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Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / puppy is a Bit timid.....
- By Romside [gb] Date 10.10.12 14:57 UTC Edited 10.10.12 15:06 UTC
As most of you know ive got my puppy.shes a dream and we all love her to bits but im a little worried now as in my eyes shes too timid for a puppy that should be bouncing around all the time and getting into mischeif.

when i brought her home i accepted that she was being brought into a totally different environment and thought give it a week she'll be right at home...
she was running around with a good 15 other dogs different ages and only one lady owned them all..she couldnt have possibly been able to share the human love enough,she is fantastic with my dogs but does not come to anyone for affection.my lot jump on me and get on the sofa greet me like ive been gone for years but she'll just sit.
its upsetting cos she should be bouncy and happy...
this cannot go on much longer...she will happily have a cuddle from me,but like with eveyone eles its a slow progress in the morning im back to square one...she wil duck if i try to stroke her anywhere not just head so now ive taken to just giving her treats as i pass her she will get her nose right up close like the others and lick my hand but the second you go to touch shes not keen and will duck...i now at night sit on the floor and watch tv and she will come and sit with me as do all my other lot,shes desperate for a cuddle you can tell or she'd not cry for me at the bottom of the stairs am i by just walking past and treating her for coming close doing the right thing?i dont make contact now she does.she will come and sit her bum on my feet will now fetch her toys and play in the living room with her toys but i soo badly want her to dive on me and smother me in puppy kissess and breath i feel soooo sorry for her!
shes out on the lead great walks as a puppy should she sits stays downs pawsmy head(great lol)

can i take her puppy classes will it help or pus her further??

come on help me please
- By Goldmali Date 10.10.12 15:22 UTC
This is an older pup, isn't it? Sounds like she hasn't been socialised enough -did you find out what had been done? She could also be intimidated by the other dogs if she's used to being pushed out of the way. I'd say you're doing everything right, absolutely let her come to you and use treats (and that includes other people as well, it won't help to have strangers touch her, she must WANT to be touched first). By all means go to training class but stick to the same rules.

BTW of course it's possible to have 15 (or more) dogs all sharing the human love! I have 21 at the moment and every single one throws themselves at me in joy when they see me or anyone in our family.

December last year I had an adult bitch returned to me, one of many things said about her was "she shows no affection whatsoever".  I so wish that person could see her now, as a more affectionate dog you have to search hard to find. The first day she arrived she was terrified so I just left her alone and casually tossed bits of cake in her direction onto the floor (as I had just baked and was cutting cakes to take to dog club's Christmas party!), once she was happy to take food from my hand I did that and just continued. She's a big girl but acts like she's a toy, happily sitting on our laps and she is SO happy -looking at photos from when she first arrived it's like a different dog, the look on the face is so different now. So it can be done, just take it slowly!
- By mastifflover Date 10.10.12 15:31 UTC
Just for reassurance for you, Buster was like this as a pup. He was 11 weeks when I got him. He didn't even like having his belly rubbed, he looked very worried about that.

Lots of positive assocaiton and patience and he soon came out of his shell. He is a big cuddle monster now, actively seeking contact and even enjoys a belly rub :)
- By Romside [gb] Date 10.10.12 15:33 UTC
Thanks its a help to know its ok what we're doing...shes now 18 weeks...i didnt mean having that many dogs is too many for everyone i surely could do it!! i meant her personally,...intimidated by my other dogs even though she prefers their company?she follows my dogs round like their shadows...i assumed it was because its all shes known..iv taken her away from my lot so far three times a day to make her feel a bit more like being around just humans is nice too...

i just wanted to know if there was anything eles i could do aswell as what im already doing
- By Romside [gb] Date 10.10.12 15:38 UTC
she will not come to anyone but me but even though she does she wont lean in for a cuddle wont steal a lick of the face or nothing shes very much feeling ....cant find the word but she faces away from me when i stroke her unless its early morning and she wants my flippin tea!!!!!in this case i have an 18 week old standard sitting bolt upright looking at my tea cups every move lol....
- By St.Domingo Date 10.10.12 15:40 UTC Edited 10.10.12 15:43 UTC
How is she with grooming ?

Perhaps she is just very independent. What was she like at the breeders ?
- By Romside [gb] Date 10.10.12 16:04 UTC
Ive had that dog on the table ive done face feet tail and a bit off the back as you do absolute angel! if all my customers dogs and my toys for that matter were ths good id be laughing!!

at the breeders i took no notice that she was running around with the other dogs it seems the norm to me,all my toy pups run round with my rotts...mum dad auntie gran all pups were all all over me and brandon it was heaven lol...everything seemed to be ok there....
- By Brainless [gb] Date 10.10.12 16:10 UTC
Of course being an older puppy she probably doesn't realise yoru ehr person yet, is probably more aware of people being strangers than when  she was a baby puppy when they usually just like everyone. 

Your still a relative stranger for her, if she did not see lots of people on a regular basis (probably lots visited when the pups were smaller, and this petered out, assuming the breeder does not have a constant flow of visitors) just the one owner she may feel she isn't supposed to talk to strangers the way she would with her breeder/former owner.

My current almost 20 week old pup is very friendly but is far more polite/patient, and doesn't push in front of the others as the older 19 months old and her Mum do, she happily waits her turn, yet she is far more laid back and brave about new things.
- By Romside [gb] Date 10.10.12 17:45 UTC
yes makessense thank you...
- By Charlie Brown [gb] Date 10.10.12 20:29 UTC
I bought an eleven week old puppy that was very much how your describing your.

She didn't like fuss, hated to go out, hated the car, was shy of people and wanted to play with the other dogs instead.

I took it slowly with her a little at a time and she's so much better now. We're still working on noises but we're getting there......
- By Nikita [gb] Date 11.10.12 11:13 UTC
I agree with Goldmali, it sounds like she's not had the socialisation with new situations and different dogs and people that she needed in the critical period (4-14 weeks).  I've just started with a dog like this, also taken home at 17w, at 7 months she is now very stressed outside and terrified of dogs she doesn't know.  So I'm glad you're asking for advice now :-)
- By cracar [gb] Date 11.10.12 12:02 UTC
My GSD pup was like this.  She came to me at almost 14 weeks and had been living with the breeder who had mum, gran and brother in the same house.  she bonded with our dogs straight away and adored the kids but she actively ignored/avoided me an OH.  If I tried to pet her anywhere but her head, she would cry and I worried so much that I got my vet to check her out(for pain).  Turns out, it was just lack of socialisation with humans.  Her breeder had obviously done a OK job but hadn't actually spent time TOUCHING the pups.  A mistake a lot of breeders make.  They think sitting in the room is enough.  I roll about on the floor, touching the pups and brushing coats, etc when I have a litter!!
Anyway, long story short, I just persevered with Rogue.  Whenever she was in the livingroom, she liked to sit on the sofa so I made sure that if anyone was beside her, they were petting her.  She used to put up with it for a few mins then move but soon, the length of time got longer and now, at 10 months, she is a ridiculous sook!  She sits on my knee and snuggles in for a cuddle.  She is by far the most affectionate of all my lot now.
She'll come round once she realises how nice you are.
- By Romside [gb] Date 11.10.12 18:28 UTC
thank you cracar,great help!!really...

Im asking because i know in my headwhat im doing is how id advise someone but when its ur own baby its different somehow isnt it...
I must be doing something right because i came down this morning for the killer first wee at 4am and she jumpedall over me....no licking as yet but certainly touvhed my heart....had a glass of water put her back to bed and went back up....came down at 7am and she did the same it felt soo good....

went out to do school run and got a normal response ie:just exited to have mum home no jumping nothing special but its noce becase shes settling

all vistitors now are given treats and they do not ask for strokes but just treat as soon as the nose makes contact with their and...im finding this way she comes back and will sit beside the particular company we have....ill give her two weeks and then take her up the school i dont want to push her,but ordinarily id take a newly vaccined pup straight up the shool gate for socialisation...

i wont lie its doesnt matter how long it takes i still have this crazy love for her shes amazing in her own little way
we wont mention the chews shes ignored and the fishing coat costing £210 shes pulled off the door hook and chewed!!!
LOL
- By mastifflover Date 12.10.12 08:40 UTC

> no licking as yet


Not all dogs lick. Buster isn't a licky dog. When I saw him with his litter-mates, all the other pups were licking my hands - he didn't, he was biting me!

Despite him looking for affection, he doesn't give out licks, other than VERY rarely, if he's laying with me on the sofa and I have my bare feet tucked up by him, he'll tenderly lick my feet, it's like he's carefully grooming me ( if anybody in our family gets a foot wash from Buster they feel very privileged LOL)
- By Brainless [gb] Date 12.10.12 11:06 UTC Edited 12.10.12 11:08 UTC

> Not all dogs lick.


I gently discourage licking, though my breed aren't that licky, if they do it's little licks (that often catch you between your lips) not slurpy ones. 

Your breeder may well have been like me and discouraged exuberant greetings.

Mine on mass can be OTT for most peoples tastes when young trying to be the first to greet, so I gently encourage moderation. 

I keep them behind a baby gate until they are more calm.  It can frighten children.  I also ignore on returning home or let them straight out in the garden until they calm down.

My oldest (13), and now the new puppy (20 weeks) are foot lickers/pedicurists, lovely
Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / puppy is a Bit timid.....

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