noticed this with other people and she also has issues with sounds. When I take her outside for a walk or to use the bath room if something scares her she wants to come back inside rather she's used the bathroom or not and this makes it hard to housebreak her. She's a border collie/lab mix.

I'm not sure what to do here, and I know she's little but I want to break her of this habit while she's young. Are there any tricks or trips? I'd greatly appreciate it.
 
I am no expert with dogs but I think three days is still too early, and its all new for nova to adjust with new life new people new face and new noises everything. I think Nova is going to be ok as long as you all give her the proper behavior. I know a few members here who have more experiences with dogs than I am.

congrats . by the way, are you deaf or something?
 
3 days is nothing. If something scares her just stay calm and wait until she calms down. If you try to sooth her you'll reinforce the response. Consider crate training. It will give her a safe place to be and help with the house breaking.

Work on creating trust. Once you have that she'll trust that you'll keep her safe.
 
She is in a new environment and with new people , it's going to take her time to get use to all the new sounds and smells. I think you should try walking in in one place and let her get use it. Do have a place set up for her , a dog bed or a blanket ? it took my dog Marty time to feel at home and he was 2 yo when I got him. It will take plenty of patience as she is only a puppy and has to discover a whole new world , so take it slowly and let her go at her pace so her gain confidence in herself.
 
Also, if your dog is not confident, there's no habit to break her of. What she needs is training and dealing with her in ways that boosts her confidence. Get her enrolled in a solid puppy class ASAP, go through a dog training club rather than PetSmart or PetCo. I'd be happy to help you find one in your area. It's really important for dogs that lack confidence or are considered "shy" (it's the same thing in dogs) that they are trained and treated properly so that their behaviors are not made worse by mistake.

You can easily turn a "shy" dog into a fearful one by not dealing with it properly, and a fearful dog is much more likely to bite. All dogs really need puppy classes (for socialization and very basic obedience) and at least one more obedience class (for real obedience training) in groups of other dogs and people. So ideally you'd be taking her anyway.

In the meantime, socialize, socialize, socialize. Get her used to tons of people, tons of dogs, different situations, loud noises, you name it. There's a small window of opportunity to really socialize young dogs and she's at the tail end of it. Also, very important, is that your dog is naturally in a fear based portion of its development (just like human children have) and it makes it harder for her to be socialized because of the fear. Up to 12 weeks, the puppies don't have much fear at all which is why it's so easy to socialize them. You will have to work harder now and realize that your puppy may never grow out of lacking in confidence. However, this does not mean you won't have a happy dog that does ok, what it does mean is you have to work harder as her owner to manage her behavior and situations.

As long as you pick your venues properly, you don't need to worry about the dog not being completely vaccinated yet. So yes, take her to puppy class with other dogs that have proof of already being on their vaccination series, but keep her out of pet stores until she's gotten all her shots.

This all probably sounds very dire, but it's really not that bad. I've lived with a severely fear aggressive dog (born that way, thanks to crappy breeding) and even he was manageable with a lot of work. It can get to a point where it's not manageable, but you are far from there and at this point, you have a lot of potential to work with! You have a shy puppy, not a dog biting others because he's so darn scared like I had.

Just be very careful not to flood her. That means not overwhelming her. For instance, if she's afraid of a sound, let her calm down and explore the sound herself, don't shove her towards it and force her to deal with it that way. If she's afraid of a person coming into the house, do not allow that person to force their attention on the puppy. Have some high value treats around, always. This means super tasty food if she likes food, a favorite squeaky toy if that's what gets and keeps her attention, a tug toy, you'll figure it out. Then, just sit with your friend and let the puppy come up to your friend by herself. Have the person throw treats or the toy to the puppy as a reward as the puppy gets close. Then as the puppy gets closer, give her more rewards until the puppy is close to the person and sniffing and checking her out. Again, more rewards. Then let the puppy make first physical contact, and when she seems ready for the person to touch her, make sure the person touches her under her head, not by going over (since that can be threatening to many dogs). Again, reward reward reward both with a treat/toy and verbally.

A really cheap and tasty high value treat for dogs is microwaved hot dogs. Cut the hotdog in four long strips, then cut it as thin as a dime. Nuke the hot dog for 15-30 seconds, the hotdog will turn darker red and be a bit hard and chewy, but more importantly all that fat bubbles around the hotdog and is cooked. The treats are small enough that one hot dog will last a long time (so you don't have to worry as much about the extra calories) but most dogs go nuts for it. I often use them as bait in a show ring just because of how much they are loved. If you feel bad about the crap in hot dogs, you can use organic or Kosher dogs.
 
I'm putting this in a separate post because as someone mentioned, she needs a crate. Not just for a safe place but to help with her housebreaking. I'd be happy to outline housebreaking with a crate if you need that information or just want a refresher. You can have her housebroken in a couple weeks using a crate. I get my puppies from breeders at about 10 weeks of age (after they've passed their early puppy fear period) and I've never had an accident using a crate, barring a UTI or my own faults. That's because all housebreaking accidents not due to illness are the owners' fault, it's never the puppy's.
 
Sometimes it takes a while. My friend just got a rescue and she's had her for 2 months and she's still shy. She's better, but it's a slow process. You don't know what that dog has been through or anything. It could have been abused by people or god knows what. ( sadly ) Just give it time and it will warm up eventually. Just takes them time. =P
 
and crate during the day she can still see you, have blanket..

if pee and shit in side dont growl , dont raise voice, dont smack , just take dog outside show dog where good to go, pat be friends..play gve cuddle, try gentle toys, but not something too small to chock, a tug rope is good not to 'play rough' but it so to teach them whats good for them to chew and not chew, dont gve old shoes to chew, wrong message...do a 'stop and think' once a while , once a week or couple weeks or when you have spotted something and try work out a way to teach or experiment but use your head... and then clean up mess when you can...

so long you're relaxed the dog will learn to relax with you...you're not only training the dog, you're training yourself too
 
bdarrgavell,

congrats on new puppy - and I'm so glad there was lots of good advice for you!
Eater - you pretty much wrote what I would have:wave: ....soooo glad you mentioned -NOT-flooding and focused on rewards!


bdargavell, remember that a 3-month old is a VERY young puppy in a new place. As a trainer, I see many people in general who expect way too much from young puppies. One of the biggest things is to have INFINITE patience and go very slooooooowly. Do your best to make most every experience positive <from the puppy's point of view> or at least neutral.

One of my two Rotties tested at the breeder's as being shy, when she was a young puppy. The breeder exposes her puppies to high level of enrichment and socialization as an ethical and experienced breeder, but sometimes genetics or other things play a role. This <shyness> technically is a temperament fault in the breed. The breeder made sure to explain to us about the testing and when the pup came to me I immediately started the socialization process <again with us at our home> Eater of Worlds describes.

I strongly suggest taking this pup to the vet, groomer's, boarding place <regardless if she will need those last two or not or not> and so on - just to intro her to the people there. Take her to the facility, have a treat party with as many people as possible - and leave. No procedures or exams. So that she doesn't associate the vet with ONLY "scary place" to get poked and prodded.

Use the crate the same way - in terms of slow and fun. Make the crate a game - throw treats that she likes, in there, and let her come back out right away. Do not close her in there and leave. Gradually increase the amount of time she's in there of her own choosing, and then gradually move toward closing crate door, then toward latching crate door. Feed her meals in the crate so she associates crates= good stuff. When she's eating her meals in there, walk by and throw something additional in there so she learns that people walking by crate means she will get something yummy < as opposed to: protect crate the space or stuff in the crate>.

Hand feed her. Take her to a quiet room, sit with her, and feed her from the dish if you're using a dish as opposed to a food-hiding toy <which is great for its own purpose too but not for point of this info.>.
Hand-feeding builds relationship/trust between handler and dog.

Don't ever force her to meet people < by dragging her by the collar to someone, or picking her up and putting her in someone's lap or arms> and be ready to protect her from overly enthusiastic people who think "oh, all dogs love me", or "you just have to 'dominate' her".

Do NOT allow people to hug her or bend over her loomingly, or pat her on top of the head - that is rude in dogs and for a shy dog it is especially scary. Dogs as a group do not like hugs and it's one of the biggest ways that children get bitten.
 
dogmom said:
bdarrgavell,

congrats on new puppy - and I'm so glad there was lots of good advice for you!
Eater - you pretty much wrote what I would have:wave: ....soooo glad you mentioned -NOT-flooding and focused on rewards!


bdargavell, remember that a 3-month old is a VERY young puppy in a new place. As a trainer, I see many people in general who expect way too much from young puppies. One of the biggest things is to have INFINITE patience and go very slooooooowly. Do your best to make most every experience positive <from the puppy's point of view> or at least neutral.

One of my two Rotties tested at the breeder's as being shy, when she was a young puppy. The breeder exposes her puppies to high level of enrichment and socialization as an ethical and experienced breeder, but sometimes genetics or other things play a role. This <shyness> technically is a temperament fault in the breed. The breeder made sure to explain to us about the testing and when the pup came to me I immediately started the socialization process <again with us at our home> Eater of Worlds describes.

I strongly suggest taking this pup to the vet, groomer's, boarding place <regardless if she will need those last two or not or not> and so on - just to intro her to the people there. Take her to the facility, have a treat party with as many people as possible - and leave. No procedures or exams. So that she doesn't associate the vet with ONLY "scary place" to get poked and prodded.

Use the crate the same way - in terms of slow and fun. Make the crate a game - throw treats that she likes, in there, and let her come back out right away. Do not close her in there and leave. Gradually increase the amount of time she's in there of her own choosing, and then gradually move toward closing crate door, then toward latching crate door. Feed her meals in the crate so she associates crates= good stuff. When she's eating her meals in there, walk by and throw something additional in there so she learns that people walking by crate means she will get something yummy < as opposed to: protect crate the space or stuff in the crate>.

Hand feed her. Take her to a quiet room, sit with her, and feed her from the dish if you're using a dish as opposed to a food-hiding toy <which is great for its own purpose too but not for point of this info.>.
Hand-feeding builds relationship/trust between handler and dog.

Don't ever force her to meet people < by dragging her by the collar to someone, or picking her up and putting her in someone's lap or arms> and be ready to protect her from overly enthusiastic people who think "oh, all dogs love me", or "you just have to 'dominate' her".

Do NOT allow people to hug her or bend over her loomingly, or pat her on top of the head - that is rude in dogs and for a shy dog it is especially scary. Dogs as a group do not like hugs and it's one of the biggest ways that children get bitten.
Click to expand...


I had Marty almost 2 years now and he hate it when I bend over him ,he is a small dog. So I have Marty to jump on the couch when I want to put his harness on and he get all excited , but not when I lean over him to put on his harness. And the OP should not let people pat the dog when he out doing his business. I had a couple asked if they could pet Finlay when he was right in the middle of taking a poop. Pooping and peeing is very serious
business to a dog. I know I had said this before and I will say it again the OP needs to take off the puppy's collar before putting him the crate.
I also read a very sad story about some people leaving their puppy in the bathroom at night time. The people woke up one day and found their puppy dead, the poor puppy's collar got stuck the toilet's faucets. So if the puppy is going be allowed to roam the house on it own at night it collar should be taken off.


border collie/lab mix sound really cute , and very smart , hint , hint . photos , pleaseee.
 
:giggle:yeah, you're right, whatdidyousay, about the pooping and peeing being very serious to a dog and not to pat them or bother them when they're doing it - and :ty:for reminding about NOT having the collar on the puppy while crated! My breeder REALLY made a big point about that too with our very first Rottie but it has been some years now and I automatically remove collars in crates, so I'm glad you brought that up!

BC/Lab - yup, adorable - and smart! For those who know Dr. McConnell - what she's said about BC's - <paraphrasing> give them something to do, or they'll make it up....and you won't like it......!

link to Dr. Pat McConnell's blog/articles if anyone's interested:Patricia McConnell PH.D. | McConnell Publishing Inc.
 
dogmom said:
:giggle:yeah, you're right, whatdidyousay, about the pooping and peeing being very serious to a dog and not to pat them or bother them when they're doing it - and :ty:for reminding about NOT having the collar on the puppy while crated! My breeder REALLY made a big point about that too with our very first Rottie but it has been some years now and I automatically remove collars in crates, so I'm glad you brought that up!

BC/Lab - yup, adorable - and smart! For those who know Dr. McConnell - what she's said about BC's - <paraphrasing> give them something to do, or they'll make it up....and you won't like it......!

link to Dr. Pat McConnell's blog/articles if anyone's interested:Patricia McConnell PH.D. | McConnell Publishing Inc.
Click to expand...

Finlay was a standard poodle and Marty is part poodle and OMG taking a poop or pee especially a poop is a major production! The grass has to just the right length and if the ground does not smell just right forget it! They have to find the perfect spot . Finlay dog crate came with a warning not to leave your dog's collar on when leaving the dog in the crate
 
That was a smart idea to have the collar warning on the crate.

yeah my big girl -she's about 75 pounds - does the "perfect spot" thing. She doesn't care about rain or outside elements so much as the right smell I think.

Our youngest hates the rain and dislike puddles, but she will play in the hose.
She is also the most food-motivated Rottweiler we've had and she has been shy and really focused on me, so she wants to go out, not spend any time at all usually, pee by the house and come in and find me and/or get her food <eating and poop/pee tend to be combined activities here>
 
dogmom said:
That was a smart idea to have the collar warning on the crate.

yeah my big girl -she's about 75 pounds - does the "perfect spot" thing. She doesn't care about rain or outside elements so much as the right smell I think.

Our youngest hates the rain and dislike puddles, but she will play in the hose.
She is also the most food-motivated Rottweiler we've had and she has been shy and really focused on me, so she wants to go out, not spend any time at all usually, pee by the house and come in and find me and/or get her food <eating and poop/pee tend to be combined activities here>
Click to expand...

I mean give me a break dog is poop not gold is how I feel when my dog does the ""perfect spot" thing.
 
Heck, I don't leave collars on my dogs period if they are in my house. Growing up before I knew anything we had several near accidents with collars. They are strictly "out of the house" items for me.
 
dogmom said:
...BC/Lab - yup, adorable - and smart! For those who know Dr. McConnell - what she's said about BC's - <paraphrasing> give them something to do, or they'll make it up....and you won't like it......!...
Click to expand...

So true! Most dogs, especially working dogs, need some kind of job as well as lots of chew toys or they'll go to work chewing your house up :lol:
 
jonnyghost said:
So true! Most dogs, especially working dogs, need some kind of job as well as lots of chew toys or they'll go to work chewing your house up :lol:
Click to expand...

Yeah but you need to be very careful when giving a toy to a high energy dog. If the toy is a squeaky toy the dog could choke on the rubber squeaky part while chewing the toy apart . You need to take the toy away from the dog as soon as it show signs of being wore out.
 
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