Pet Articles

Behaviour Training – How To Bring Your Shy Puppy Out of Her Shell!

Are you the proud owner of an extremely shy puppy? This fear-based behavioural characteristic is very common in toy dog breeds.  However, many people don't realise that every litter will have at least one shy puppy that will need to be treated a little differently from the rest of her littermates.

As they grow up these shy puppies can become extremely needy and look towards their owners for reinforcement in almost every situation they come across.  And unfortunately, if your dog "runs to mummy or daddy" every time she gets scared, she may start to initiate aggression if she is not getting the soothing attention she craves. One way of labeling this would be as aggression induced by fear.

Ironically, if you constantly cuddle and soothe your puppy when she demonstrates extreme shyness and becomes frightened, you are actually only reinforcing the behaviour. Hard as it may be to ignore your shy and scared puppy when she needs you, if you want to change her behaviour and help the dog become a bolder and more social animal, you are going to have to stop reinforcing the idea that it is "okay" to be afraid.

Helping Your Shy Puppy Change

If your dog shows early signs of fear and timidity then you will have to be patient while you help her adjust. You must encourage her to understand that you will not be her protector any more. Behaviour that she demonstrates when scared will need to be nipped in the bud, such as barking while hiding behind your legs when startled, zooming away when anything slightly out of the norm occurs like a bush swaying in the breeze or a cyclist rides by and so on.

Here are some tips to help your puppy become a bit bolder:

1. Tell your family and friends to ignore your puppy's fear-induced barking or whining whenever they approach.  Up until now your dog has acted out of fear whenever someone approaches and whenever someone stops approaching in order not to scare her, your dog has learned that this behaviour works in her favour. But from now on your dog will learn to understand that fear-induced barking won't  work anymore, as long as your friends and family manage to stick to the rules.
2. Whenever you are expecting guests, keep your puppy on a lead. Take her with you as you approach your guests. From now on whenever she starts crying, barking, or hiding behind your legs, you'll behave confidently and without petting or soothing her. This will help your dog become more courageous while at the same time reinforcing the fact that her old behaviour will not work anymore.