Very Independent Puppy

M

mia&misty

Forums Novice
We got a lovely 5 month old girl from a breeder the other day and we've noticed that she doesn't respond/interact much.

At first she was very shy and had her tail tucked in between her legs the whole car ride and I was starting to worry about her being one of those fear-aggressive type dogs in the future. Once she warmed up a bit at home we tried to petting her and holding her ears, paws, and tail to see how she reacts to being handled. I'll admit I kinda smothered her on the first day though, but she didn't look like she really cared...:sadsmile:

I tried teaching her her name, but no matter how happy, friendly and energetic my voice is she doesn't do so much as look at us. When she does, it's only about 4 seconds long and she immediately starts doing something else. I tried scratching her in every dog's favorite spot (behind the ears, under the chin, etc) but it's as if I don't even exist! I can't even get her to approach me...

She hasn't been socialized enough (she's from a kennel) but she's not showing fear towards me, in fact, she hasn't shown any interest in me at all!:cry:
 
Congratulations on your new little gal.

Since she has spent the first 5 months of her life without much socialization she will need time and patience as she learns that interaction with humans can be a happy thing. Remember, she has just left what was the only home she knew, her kennel, and suddenly she is facing a huge number of new and to her strange experiences...the ride home in the car, your wanting to love and hold her, being in a home with all the noises and smells that are part of a typical house. She is overwhelmed.

Shy doesn't remotely mean she will be fear aggressive. Just take it slow, give her space when she obviously needs time to regroup, give her gentle but firm boundaries so she knows you are her "pack leader" and will keep her safe. And most important, don't feel sorry for her ...she needs to "read" confidence from you so she knows all is well and she is OK.

The first months of a pups life are so important...they are the time when they learn how to interact with the world...and your little gal was robbed of that learning time. However, she can and will learn all she needs to now that she is in a loving home....it will just take a little longer than a pup who had been correctly socialized.

Trini
 
Give it time. Some dogs are REALLY confused at a dramatic switch like that. It can take a couple weeks or a month or even way longer for the dog to fit in. Some dogs march in like they have lived there forever, but most have adjustments to make. Mine gave that blank stare look and then I found out she spoke only Spanish! We had to transition to a home AND a language. You'll get there. Don't worry, just be patient, kind, and loving.
 
I wouldn't prejudge the breeder based on what you are saying. It would be perfectly normal for a herding breed to find it's feet in your house before it is ready to give you it's trust. Give it time and give it space. When it wants to interact with you, and it will, make it fun but not overpowering. Most dogs that have passed infancy will need some time to adjust to the massive change in their lives and herding breeds are bred to be a little cautious of changes otherwise they wouldn't care if the wolf was in the bushes :)
 
My very first sheltie was gotten when she was 9 months old. She was ignored at the breeder's, and was not interested in human contact. If I tried to look at her or talk to her, she would look away.

At home, she was kept on leash so she could be retrieved if necessary. The trick I stumbled on to was to ignore her. She was in her crate, with the door open. The crate was in the living room. She would gradually sneak out of her crate when I wasn't looking, and come up and sniff me. It took awhile, but she was a very good dog once she warmed up.
 
Spitfire was 6 months when I got him. He was not a people dog but after a bit I was number one. Sometimes he still has to show how tough he is to the world (he was the littlest of a dozen). Of course last night we were wrestling and getting belly rubs :biggrin2: your pup will come around in her own way give her some time (and cookies)
 
It's been a huge upheaval for your pup, just give her some time. She has so much information to take in atm that things are probably a little overwhelming. Coming from a kennel won't mean she wasn't socialised - my shelties have always come from kennels and are super friendly.

Btw - at that age pups prefer to investigate the world anyway than be cuddled and handled, and she is also heading into adolescence. So your pup isn't doing anything different to many other pups brought home at 8wks.

Try taking things a little slower and give her space to investigate her new surroundings. Keep her spaces small and gradually increase them as she gets used to them. If you show her everything at once she has less time to focus on any one thing.

I really recommend getting into training classes - they will help you bond more and develop a language between you both. She is still young enough for puppy pre-school.

At this early stage focus on bonding. Ways you can do this include teaching and playing games - play chase (what sheepdog can resist a moving human), or teach her fetch - and massages (around the shoulder and neck is good).

Most dogs I know aren't that interested in being patted on the head. You can try patting the area of her back just above the tail, it's a super sensitive area. Get down to her level when you pat her as well, if she is a little scared stand side on to her rather than in front, it's less threatening.

Good luck, it's early days yet.
 
Independent pups are the best!

If you have only 1 dog, there will be times she will all by herself. So it's good that she is OK alone and doesn't get separation anxiety.

You will miss some snuggles, but when you get them they are soooo nice and mean even more! And it is good that she lets you handle her a lot.

If she doesn't love people, chances are she will bond more strongly to you vs other people. We don't get to pick our dog's personality, but we can help them along :)

Please don't worry. My Gavin is 8 years old, and I didn't really think he was bonded to me until he was 2 (although other people saw it, I didn't). Now we are partners (best way to put our relationship)
 
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