I've had my 5 month old Pointer mix for 1 week. She is still very timid and shy. At times she comes out of her shell and is very "normal" but she soon regresses to being scared of everything. I got her from a rescue that raised her from birth so I know she wasn't abused. Is this normal and if so how long will this last?
2006-10-06 04:32:53 · 13 answers · asked by Matt C 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
She's probably very shy.
A good thing to do is create a 'homebase' or 'den' for her... a soft bed in a corner somewhere that you can put her toys by, and that she can retreat too...she should have her own little space where she can be secure.
2006-10-06 04:42:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Matt-New surroundings are in deed frightful for a new pet, I've included some generalizations so that you can get an idea of how animals react to situations. I think your girl will ssettle in if you just introduce her to her new environment slowly & lovingly.
Fear can also be caused by bad memories which have been associated to something that happened: the animal would not be scared if it had not gone through such a horrible thing. The dog that has been bitten by another dog will always fear other dogs. Therefore, if the dog encounters another animal this would lead to signs of panic or aggressiveness. We can say that it is not surprising that large dogs are afraid of small dogs in this case.
What to do? Since it is not possible to explain with words, that the situation is not dangerous the dog will have to realize it on its own and we will have to help it. A totally normal reflex is to caress the dog, while saying comforting words, but on the other hand we have to stop doing that because this can reinforce the feeling of fear in the dog. If we are afraid of getting on a plain, we can do it with the company of a friend who can distract us during the flight and reach the point of forgetting the fear. We will follow this same principle with the dog: associate the situation of fear with a pleasing one, so that the animal can associate fear with pleasure and not anxiety. If the dog is afraid of cars, we can give it a treat right in the moment that a car is passing by and pet right after, without consoling it. We can also call the dog to play when the dog passes by. Another technique of reeducation consists in to progressively get the dog used to the situation that produces fear. This system is valid for all those situations that occur regularly. It does no good to light up fireworks every year to celebrate the Fourth of July Parade. The important thing is to be able stop the self created fear rapidly. If the dog is afraid of cars, we can ask a friend to drive his car next to us and when the dog shows that it's afraid he drives away. It is necessary to present the young dog with as many stimuli as possible. In the case of a fearful dog, we have to reinitiate this learning progressively and place the dog in stimulating situations.
Good Luck
Ms. BG
2006-10-06 04:48:17 · answer #2 · answered by Ms BG 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the sweet puppy was a resue dog. there is no telling what she went through. Also if she was raised in a rescue situation she may have picked up some of her shy habits from her mom, or maybe the reascue people didn't have a lot of time to spend with her. Patience and kindness will pay off in the end. it just sounds like hse lacks trust and that is somthing that will take time to build.
2006-10-06 04:38:20 · answer #3 · answered by justmeinNC 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I just got a puppy 2 weeks ago. He is 4 months old and is still scared and shy. I got him from a breeder. He's doing a little better but still trembles whenever the family approaches him. The breeder said give him some time. He runs away and always tries to hide in any corner he can find. I have blocked all the hiding places which forces him to interact more with us. It seems to be helping. We also approach him gently and slower and avoid to many loud noises.
2006-10-06 04:50:25 · answer #4 · answered by nightingale 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She may just be a very nervous animal. It's possible, also, that there is a trigger for her being afraid. Pay attention and see if there is something that happens everytime she does this--a loud noise, you leave the room, quick motion, stuff like that.
Give her some time, some dogs take longer to adjust than others do.
2006-10-06 04:36:13 · answer #5 · answered by N 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She is still getting used to her new environment. Give her all the love and attention she deserves and she will gradually come out of her shell.
Stay calm and assertive as Cesar Milan says and she will be a forever friend!
2006-10-06 04:38:50 · answer #6 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't forget, she is still young and she still needs to get used to her new environment. just imagine if you were a shy lil girl being taken to a new home, you would be shy fora while because you don't know who your new guardians are. just give it time and you'll find she'll come out of her shell a bit
2006-10-06 04:41:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Normal. Sometime, with some dogs it takes A LOT of time. Build trust, and she'll never leave your side.
2006-10-06 04:40:40 · answer #8 · answered by Salami and Orange Juice 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She will be ok.She needs time to adjust & know that you are her new person & that that is her new home & that she will be staying there.Be very kind as to not break her spirit.Tell her its ok now & give tons of love.Thx for rescuing her,,your the best. ;O)
2006-10-06 04:37:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
She need to be socialized. Inroll in a pupy obedience class
2006-10-06 04:43:44 · answer #10 · answered by aussie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋