Building Confidence In A Pup

[Flick_Mac]

I'm posting this for a friend of mine who has just picked up a Shepherd/Malamute cross (she got it before I could get inside her head and convince her otherwise!)

They picked him from the litter as he seemed to be the most calm of the pups but since coming home it seems that he's a very under-confident pup, and prefers sleeping under a chair to being with his people. He's very unwilling to walk into new places (buildings or areas) but once he's been there is fine going back and forth.

I've never had a timid pup so am reaching out for the infinite wisdom of DOL for advice on exercises/training methods/anything you've tried before to build his confidence.

Thanks in advance!

[persephone]

How old is the pup, how long have they had it, and what were the conditions where it lived?

[Flick_Mac]

He's 12 weeks old - they've only had him since Thursday but he hasn't improved in strange situations yet (I know they'd be daunting to him and he's still getting used to his new home).

As far as I know he's just been 'on a farm outside', so he quite possibly is more comfortable in the 'cave' under a chair and not with his humans. They are crate training him, so hopefully that, as well as him getting more used to them will see him come out of his shell a little bit.

They're not expecting a miracle cure but wanting some ideas of things to encourage him to become more confident if it doesn't happen on its own.

Ta!

[Staff'n'Toller]

Very simply they could charge up a clicker using some scrummy food, and click/treat anytime he is being brave and adventurous plus looking relatively calm about it. They must treat after every click and it's important they are not reinforcing scared behaviour, so the timing of the click is fairly important.

They should probably seek out a trainer who can give them some advice. Puppy School may be a bit overwhelming but if they can find one that has small numbers of pups with little or no off lead play that may be good.

[Flick_Mac]

Very simply they could charge up a clicker using some scrummy food, and click/treat anytime he is being brave and adventurous plus looking relatively calm about it. They must treat after every click and it's important they are not reinforcing scared behaviour, so the timing of the click is fairly important.

They should probably seek out a trainer who can give them some advice. Puppy School may be a bit overwhelming but if they can find one that has small numbers of pups with little or no off lead play that may be good.

Thanks for the advice - it's similar to what I thought... but even us getting really excited and treating him didn't seem to do too much... he's quite confident around people - not at all worried, it's mainly getting him to follow them into new places.

I'll suggest the clicker and see how they go!

[Staff'n'Toller]

They will need high value treats and to spend some time just pairing the click with food.

I think he is still probably settling in, it's normal for pups to not be particularly foody when they move house.

[Flick_Mac]

Cool - will see how he goes over the next week or so - that's sort of what I was thinking!

[borderfan]

just butting in - where would one buy a clicker?? Bailey is treated with food and responds brilliantly, what is the clicker for and how do you use it? Does it become a replacement for the food??

[Esky the husky]

You can buy clickers from pet stores or in supermarkets.

The clicker is a marker, when a dog does something that you want.

It is a quick way of saying "good dog that's what I want you to do, I'm going to give you a treat"

Have a look on you tube for some clicker training videos 'kikopup' is good. It'll make more sense once you see it in action

[poodlefan]

The pup may not be 'under confident'. Given its upbringing, it may lack socialisation with people.

It will need as much controlled socialisation with new people, places and dogs as its owners can give it.

I'd suggest they join a decent dog training club and enrol in obedience training also - for the longer term. Training is a great way of building a relationship of focus and trust on the handler.

Two critical socialisation periods in this pup's life have come and gone. I hope your friends are realistic about how much effort this pup will require from them and that it may never fully regain what it has lost.

Edited August 24, 2010 by poodlefan

[Flick_Mac]

The pup may not be 'under confident'. Given its upbringing, it may lack socialisation with people.

It will need as much controlled socialisation with new people, places and dogs as its owners can give it.

I'd suggest they join a decent dog training club and enrol in obedience training also - for the longer term. Training is a great way of building a relationship of focus and trust on the handler.

Two critical socialisation periods in this pup's life have come and gone. I hope your friends are realistic about how much effort this pup will require from them and that it may never fully regain what it has lost.

Thanks PF - they realise he's under-confident or under-socialised (I think my interpretation is that it's one leading to the other I guess!) and are willing to work on it. Have already suggested training, which they will be doing, and joining a club, which they also plan to do. I'm just thinking if anyone has any extra suggestions that have been successful for them in the past that I might not have thought of seeing as I haven't had the experience.

Again - it's nothing to do with people (as far as I see it). It's mainly with new places, and I guess the fact that he doesn't feel confident in his leaders (yet) to trust them with that.

Thanks for all the suggestions - keep them coming and I'll pass them on!

[mita]

This was a list of ideas to pick from that someone passed on to me ages ago re building confidence in a shy or under-confident dog.

I reckon the last tip might be helpful, about using another dog or pup as company for play dates or as a support prop when going out into new places:

* Encourge her to do chasey games, when a treat or toy is tied at the end of a string.

And she's encouraged to chase it. Apparently that helps the

submissive dog to 'feel' & act more dominantly.

* Try to protect the dog's personal space. Do not let strangers

overwhelm him, etc. You may not be aware of a passersby

actually petting the dog. It is amazing what really goes on. Do

not allow people (even family members) to pet the dog on the top

of the head or behind his ears. Instead, pat and scratch the dog

on his chest and neck. This is much less threatening to a dog.

* Teach the dog how to play with you. Entice the dog for a game

of chase, with the dog chasing you. If he won't chase you while

you're running, try crawling, yes really. Crawl on the floor on all

fours away from him, then lie down and roll. Cover your face and

make high-pitched whimpering noises. This should entice the

dog to come over to you. This is success, praise the dog and

then walk away and try it again later.

* If the dog is scared of people, instruct people to sit down with

their backs facing the dog. Then, hold out a their hand (behind

them) for the dog with a food treat in it. Gradually, the person

can turn so that they are sideways, and then facing the dog.

Avoid eye-contact until the dog is no longer scared of this

particular person.

* Do not stroke a scared dog and say "It's OK." This is perceived

as praise by the dog and will make it more likely that the dog will

repeat his fear again next time. Instead, give robust pats on the

sides and act happy, pretend there is nothing to be scared

about, and if at all possible, remove him from the frightful

situation.

* Yawning is a calming signal for dogs. When your dog is

nervous or unsure of a situation or person, you (and that person)

should sit down by your dog, turn your head and focus slightly

away from the dog, and yawn continually. I am not talking about

30 seconds of yawning, rather 3-30 minutes of consistent,

passive yawning. Try it, over time it should make your dog more

comfortable.

* It is important to avoid eye-contact, especially if the dog is used

to running away or submissive peeing. When you are able to be

close to the dog, kneel or sit down so you are on his level and

turn your head away from the dog and lick your lips. Continue

doing this until the dog either ceases being nervous, or brings

their face closer to yours in a gesture of friendship. If/when this

occurs, praise the dog's efforts with kind words and a gentle

chest rub, however still avoid eye-contact. Whenever you are

close to a scared or submissive dog, it is important to avoid

eye-contact so the dog will not feel threatened in any way.

* If she's food oriented give visitors some little treats to hold in their

hands & occasionally drop next to her as they walk by.

* Do not over-stimulate or push the dog too far to fast. Let the

dog regulate how close he can get to other people, places and

things. If you push a scared dog too far, you will create a

neurosis that will be more difficult to treat.

* If the dog is scared of human contact, even from you, pet the

dog unexpectedly as you walk by. Do it quickly and friendly, and

then keep walking. The dog will probably be scared and

surprised, for if he knew you were going to pet him, he would've

run away and not allowed it. By sneaking in friendly petting with

no consequences (you simply walk away) the dog will learn that

being touched is not a bad thing.

* Being scared is very stressful. Exercise is one of the most

beneficial ways to relieve stress, so make sure your dog gets

plenty of it. If your dog likes other dogs (if you don't know, find

out) I strongly recommend that you find a dog for him to play with

on a weekly basis (more often, even better). Canine

companionship is very important to dogs, and especially a dog

that does not trust many humans, another canine can relieve

more stress than anything else. Be sure to allow the dogs to

romp around and play unrestricted (except for a fence) until they

tire out. This may be one of the best therapies that you can give

a shy dog.

Edited August 24, 2010 by mita

[Monah]

The pup may not be 'under confident'. Given its upbringing, it may lack socialisation with people.

It will need as much controlled socialisation with new people, places and dogs as its owners can give it.

I'd suggest they join a decent dog training club and enrol in obedience training also - for the longer term. Training is a great way of building a relationship of focus and trust on the handler.

Two critical socialisation periods in this pup's life have come and gone. I hope your friends are realistic about how much effort this pup will require from them and that it may never fully regain what it has lost.

I agree with this. I have a dog who was extremely nervous in all situations and it has has taken years to get on track. Mine was purebred, great breeder, no reason to be this way (althoughwas an only pup) and was terrified of other dogs, kids, everything. She will still shy if someone is walking behind us.

The best thing is to get professional help and advice and never force the dog to cope with a situation, let them go at their own pace. Definately be aware of the dog's personal space as Mita said, I feel this is very very important.

But, with obed training, flyball and agility training (and this took hours and hours of patience because of her fear of everythiing), high value treats and lots of encouragement and making sure everything was positive and FUN, she is fantastic. She will never be completely 'cured', but I am incredibly proud of how far she has come and how lovely she is.

Good luck to your friends, I wish them all the best and the dog too.xxxxxxxx

[SharpShep]

I'm posting this for a friend of mine who has just picked up a Shepherd/Malamute cross (she got it before I could get inside her head and convince her otherwise!)

They picked him from the litter as he seemed to be the most calm of the pups but since coming home it seems that he's a very under-confident pup, and prefers sleeping under a chair to being with his people. He's very unwilling to walk into new places (buildings or areas) but once he's been there is fine going back and forth.

I've never had a timid pup so am reaching out for the infinite wisdom of DOL for advice on exercises/training methods/anything you've tried before to build his confidence.

Thanks in advance!

To be honest, a puppy like that IMHO is destined to be a major handfull and is not worth the effort that could be put into a puppy of sound temperament. I don't have any experience in Malamute traits, but a GSD puppy displaying that behaviour I would return it to the breeder???

[wuffles]

Our boy doesn't particularly like most new places, especially other people's houses, but he's still an easy and lovely dog to live with. He's great with people and other dogs, but when we got him at 3 years old he hadn't been exposed to much and was scared of plastic bags, pots and pans, phones ringing, microwave beeping, traffic... he now doesn't even flinch if we drop a pan on the floor close to him (it did take two years to get him this far).

He still won't walk on slippery surfaces, and he can be cautious when put in situations he hasn't been in before. He's happy in his own company and not a velcro dog, but that's not a "problem" as far as I'm concerned, that's just him. He's a low maintenance, social and friendly dog with a few quirks A lot of dogs don't turn out how we expect, but that doesn't make us love them any less :D

[Flick_Mac]

Our boy doesn't particularly like most new places, especially other people's houses, but he's still an easy and lovely dog to live with. He's great with people and other dogs, but when we got him at 3 years old he hadn't been exposed to much and was scared of plastic bags, pots and pans, phones ringing, microwave beeping, traffic... he now doesn't even flinch if we drop a pan on the floor close to him (it did take two years to get him this far).

He still won't walk on slippery surfaces, and he can be cautious when put in situations he hasn't been in before. He's happy in his own company and not a velcro dog, but that's not a "problem" as far as I'm concerned, that's just him. He's a low maintenance, social and friendly dog with a few quirks A lot of dogs don't turn out how we expect, but that doesn't make us love them any less :D

Wuffles - I think that's the sort of dog he's going to be. He was completely chilled out when we weren't trying to get him to move through a new door, or into a new room so I'm hoping with heaps of positive training he'll come out of himself. Bearing in mind they'd only had him for 2 nights when I saw him so he'll hopefully have improved in that time.

SS - I doubt returning him to the breeder is an option. Like I said there is no problem as such, we're just wanting to get in before it develops into something.

Thanks to everyone else for their advice - I'm passing all the suggestions on.

Edited August 25, 2010 by Flick_Mac

[whiskedaway]

My Sibe was exactly the same when we got her, and she spent a week petrified of us and months scared of the dishwasher/washing machine, etc. She's still afraid of the microwave.

I second treating whenever he does something sociable. Let him get used to new things slowly and treat straight away. We got Akira used to the sound of the heater by sitting next to it with her and treating her every couple of seconds. Basically you make an unpleasant situation into a pleasant one. And slowly getting them used to lots of new situations is important. At that age you'd prefer them to have been socialised already, but you can still do it now. Like Akira, he's probably never been inside before.