Dog Shyness

Helping your dog overcome Dog Shyness is often a difficult task, but not an impossible one. Owners need to keep in mind that there are some breeds in which shyness to strangers is simply inherent. If this is the case, dog shyness may be a trait that simply cannot be undone, although owners can make an effort to at least make their shy dogs more comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.

In other cases, dogs are shy because they have previously been put through a bad situation that makes them fearful or shy around humans. This is often seen in shelter dogs that have been abandoned or abused by previous owners. The difficulty with these dogs is that many times new owners don’t have a history of the dog, and of course they cannot speak to let their new owners know what they have been through. So, overcoming shyness may just be a process of elimination to determine what works best to make the dog feel more comfortable in his new home or around strangers.

Another case that many owners don’t consider is that as a puppy their dog was one of the runts or was one of the more submissive dogs in the litter. If this is the case, they may become exposed to early dog shyness, as they didn’t know how to stand up to their other brothers and sisters and may have been left out or left behind. Other dog shyness may be caused by a puppy that was left too long with his littermates and mother causing an attachment to them making it difficult to adjust to their change in environment.

Whatever the case, you may find some of these methods helpful in allowing your shy dog to adjust to his new environment or to new situations that arise which make him scared or shy.

Leash and Collar Training
Although the leash and collar is meant to allow an owner to gain confidence in becoming a dog’s leader, it also gives a dog confidence to learn to effectively use the lead for walks and for socialization. This also provides the dog with some comfort when meeting new people or new dogs. This comfort comes from their own confidence instead of coming from an overprotective owner giving them too much praise. Excessive praise may actual deter the dog from branching out on their own to discover new people or new dogs.

Exposure to New Situations
Just as an acting coach would make an acting student get up on stage until they overcome stage fear, you should expose your dog to as many new situations as possible so that they become more comfortable. Remember that these should not be overwhelming situations though. Do not invite over twenty guests at one time and throw your dog in the middle of the room for all to pet. Instead, invite over a couple for dinner that doesn’t mind interacting with the dog. Allow the dog to come to them over the course of the evening.

You may also want to try taking your dog to a dog park on a day when it isn’t too crowded. Stay away from evening hours or weekends at first but gradually build up to these days to see how your shy dog will begin interacting with others.

Dog Tricks
As strange as it may sound, teaching your dog tricks or even entering them into agility or obedience competitions can teach them confidence to get over their shyness. Just as human shyness often comes from anxiety or lack of self-confidence, so does dog shyness. Once they begin learning tricks, receiving praise and become part of a pack where they are accepted, they will begin overcoming shyness.

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