Shy with people

[alixb]

Hope has been with me for 6 months. She was a kennel dog & hunting dog who lived out in the country in WA. She now lives in the city in Vancouver BC. She is great with other dogs but is quite shy around people, especially people who just come up & try to pat her, but also to my friends & family. I always tell them she is shy & try to get between them & her. She will also bark at people coming into our house or the office. I so much would love for her to be comfortable & enjoy some love from others. She is super affectionate with me & a wonderful smart dog.
Hoping for Hope

[Annette47]

You could try keeping treats in your pocket and giving them to people to offer her when they want to pet her. Just explain that she’s shy because she’s a rescue who hasn’t been around a lot of people and I bet people would be happy to help. Have them avoid looking her in the eyes and even just gently toss the treats at first, then gradually they can try offering her one with an extended hand. She should eventually start to associate people coming up with yummy treats.

When we first started taking the puppies out and about, they were more shy than I remember our others being (probably because due to Sassy’s delayed vaccinations we didn’t start taking them out until closer to 12 weeks), and would bark at strangers. For them, just meeting lots of friendly strangers has been enough to make them more outgoing (taking them to my daughter’s softball game did wonders - nothing like having a whole team of teenaged girls come fuss over you when you are a puppy!). It was just because while they had met a variety of people at our house and were fine with it, when they encountered them out in the world it was new and strange. Hope has had a lot longer to become set in her ways, so might take more to get over it, but I would guess it’s a lot of the same problem.

[POPTOP]

Treats from strangers helps. You might want to stop placing yourself between Hope and people; she is taking cues from you to hide/be shy. A "stranger" could walk by and toss her a treat, not talking, no pausing, just wow people equals good things. When people come into the house, have them completely ignore her and supply them with treats. Let her approach them. Don't let them reach out to her, just be there. They can offer a treat if she comes up to them. They should be very casual around her only patting when she is comfortable and approaches on her own. As far as barking, teach her watch me and have her pay attention to you instead of people around. Let her gain confidence on her time line.

[Snowshoe]

Hope sounds like our ESS rescued at age four and also a hunting dog kept in a kennel and it took much longer than six months for Whisper to get over her fear of men. Actually she never fully did, being reticent around strange men the rest of her life but she did get over the submissive urination that followed lying on her back in front of strange men.

Hope also sounds like our Jet, our Lab puppy since 7 weeks who was shy her whole life and never appreciated pets from strangers. A bout of Parvo at six months with strangers handling her and sticking needles in her to save her life at the Vet's may have worked to create a lot of that but she was naturally shy to begin with, with strangers. To that I say, count your blessings. Jet never scared anyone by bounding up to them or approaching too happily and quickly. But, she also didn't bark and if it was me that's the part I'd address, the barking. I would try reassuring Hope that you are in charge so she does not have to worry and does not have to bark. I would not force her to take treats or pets from strangers and I would move in front of her to show her you lead the way.

Jet did go through a barking period about a year old and I found some basic obedience which put her in heel helped a lot. I also noticed Jet did not bark at people we knew when met out in the bush so I took to greeting everyone as if I knew them and they were my favourite people and Jet stopped barking altogether. I think this showed Jet I was in charge AND those people were not a threat. Took some strange men really by surprise, LOL, strange women they meet in the bush probably aren't usually so friendly.

I think Leslie McDevitt's book, "Control Unleashed" might give you and Hope some help. It's meant to help You show your dog that you are in charge so they don't have to worry. Good luck.

[alixb]

Hope sounds like our ESS rescued at age four and also a hunting dog kept in a kennel and it took much longer than six months for Whisper to get over her fear of men. Actually she never fully did, being reticent around strange men the rest of her life but she did get over the submissive urination that followed lying on her back in front of strange men.

Hope also sounds like our Jet, our Lab puppy since 7 weeks who was shy her whole life and never appreciated pets from strangers. A bout of Parvo at six months with strangers handling her and sticking needles in her to save her life at the Vet's may have worked to create a lot of that but she was naturally shy to begin with, with strangers. To that I say, count your blessings. Jet never scared anyone by bounding up to them or approaching too happily and quickly. But, she also didn't bark and if it was me that's the part I'd address, the barking. I would try reassuring Hope that you are in charge so she does not have to worry and does not have to bark. I would not force her to take treats or pets from strangers and I would move in front of her to show her you lead the way.

Jet did go through a barking period about a year old and I found some basic obedience which put her in heel helped a lot. I also noticed Jet did not bark at people we knew when met out in the bush so I took to greeting everyone as if I knew them and they were my favourite people and Jet stopped barking altogether. I think this showed Jet I was in charge AND those people were not a threat. Took some strange men really by surprise, LOL, strange women they meet in the bush probably aren't usually so friendly.

I think Leslie McDevitt's book, "Control Unleashed" might give you and Hope some help. It's meant to help You show your dog that you are in charge so they don't have to worry. Good luck.

I am a bit confused about the getting in between her & the person she is barking at. I was told that this is my way of saying " I got it, I'm in charge."
I appreciate everyones feed back. would love to know other things about your kennel dog. I do notice that she is more afraid of men. Why is that? I mean I think I know - but what other traits did you notice with yours? Mine is still jumpy at big noises, doesn't like busy streets, paces sometimes. she is very clingy at times. I am doing my best to socialize her in very small increments. Very short walks on busy streets. I take her in stores & she gets treats, I take her to the dog park & let people throw the ball for her etc.

[Snowshoe]

I am a bit confused about the getting in between her & the person she is barking at. I was told that this is my way of saying " I got it, I'm in charge."
I appreciate everyones feed back. would love to know other things about your kennel dog. I do notice that she is more afraid of men. Why is that? I mean I think I know - but what other traits did you notice with yours? Mine is still jumpy at big noises, doesn't like busy streets, paces sometimes. she is very clingy at times. I am doing my best to socialize her in very small increments. Very short walks on busy streets. I take her in stores & she gets treats, I take her to the dog park & let people throw the ball for her etc.

I just did that on my own but it did work and I did read later it is a recommended way to deal with exactly that situation. Plus it must be reassuring to the person being barked at as well. To my mind and in our experience it's most effective if you get in front FIRST, before the barking starts. Jet was a submissive dog, she wanted me to be the leader. In her whole life I can only think of one newly met person she ever approached of her own accord for a pet. After some people were met and met again they did become favoured people, my Mum and my sister.