Too Shy Sheltie

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sheltiegirl91

Forums Regular
So me and my boyfriend got a 9 month old sheltie about 2 or 3 weeks ago from an animal shelter and he is so shy. He is scared of everything even his toys.

We bought him a squeaky toy so he would stop tearing up things but he runs and hides every time it squeaks. My dad told us to buy him a bone and like a chew rope and play with him and we did but he won't play with us. He is always so scared he even runs upstairs and hides under the bed and won't come out.

Does anyone have any idea what to do to make him less scared? He is really obedient though. I just want him to be able play with his toys with us and not be so scared. :confused2:
 
Welcome to the forum!

What's your pup's history? Do you know why his previous owners surrendered him to a shelter? Is it possible he was abused?

I'd suggest positive reinforcement. If he makes any attempt to play with you or his toys, give him a treat. Maybe he'll start to associate you and his toys with something positive. That can help, if you haven't already tried that
 
Welcome to the forum.You'll get all kinds of great info here. Sometimes the past history on the pup would be helpful. If he was abused,or treated harshly would certainly scare the bejeebers out of a young pup.

Some great positive reinforcements,and some yummy treats. Be patient,he'll come around once he feels more secure. I certainly would'nt force him,maybe some one on one time,before he's bombarded with alot of people handling him.

Patience,patience,don't get frustrated ok~
We love pictures.
 
Try getting toys that don't make noise. Those wool ones are pretty cool. Also in my non-expert opinion 2-3 weeks is not a ton of time. Some moron probably beat the poor puppy to get him to 'mind' then abandoned him. Oh and listen to others experience but it would seem that just laying on the floor and doing nothing might give him a chance to come out and climb on you a bit (or sniff). Give him time though as he likely went through so real tough times and will eventually bond and be your best buddy x10000
 
Definitely, positive reinforcement.

If toys are scary, then treat them like other scary things. When I introduced a dremmel to my pup, it was a gradual process.

For example:

Sit on the floor, and maybe have him do a sit for you. Praise and treat.
Put toy on floor next to you. If pup looks at it, praise and treat.
Move toy next to pup. If he stays put and does not shy away, praise and treat. If he shys away, remove toy. Put him back in a sit position, praise and treat (you always want training to finish on a positive note). Then start again the next day.

Continue on with gradual introduction - toy next to dog, touch dog with toy, dog sniffs toy - gradually introducing more play behaviours.

As for type of toy, a rope toy is non-threatening. A small stuffy is also a good choice to start.
 
I would feed one of his meals this way.

Set in the floor and put his food bowl beside you about a foot away. Drop about a fourth of his food in the bowl. Talk to him, without touching him. Dogs really don't understand petting, and if he has been abused he will think when you raise your hand that you are going to hit him. When he finishes see if he will take the next portion by hand. If he does, continue to feed. If not put the next quarter of food in his bowl and keep repeating. The idea is to work to where he looks forward to his meal and you feeding him. The idea is build up his trust. Depending on how skittish he is you might have to do this for a couple weeks. As he gets better you can slowly revert back to feeding him in his bowl. Then just give him some treats at the time you would normally be hand feeding.

As far as the squeaky toys just remove the squeaker from the toy. You can also squish them inside the toy. But if you are wanting something for him to chew, get one of the kongs and put either the commercially prepared products or even peanut butter.

And be aware that most animals are more scared of men than women. Don't know if it's the voice, size, or if they can smell that they are male and are more wary. In the animal kingdom the males are the ones that physically protect their territory.
 
2-3 weeks is too short a time for a rescue dog to adjust. They need to learn that there are good things in life so you will need to be patient while he figures all this out. There is plenty of good advice already offered- lots of love and patience :smile2:
 
Calliesmom said:
2-3 weeks is too short a time for a rescue dog to adjust. They need to learn that there are good things in life so you will need to be patient while he figures all this out. There is plenty of good advice already offered- lots of love and patience :smile2:
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You are right. Time and patience is key. I sometimes wonder whether I should have kept Ginnie longer to see if she would adjust. But her breeder seemed pretty determined to bring her home and try again. I took her advice, and everyting worked out in the end. I got the devil pup, Indy:razz:, and some retired couple got Ginnie.
 
Poor little tyke. Everyone here has great suggestions. Food, treats and time are good options.

Don't put any pressure on him to come to you or interact. Try not to look at him too often as staring can be daunting for a shy dog. Just sit around - perhaps carry some pieces of hot dog or chicken and when he comes up to you give him a piece without saying anything initially (you can reassure him when he gets a little more comfortable).

Also, invest in a kong and give it to him when we you sitting around. He can concentrate on the kong and get used to your presence.

When he gets a little more confident it would be great to do some obedience training with him - its a great way to bond. And you may want to consider finding another small confident and friendly dog for him to play with. They learn a lot from other dogs.

There are also a few books that are worth reading. I have Help for your shy dog which has a lot of sheltie examples, and cautious canine, which is nice and short.

Granite could tell you how long its taken Newton to get to the point he is sitting on her lap. Your fellow is still young so he has good prospects. I have a shy little girl who does flyball now, and its such a great feeling to see your shy dog blossom.
 
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