Does your adopted pooch act shy or scared? Signs of canine fear can include looking away from the frightening thing or person, tucking the tail between the legs, lowering her head, flattening the ears against her head, shivering, cowering, urinating, salivating, pacing, exposing her belly submissively, or freezing up. These are some of the things I have experienced with our latest edition to the pack Bella, we adopted her from an abusive home. I'm going to share with you some observations and techniques I used to get her out of her shell.
Fearfulness is most often caused by lack of socialization or a bad experience. Adopting a new pup, observation is the best way to pinpoint the underlying issue. Some of the common fears includes sounds like door bells, thunder, vacuum cleaners; items like sunglasses or balloons; and moving objects. Some rescued dogs may have had little or no exposure to these everyday things.
I've learned that the best time socialize is during puppy hood, but don't give up you can also do it with an adult dog. For dogs who are shy or timid about everything, start slowly and introduce new things along with praise and positive reinforcement over several months. For Bella the first thing we worked on was her fear of men. My fiance worked with her mostly to get her used to him. When approaching her he acted in a nonthreatening way by avoiding eye contact or touching the top of the head, approaching her from the side, and crouching down to make himself seem smaller. That worked out well, my fiance being 6'8 that was the most important thing he had to do was to make himself seem smaller.
Use those similar techniques if your dog is afraid of specific things. Introduce the scary items slowly. Start far enough way that she can barely see the frightening item, and reward her for using a calm submissive behavior. If its a noise reduce the volume at first. With a moving object start with a stationary version, and then slowly make it active. Gradually move it closer or make it louder only if you feel by looking at her body language if she is being calm submissive.
Never force your dog into anything. Always try to introduce her to new things when she is in a calm state. Once your dog is confident, keep up with her socialization, its always best for your dogs to experience new things. Invite people over only allowing your dog to interact with company when there calm. Another good tip is when going to dog parks have your dog only be allowed to play with other calm well behaved dogs. You want your dog to have positive and fun experiences on adventures and outings. And remember your dog is part of your family.
Bella had a little lamb, little lamb..... ZZZZZZZZ
My name is Felicia and I’m looking for a new family. My owner left my brother and me on the Grays front porch. My brother found a home. Now it’s my turn. I’m very social, great with cats, other dogs, and I’ve been learning how to sit. I also love the outdoors.
Contact: Raquel 559-408-6636
In memory of our dog Gracie. She was born with renal disease which is a disease of the kidneys. We had to put her down because she was in pain. We miss her dearly she was our little munchkin. We shared many great days together ans she just loved playing with her brothers. I just wanted to share a little piece of her with everybody.
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