Tucker is soooo shy

[Mr. Tucker 0]

Tucker is now 21 weeks old and i've been trying to socialize him as much as i can, but he remains very shy. I can take him outside off leash and he won't leave my sight(that's not a bad thing) but if someone come along to pet him he hides or crouches and pees. I've been taking him to the park where there are other people around he will just sit there and observe. He won't even go see other dogs either. Now at home he plays with my toy poodle and even fights back if he has too. If my husband raises his voice though he will go hide right away. Otherwise at our home he's very playful and happy but i'm a little concerned about his socializing...what can i do besides what i'm doing? any ideas? or is he just going to be MY dog and that's it! lol

Darquise

Chia

Mya

Tucker

[loewenthal.anna 4]

Have you tried allowing family friends to take him on walks? Sometimes fearfulness (as well as aggression, though that doesn't seem to be a problem for you) can be connected to being with "mommy", maybe removing yourself from the equation for short periods and allowing Tucker to interact with the outside world without you there to comfort him will help him gain some confidence.

Just a thought. :)

[tzukeeper 12]

I've heard that teaching some basic commands can give a shy dog more confidence. I have a friend that has a 7 month old Great Dane. He is huge and very itimidating but he is also very shy. Whenever she takes him out she takes treats with her. Whenever someone approaches him (and they always do...he is very impressive), she holds a small treat in her fingers and holds it at his mouth and allows him to nibble it while he is being pet and admired. She does the same whenever another dog is present. I think it helps the dog associate "good" with things that make him nervous. :)

[tzuhouse 4]

Rudy was pretty much the same way, he would cower and tittle on the floor....so I have made a point of continuous training programs because I want him to be a therapy dog and that is a NO NO for sure.....now after the third class is just about over, he is past that....he still kinda lowers to the floor and wiggles his butt but never any tittle on the floor....YEA!!!! I think his being around different people, plus other dogs AND the general training involved has greatly increased his confidence. I am even considering one more class.....just to be sure. Worth a try plus you get the added benefit of a well trained dog...Good Luck!!!!

[luvmybabies 165]

I take my new puppies to a puppy socialization class. Most schools cut this off at 24 weeks so you need to sign up soon if you want to take advantage of this. If you miss this then sign up for the class that teaches some obedience.....we call ours the pre-novice class. Puppy class allows the puppies to interact with others while the "parents" stand by to make sure nothing bad starts. They leave them alone mostly to react with each other. If you can, find a class that has all small dogs as if he is afraid of dogs, big dogs are really intimidating to them. A start on some of the commands are usually made in this class like sit, stand and down. The next class will also do these basic commands and more. The dogs are not allowed to freely associate with each other like in puppy class but he is in a room with other dogs and he learns how to react positively to them.....maybe not the first class but after a few...be patient. You may have to repeat this class once or twice. What I did with my youngest malt who was a year old when I got him and was very unsocialized was to take him to a puppy class, after I asked special permission from the teacher (he was over age), take him on walks on a public path that was liable to have bikes, canes, old people, young people (including kids)...... Then I put him in my carrier (he loves his fundle) and took him into all stores that would allow dogs and encouraged people to pet him. You must instruct people in how to do this though. Ask them to approach slowly, hold their fist out for him to smell and when he is calm after sniffing them, to pet him. Most people will do this. Next step was to take him in stores (he took classes continuously all the time I was socializing him) on a leash and ask people that wanted to pet him to KNEEL OR CROUCH DOWN (very important) and do as I described above. NEVER allow them to reach down while standing as they look like giant to the dog and it will scare him more. My little guy didn't even learn to play till I got a puppy after a year with him and the puppy (a tzu) was very patient and he now loves to play. I had to do lots with him as I wanted to put him in CKC performance events. I've had him for two years now and he has his Pre-Novice title in Obedience, his Novice title in Rally and two legs out of three needed for his CARO Rally title. There is another trial in CARO this weekend so maybe he will then have his CARO title for Novice. Next month I am going to try for his CGN (CGC in the US) title. In the meantime I got my second Tzu and they play like he is a young puppy now. He has come such a long way and I'm so proud of him. I have my suspicions why he was so unsocialized (he was on the road with a handler) but I just took him as he was and went from there. I can't stress enough to take classes with him. Dog parks can be dangerous as all the dogs are loose and a big one may approach and cause problems and you aren't on the end of the leash to protect him. If this happens then he will be traumatized and you may go backwards not forward. It is a very good idea to have treats with you and give the other person a treat to offer him when they pet him. Hopefully before long you will have a lovely confident puppy. My puppy is still a bit shy, I doubt he would ever run up to a person or another dog not from his own pack, but he lets people pet him now and doesn't shy away from other dogs when they approach him unless in a threatening way. As you know, dog shows have lots of people, dogs and noise and he does very well at them. A plus is that when he does his "thing" in the ring he is very confident because there is is just me and him and a judge hanging a ways back! Good luck socializing him.

[Luna 8,676]

For socialization, I have always tended to just drag my puppies around with me everywhere I go and that seems to do the trick. However, yours is older and I think the recommendation of classes is a good idea. One thing to remember, tho, is that if you are worried every time he behaves shyly, he will pick up on that and it just reinforces the behavior.

[tupaz'smom 0]

Hi...my name is Dew and I am a newbee....but have been Izzytupaz's pet for 10 months and as such I can say HE chooses ME over anything else.As right now he is under my feet.I have learnt to watch for his little body.

As for the shyness...izzytupaz didnt really have a chance to be shy,as my 14yr old son has so many friends and they all love him.

And then there was my gf's shih tzu....shy,paranoid and shook all the time.I mentioned to her to see if she couldn't take her to the shelter and let her play once in awhile.It seemed to help.

Just a friendly word.

Have a *bark_ful* day!!!!