He is so timid!

You guys are all so great! And thank you so much! He is most definitely beautiful and we bought him sight unseen! I have been in contact with a rescue group and we will more than likely adopt him a pal once we get into a house and get settled. We have only had him a few days. It only concerned me because he did not improve at all in those few days like most dogs I have had did. We have done a lot of rescue with older dogs and fostering and such and I have never had one that did not gradually improve at least a little within the first few days. However, I have never had experience with Shelties so I am glad to have you guys for guidance! :biggrin2: He has been a kennel dog to my understanding she said she mostly kept her males outside and her females inside so I know that he has no idea how to be a house pet or even a pet for that matter.

He did do something jumpy the other day too. When we got up Sunday morning (as you know he will not get up and move around on his own) my husband set him on the floor and he stood there for the longest time and we just waited for him to come out but he never did. I took treats and tossed them on the floor getting closer and closer to the door and when he walked by a box that was leaned up against the wall he sniffed it and jumped like he was afraid and ran back to the other side of the room. :(

We have him a kennel that has a comfy mat in it and I figured he would be comfortable in it but we put him in it for the first time when we both left for work this morning and he HATED it!!! I was shocked! He didn't bark or anything...I haven't heard a peep out of him since we brought him home but he did balk and didn't want to go in I had to literally pick him up and put him in it praising and saying kennel. He would not even take a treat that he usually loves. When I went home for lunch to check on him I opened it and left him and as soon as I opened the fridge he took off and ran right to his spot on the couch! Poor thing, I know he has no experience in the house or with being a pet so I will just keep loving on him until he comes around. My poor daughter does not understand lol. She said "Mommy I think he is sad because he wants to watch Tom and Jerry" lol So I took hers, and the comments of some others on here and left Animal Planet on for him and put his kennel in viewing range of the TV. Perhaps it will atleast help with getting used to household noises!!! Thanks again everyone and I will keep ya'll updated!
 
Hi there Pipersmom, it's going to be very exciting for you all as Hollywood, (love the name) comes out of his shell and realizes how great life is for him :winkgrin:

You mention he was being raised to be a show dog and didn't know much about being a pet, I am just curious how that works?

Welcome and I am glad I not the only one who is new at being owned by a Sheltie :biggrin2:
 
Hey Megansmom! What I mean by that is that he was raised outside in a kennel and most of the interaction he got was just to train for the show ring. He does not know anything about just hanging out with people and being a pet. All of the household noises and movements scare him as he was rarely brought in the house. That is not to say he was neglected in any way she is a wonderful lady and loves her dogs. He just is not used to just being part of the family. :biggrin2:
 
pipersmommy said:
Hey Megansmom! What I mean by that is that he was raised outside in a kennel and most of the interaction he got was just to train for the show ring. He does not know anything about just hanging out with people and being a pet. All of the household noises and movements scare him as he was rarely brought in the house. That is not to say he was neglected in any way she is a wonderful lady and loves her dogs. He just is not used to just being part of the family. :biggrin2:
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Hey again, ha ha! TY for informing me what show rings training can intale. I am glad he is with a family now and will know what TRUE love is. Not that being in a show ring isn't good, but being a "dog" is what life is supposed to be all about. And again...Welcome :wink2:
 
Megansmom said:
Hey again, ha ha! TY for informing me what show rings training can intale. I am glad he is with a family now and will know what TRUE love is. Not that being in a show ring isn't good, but being a "dog" is what life is supposed to be all about. And again...Welcome :wink2:
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Susan, just wanted to let you know that being a kennel dog is not really part of show training. The breeder most likely has a lot of dogs and that is how they are housed. My dogs are trained for the show ring and they are first and foremost my pets. They live in my house and sleep in my bed. :smile2: I know a lot of other show people who do the same with their dogs.

Pipersmom, Hollywood is very handsome. You got alot of great responses. I'm sure he'll come around with time. Praise any behavior you like and ignore any you don't. I had a JRT mix that lived in a kennel all her life until she was 1yr. All the noises of a house ie TV, radio, scared her. I took about a month for her to come around.
 
Sorry for not clarifying that Justice! She does have a lot of dogs because she is also a breeder and so she keeps her females inside and her males outside in runs. She is not one of those that just has a couple of pets that she likes to show, she runs a fairly large kennel. Thanks for commenting for me too Justice! All of ya'll have been so great!
 
You can also try dropping treats by him every time you go past him (don't acknowledge, especially if he's nervous about you approaching him, just casually drop treats). It can help him to associate your presence with good things. This one worked well for Nike when he first came home with us. If it makes you feel better, Nike sat in the corner of the family room for a week until he finally began to break out of his shell. My husband and I dropped treats near him as we passed, and would toss him treats when he looked at us. In general, we tried to keep up with our normal comings and goings around the house so that Nike could get used to our sounds and movements. He eventually got more confident with his new situation.

Good luck! I'm sure with time and patience he'll settle in just fine.
 
That does make me feel tons better! I thought maybe it was the new situation coupled with the breed characteristics of Shelties which is why I wanted advice from people who had some experience! Thanks so much we will try that too!
 
I am far from an expert so defer to others but:
Did he have a nickname? Maybe he wasn't called Hollywood but Holly or something.

Tell your daughter he is sad and adjusting and put her in charge of gently petting him (you said he liked being petted). This might help them be pals.

Is the couch his high spot that he can see from? Just a thought, Sca likes to climb stuff like a little Bighorn Sheep.

Sounds like he was kept in a kennel outside a lot and being inside is a transition on top of the family change. Give him time and I bet he does well. Lots of stuff in his environment that he never had and not much that he did it sounds like. Though it will be an upgrade for him in the end.
 
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