I have written a number of posts here about shy Dog training and how our Daisy Dog was a total mess when we first got here from the Dog pound over 4 years ago now.
It has been a very long struggle to get her to come out of her shell and the fact is that now you would not recognize her and her behaviour from what it once once.
When we first brought Daisy home she was lifted out of the car a quivering wreck and then ran into the woods and hid. It took a lot of coaxing to get her in to the house.
And it literally took years for her to really show that she was gaining in confidence.
Now Daisy s a very different Dog but the fact is that she is still not like other Dogs. She won’t jump up on you to have a fuss, she still lowers her head a little if play gets too boisterous and she absolutely will not rough-house with people. Other Dogs, that is a different story, she can hold her own with the other Girls no problem.
But people do need to bear in mind that if they are going to get a shy Dog then it is going to take a long time to be able to get them to be a lot more confident and it is certainly going to take a long time to get their behaviour more in line with confident animals.
Daisy is still timid under certain circumstance and the reality is that I think she always will be. It is just a part of her nature.
But, it was worth it.
Daisy is a lovely girl and has a pretty much perfect life. If she had been left in the pound I don’t think she would have lasted very long at all. She is way too highly strung for such an environment.
So if you are thinking of getting a Dog that is shy then just bear in mind that there is no quick fix. It takes a lot of time and it takes a lot of patience. You need to go slow and let them improve at their own steady pace. The best thing you can do is simply show them lots of love and gradually do things to bring them out of their shell.
Don’t get angry or cross with them and never do anything to make them feel insecure. They will be a faithful companion for many years and show their appreciation in many ways, just never expect them to be a super confident Dog any time soon.
Great post on, “How Long Does It Take Shy Dogs To Become More Confident”. I have a shy dog that we adopted at 8 weeks old. He was a very proud confident puppy but somewhere in his teenage years he became shy. He is now 7 years old and still a little shy with certain people. I agree with not getting angry at your shy dog and making them more insecure. It takes a lot of patience to help a dog overcome shyness but worth every minute.
Thanks for sharing,
Dana
A truly “Shy” dog cannot be cured. With years of training and patience they can have a decent life. One thing I’ve always found odd, is if a dog is shy of humans they are perfectly comfortable with dogs. In contrast some dogs are aggressive with dogs and perfectly well behaved with humans.
PLEASE the only reason I comment is in my experience try and keep in mind your dog is truly terrified. How many times would a zombie have to carefully pet you on the head and whisper sweet nothings to you before you felt comfortable? For me I don’t think there is enough time. We are dogs protectors. If you have a shy dog respect his boundries. Much doggie love!
We have one of three dogs who is shy. He is shelter rescue and his experiences have wrought profound effects upon his psyche. We’ve had him for seven years and he is still hesitant around new dogs. He even goes through phases where he doesn’t appear thrilled to even socialize with his surrogate brother and sister. He’s come a long way, though. Shy dogs will never be social butterflies, but with love, a secure and clean home, and controlled socializing they can learn to deal with their stuff. Very much like us humans.