Overly Shy 8 Month Old Field Spaniel

[poochmad]

We have an 8 month old Field Spaniel that we've had for 4 weeks now, who was not socialised by the breeder (through no fault of the breeder) and we are now have a dog showing fear behaviour (tail between legs, ears back, worried expression, crouching to ground, trying to run away or stop). She is great with other dogs and will happily approach them. People however, are a different matter.

The breed does go through a fear period and we're not sure whether this is what is happening or whether it's something else. The breeder noticed that she was beginning to show fearfulness 2 weeks before she joined our family and advised us that this pup was the most confident out of a litter of 8. (So we're hoping it is only a phase and she will 'spring' back to the way she was when she was younger.)

Our 18 month old male is very confident and appears to be the pack leader. We're hoping that his confidence will rub off on her.

Each day we walk up and down the main street, not stopping if she shies away from people and giving her a gentle tug when she tries to stop or run away. This seems to be working and two tugs seems to work. When we first got her she would shy away from a single person, now she can walk past them without cringing. Now it's groups of people or prams. If she shies away, it's a quick tug and off we go.

We have also noticed an improvement at home. When we would first come into the house she would stand back from the door, now she joins our other dog at the door to greet us. If however, it's not us, she will run away.

Whenever someone comes to the house, we tell them to completely ignore her and not pay her any attention. If she approaches them, great, if not we don't worry about it. (Treats don't seem to work.)

My questions regarding this are:

1. Are we doing the right thing or should I change the above?

2. Should I be talking to her in a calm voice (or encouragement) when walking through crowds, or should I say nothing?

3. Friends with young boys (8 year olds), 2 dogs and 2 older children want us to go to their chaotic household with both of our dogs, as a 'throw her in the deep end' idea...Should I do this, and if so, should she be on or off the lead? (Is it my role to 'protect' her without moddle coddling?)

4. When out and about, should I stand in front of her when people approach her (for some reason people tend to be drawn to the unconfident dog - go figure...) or should I leave her exposed?

5. If someone does come up and wants to say hello, should I protect her (and ask them to leave her alone) or hold her so they can pat her?

She is meant to be a show dog, but we won't enter her into the ring until she's over her fear of people as we don't want to ruin her...

Any thoughts/suggestions/etc welcome. :D

Edited November 27, 2009 by poochmad

[Staff'n'Toller]

It sounds like you are doing the right thing by letting her approach the strangers, with the walking down the street you need to be able to get calm enough behaviour that you can get rewards in to effect some change.

Whenever she pays attention to house visitors you should get them to throw food softly in her direction building the criteria each time. You may need roast chicken or dried fish and a hungry dog for this.

3. Absolutely no way I would do it if it were my dog. Flooding can work or it can go horribly wrong, and it doesn't sound like she's at the stage yet where you can take a chance. Also it's way too difficult for you to control all the people and dogs to make her environment comfortable enough for learning.

Down here we have a Vet Behaviourist who gets good results running her own very carefully orchestrated desensitisation classes with people who are experienced with fearful dogs and will absolutely follow her directions during the class. Maybe you might be able to find something like this??

4. & 5. I would be very bossy and ask them to stop, then explain she's a bit shy, can they help you by standing still or slowly getting down to her level and patting UNDER the chin/to her side not over the head. Invariably they STILL reach over the head, so unless I knew the person I would generally just block them and say sorry, nuh.

Help for Your Fearful Dog - Nicole Wilde <-- Excellent book, have listened to Nicole as a keynote speaker and she has had lots of experience with fearful dogs. Highly suggest you grab a copy.

Also do a bit of searching on calming signals, pick up Turid's book On Talking Terms with Dogs, or the Brenda Aloff photographic body language book so you can read when she is becoming uncomfortable with situations so you can get her focus back on to you and provide her with more space.

Edited November 27, 2009 by Staff'n'Toller

[Erny]

I wouldn't 'flood'.

I would engage a good trainer/behaviourist. It is so much easier (and better/safer) to get someone who can not only tell you, but who can also visually describe and show, and work out what methods, distances etc. etc. are best for your dog at the moment.

I'd be concentrating on the development of my own relationship with the dog just at the minute, doing everything I could to put into place leadership attributes that your dog will understand and begin to trust. Letting the dog settle down and understand her place in the pack with you. Sure, you need strategies to be able to deal with strangers, and whilst you'd want to get on with desensitising her and building her confidence up in the presence of other people as soon as possible, don't be in a hurry to push it. Hasten slowly, in otherwords. Let her get to know and understand you and your household ways and rules .

[helen]

I have just been reading a book by Karen Pryor called 'Reaching The Animal Mind', a great book that also has information on fearful dogs and suggestions for dealing with it, might be worth getting a copy

[poochmad]

It sounds like you are doing the right thing by letting her approach the strangers, with the walking down the street you need to be able to get calm enough behaviour that you can get rewards in to effect some change.

Whenever she pays attention to house visitors you should get them to throw food softly in her direction building the criteria each time. You may need roast chicken or dried fish and a hungry dog for this.

3. Absolutely no way I would do it if it were my dog. Flooding can work or it can go horribly wrong, and it doesn't sound like she's at the stage yet where you can take a chance. Also it's way too difficult for you to control all the people and dogs to make her environment comfortable enough for learning.

Down here we have a Vet Behaviourist who gets good results running her own very carefully orchestrated desensitisation classes with people who are experienced with fearful dogs and will absolutely follow her directions during the class. Maybe you might be able to find something like this??

4. & 5. I would be very bossy and ask them to stop, then explain she's a bit shy, can they help you by standing still or slowly getting down to her level and patting UNDER the chin/to her side not over the head. Invariably they STILL reach over the head, so unless I knew the person I would generally just block them and say sorry, nuh.

Help for Your Fearful Dog - Nicole Wilde <-- Excellent book, have listened to Nicole as a keynote speaker and she has had lots of experience with fearful dogs. Highly suggest you grab a copy.

Also do a bit of searching on calming signals, pick up Turid's book On Talking Terms with Dogs, or the Brenda Aloff photographic body language book so you can read when she is becoming uncomfortable with situations so you can get her focus back on to you and provide her with more space.

Thanks for the Nicole Wilde tip, I have just purchased the book. We were supposed to go to the friend's place this weekend with Jindi, but I think I will give it a miss until I get this book (paid extra to receive it by Monday).

She seems to be getting a lot better. She is now going for walks with her tail up (great to see), but then when she approaches people, her tail goes down, but not between her legs, which I'm taking as a good sign.

I have also done some research on what to do and am no longer talking to her to get her 'past' the group of people rather than just concentrating on a loose lead, ignoring the shy behaviour and praising her when she walks past without showing any signs of being scared (walking low to the ground, ears back, tail tucked in).

[poochmad]

I wouldn't 'flood'.

I would engage a good trainer/behaviourist. It is so much easier (and better/safer) to get someone who can not only tell you, but who can also visually describe and show, and work out what methods, distances etc. etc. are best for your dog at the moment.

I'd be concentrating on the development of my own relationship with the dog just at the minute, doing everything I could to put into place leadership attributes that your dog will understand and begin to trust. Letting the dog settle down and understand her place in the pack with you. Sure, you need strategies to be able to deal with strangers, and whilst you'd want to get on with desensitising her and building her confidence up in the presence of other people as soon as possible, don't be in a hurry to push it. Hasten slowly, in otherwords. Let her get to know and understand you and your household ways and rules .

Thanks for the response Erny, your replies are always greatly appreciated.

[Quickasyoucan]

There's another book a friend of mine bought she found very good it is called Scaredy Dog, can't for the life of me remember who wrote it though