Dog Community

Puppy Slow to Adjust / Shy

Posted : 1/4/2013 10:18:16 PM

Our new little 4 month old puppy is more shy/timid and slower to come around. You can tell she trusts us more and more each day (this is her 4th day with us). She has yet to come out of her shell and really "play" - let loose - get happy - get excited. She isn't a fan of the "clicker" and not motivated by treats (even steak and chicken!) so I am holding off on any at-home training and might try in a couple days again. I reward her for potty training. I reward when she comes up to us willingly. And just try to mark that when she has confidence to sniff around and explore that's a good thing. Going to let her just adjust for a week. Does that sound responsible? She will have completed all her shots by the follow week and then I'd love to get her in the AKC STAR puppy class and bring my oldest Daughter along so she can learn too. I'm quite shocked how unmotivated she is with recall. Most little puppies you shake a bag or use a happy voice and they come running to see what's going on while Lilly runs in the other direction. Any good tips? Or just kind of let her be for now? I want to make sure we don't do anything to harm the relationship and overwhelm her too fast. Going backwards wouldn't be fun. I love tricks and fetch and games so I know I am eager and excited - but it's about Lilly not me. :) Thanks for all the great advice on this forum, this is my 3rd post. We are loving our new addition. She's so wonderful with the kids (under supervision of course) - calm, sweet, cuddles, no chasing quite the opposite she'll go sit on her bed if they get rowdy. And the girls know that is "her" area and we leave her alone over there. Looking forward to any good feedback on making sure we responsibly handle our shy little girl well. I'm very open to trying things and putting in the hard work.

glenmar

Posted : 1/4/2013 10:24:50 PM

It takes dogs time to settle in, so yeah, just let it be for now. Up to 3 or 4 weeks isn't abnormal adjustment time.

PawMaid

Posted : 1/5/2013 12:13:49 AM

I say keep doing the praising. Find out if there maybe isn't a toy That motivates her. Have you been to the vet yet ? I have a 11 WK pup and he has been with us about 2 weeks. He is just now starting to wreak puppy havoc and responding to Training and he is a fast learner. Take your time and give lots of patience.

Freedom

Posted : 1/5/2013 9:19:23 AM

Since all my dogs are rescues, they have arrived here as adults, so I have no puppy advice. Last puppy I had, I wasa age 12 and that was many many years back, lol.

What we say re rescues: remember, this is a whole new thing: new sights, new smells, new sounds, new routines. Even the refrigerator sounds different than the hone they knew, and they have to adjust to that just as we do when we move, or stay away overnight at a friend's or on a vacation. Plus missing the 'old' place, the littermates and mom perhaps, the 'pack' she left behind. LOTS happening in her life just now!

JackieG

Posted : 1/5/2013 6:50:46 PM

I'd say she needs more time to adjust to her new surroundings. Early socialization period is about over for her. Some breeders don't have time to do much with pups and others do. There are several things that affect a dogs ability to adjust to a new home quickly and genetics does play a big part in temperment.

She may never be a super confident dog but I bet she'll adjust in a few weeks. When she's more comfortable I love playing a recall game with two people. You and your daughter can sit on the floor, opposite each other, about fifteen or twenty feet apart. Each has treats and take turns enticing her to come to them, back and forth. It's best if the game is fast paced with quick treat delivery and the other person enticing the pup as soon as the other person has delivered the treat.

I don't use the word I plan on using as my formal recall word when I'm not sure the pup will respond. I like to clap hands or say things like "puppy, puppy" or anything really, using a higher pitched tone than my normal voice. Most pups love to play this game. When she's running back and forth confidently, the people playing can start saying "good here or good come" when she's coming toward them. If she starts to seem bored end the game. In fact, I like to end it before they get bored so they're more excited the next time to play.

Puppy class is a great idea and having your daughter participate is a super idea, depending on her age. :)

ETA Added a little clarification above. I'm not sure of the age of your children. This game is best played with a child older than six. Younger kids might not understand the concept and might not get the timing right when delivering the treat. You and your husband could play if your kids are too young. :)

JesDaMom

Posted : 1/6/2013 4:52:29 PM

Thank you so much everyone. Day by day I see her opening up more. She even played with us last night for 10 mins and I taught her the hand signal for "Sit" today! I'm so proud of her! Invited guest over and she went up to them, without fear.
I am signing her up for the AKC STAR puppy class this week. I am looking forward to it so much. I really hope it can help us build a great beginning to our relationship. We planned on doing training and doing the CGC evaluation one day. It would also be great to see if she takes to other things like Obedience, Rally, or agility. But that's awhile from now.
Recall has been tough. I'm shock at how I can't seem to motivate her to come to me. Today was a big step though... I made chicken for her and cut it up and could get her to come to me if I squat down and softly said "here" showing the chicken about 6 feet away. Once I go farther or stand up she won't come. Baby steps I guess. When we get excited she gets nervous.

JesDaMom

Posted : 1/6/2013 10:44:10 PM

Little Update! She has been doing recall between two different rooms tonight very enthusiastically! Yay! She has very much livened up in our living room and part of the kitchen but once we go outside of that domain she becomes spooked again. So my thought is we will have to spend time daily in all areas of the house.

calliecritturs

Posted : 1/6/2013 11:52:56 PM

JesDaMom
So my thought is we will have to spend time daily in all areas of the house.

Dogs are VERY situational -- and you really don't know what was done before *you* got the dog. I have a cavalier that we adopted as an adult -- but I was "warned" by the prior foster mom that he did not "like" treats.

Noooooooo he likes treats FINE. But you can *not* put them on the floor -- he had apparently been punished for taking food off the floor. Held in my fingers he takes it FINE

That's just a "for instance" -- wwith your pup it's possible this pup has never been GIVEN treats by hand. They may have been tossed or scattered but it's possible no one has worked with this dog with treats before.

But you can get a dog PERFECT at Behavior A ... and then just turn and face the other direction ... and suddenly they don't know what to do!! So yes - you have to teach that same behavior in 99 different places -- at different times of the day ... because when you switch up the "situation" suddenly it's as tho thye'd never encountered that thing before!

But everything Jackie told you is GREAT. Truly -- that's all gold!! Particularly the recall games and being cautious about trying to use one particular word until you know how to deal with this dog and exactly HOW it works best to reach them once it has settled in.

JesDaMom

Posted : 1/7/2013 12:05:28 AM

Thanks so we will most certainly do that then. I'll also work on taking her to different environments too. She will be in a training class on Saturdays and maybe we will make stops at other stores and places before going home too.