how do u get 2 very shy dogs to come to u?

Question

i have got 2 very shy dogs their names a re sassy and lady they will not come near you every time you get close to them they lay down or they will tuck their tails between their legs and run what should i do about this but when when they are around my lab they are not so shy how do you fix this plz help

Answer 1

Two words....
MEAT PANTS!

Answer 2

It will take a lot of time and patience. Don't force them. Talk to them in a calm voice, try giving them treats - if they won't take them from your hand maybe you could put them on the floor near you and let them come to you. It depends on where they came from, how they were treated etc. It sounds like they are very fearful of people. I have a rescue dog and it took her some time to get used to the fact that I would not hurt or harm her. The fact that you have another dog that they interact with is a good sign. Just don't force the issue - let them warm up to you at their own pace. You will not regret it. Good Luck.

Answer 3

Get a handful of treats, sit down by the dogs, set down treats so the dogs come closer to you..think Elliot in ET.

Then put the treats right by you, hold your hand out with you palm open with a treat in it. Do not reach for or grab the dogs. Do this every day, several times a day, until the dogs just start coming up to you, then slowly reach out to pet the dog, give a treat. Eventually put the treat so the dogs have to crawl in your lap. Do not grab them.

Keep telling them how good they are, speak softly. It will take time, but you can do it. Do not rush it..

Answer 4

Well when I was in my group puppy training course there was a very shy dog. It took little steps for him to come near me, even then he still wouldn't let me pet me.

You have to be patient. You need to let them come to you when they are ready to. It also helps if you have treats.

You should sit as close as they possibly can without them running away and talk to them (be sure to sit down). Let them get use to your presence. Try holding out the treats and see if they come to you.

A dog getting over being shy takes lots of time. I know the male puppy in my training course who was shy wouldn't get near anyone or any of the other puppies for weeks. I think the last 3 course sessions out of the 8 weeks he finally blossomed and went around sniffing the other dogs, sniffing around the area, and took treats from me.

Good Luck.

Answer 5

You should be watching a Nationat Geographics program if you have cable or satellite tv. Watch "The dog whisperer" by Cellar Millan, Fridays and Wenesdays nights. You will see miracles!

Answer 6

try lying on the floor, let them get used to you this way for a few minutes, then try talking to them softly. It may take a few attempts at this to fix the problem.

Answer 7

Sit in the floor with them. Bring them to your lap, cuddle with them, tell them how good they are, offer a treat. Pet and praise!!
Bring your lab to you then call the other two over. If they don't come, then sit in the floor and talk to them in a baby tone. =o) Good luck!

Answer 8

First of all you need to find out what's causing this behavior. Once armed with that information you will be able to accurately and effectively correct the behavior issues.

Answer 9

Couple of tips -- try them and use the ones that work best and make the most sense for your situation.

1) Try to give them a lot of space, and don't overwhelm them with chatter. It is human nature to want to console them, reach out to them, hug them, pet them, tell them that we mean no harm, but dogs don't work that way and shy dogs do better when you let them progress at their own pace. This doesn't mean you shouldn't interact with them at all, but keep it low key and following the rest of the tips below

2) Don't approach them head on. Walk toward them with your body turned somewhat sideways or even literally back up toward them. Approach them at a bit of a curve, like a half circle, instead of going straight to them head on. If you watch animals like dogs and horses and others, most polite greetings approach someone from the side and not head on. Head on greetings are very intimidating.

3) Avoid eye contact, and by all means, avoid direct eye contact and staring. To diffuse tension even more, turn your head sideways when you are working with them. Direct eye contact is natural and polite for humans but is very intimidating for dogs. Turning your head takes it one step further to say "I am not going to put any pressure on you"

4) When you're working with or around them, keep your back to them, and keep your body posture low or crouched rather than tall and square-shouldered. You can even try to incorporate "play bows" by stretching forward and down down toward the ground in imitation of a dog's invitation to play. This is very inviting to many dogs... just watch their reaction and lay off the play bows if it seems to make them more leery.

5) To let them sniff your hand, simply hold it at your side with your palm flat. Don't reach out to them... let them come to you.

6) Using food is usually a big winner. Will they take food from you? Feed them their entire meals, every meal, out of your hand. Just remember while you're doing this to sit sideways or with your back to them, don't stare directly at them, etc. At other occasions, toss them treats randomly and walk away.

7) Use training to build their confidence. Even practicing simple things like Sit and Down can provide structure and a sense of purpose that is a great help for many shy and unconfident dogs. Just make sure to use *positive methods only*. Approach training as a *fun game* that you can play together and do not do ANYTHING that will require you to reprimand or physically correct these dogs.

8) If they are more confident around the lab then use that for all it's worth. Incorporate him into everything you do with them while you work to build their trust and confidence. It is a HUGE advantage to training when you can work the dogs off each other.

I'm sure there are more things that I've forgotten to add, but this is a good starter list for working with shy dogs.

Answer 10

earn their trust, don't approach them quickly or aggressively, and entice with treats