Treats go a LONG way in helping a shy dog to trust.  If you ever end up rescuing or adopting a shy dog there are many things you can do to help that dog gain trust.  One of them is to give this dog a lot of treats.  A lot of times just letting a shy dog “be” really helps that dog to learn that you being around is nothing to be frightened of.  So many times I have gotten calls from people saying “oh please help.  The dog that we got just isn’t responding to us.  She/he won’t come, won’t let us touch them, won’t respond to our touch.  What do we do?”  My first question is always “how long have you had the dog?”  In the majority of cases the person will respond “4 days” or “1 week”.  People expect a dog that is fearful, thrown into a totally new place, probably doesn’t understand living in a house or living in a home with children to just be an instant companion and friend.  I usually end up telling the people that sometimes it takes many months (and maybe a year or two!!) for that dog to trust them.

But my first rule of thumb that I always encourage is to just let the dog be.  That means….if the dog has found a comfortable place in your home or yard, then just let the dog be quiet there.  Don’t always try and pet her.  Don’t try and call the dog to you.  Just be relaxed around the dog AND carry lots of treats.  Every time you walk by the dog, drop a treat in front of her.  A GOOD treat.  Yummy chummies, pieces of chicken, a tasty biscuit.  Something that the dog REALLY likes.  Soon that dog will really perk up when they see you walking around.

If you aren’t running the dog in a team or skijoring with the girl, then a good long walk can usually strengthen that bond.  A lot of shy dogs seem a bit “beaten down”.  Not that they have all been beaten, but it often seems that they think life has beaten them and they have that unhappy look.  Often these dogs resign themselves to their situation.  The shy dogs that we have had love to go for walks.  Super shy ones can try and bolt if on a leash but most of the time we find the dog just quietly walks along with us.  We never try to pet them, talk to them or really interact with them other than being on the other end of the leash.  WITH lots of treats in our pockets.  If we stop we just drop a treat for the dog. 

Kindness, love and lots of patience will reward you with a foreverly grateful dog.

These pointers can take weeks or months.  The important thing to me is to not “push” the dog too much.  Baby steps is often what it takes to bring that trust back in the dogs mind.  Being aggressive in your desire to pet the dog can often make them backslide.

There is no greater reward than to see that dog blossom under your care and patience.

 
Strawberry was a very shy dog at the shelter.  Her new owners renamed her Ruby.  We had her here for a few days until her travel arrangements were made.  One thing I always try to impress upon people is to the “right” way to approach a shy dog.  This will be a first blog (of several) where I will try and explain all the different things we do to work with a shy dog and bring them out of the shell.

First is to never pet a shy dog OVER it’s head.  A shy dog really needs to know where your hands are at all times.  When approaching a shy dog, your hand should be out in front of you, and you should approach a dog very quietly and gently.  Often turning to the side will help the dog relax rather than facing them head on.  The dog will pick up on any anxiety, fear or forcefulness from you.  Let the dog sniff your palm.  A human sweats a lot through our hands and scents are very important to a dog.  Turn your hand over.   Let them sniff the top.  If the dog is not fearful or pulling away you can pet it under the chin.  But again, don’t go over the head.  Let the dog see where your hand is going.  If you keep it in front of the dog they are usually way more relaxed and receptive to a scratch under the chin.

I am wracking my brain…..what can I do for work that involves dogs?  Training? Boarding kennel? Baked treats?  I have been a waitress at the same place for almost 7 years.  I love working nights so that I can have all of my day time devoted to the dogs.  Skijoring in the winter time and hiking/biking/running with dogs in the summer time.  BUT…..I really would like to quit and find something different to do.  I’m not good at sitting on my duff all day in front of a computer.  I need to have an active job that keeps me moving although I am good at routine stuff like computer data entry.  Don keeps throwing out ideas and I keep cutting them down.  I have been out of the “normal” work force for such a long time that I know I don’t want to go back to an 8 to 5 job.  But what to do????  That is my dilemma at the moment.  I am a firm believer that once one door closes another opens.  Maybe I just need to quit my current job and let fate take its course as another job or possibility for working for myself materializes.  But that is always a scary proposition as I still have to feed the dogs every day!!

I have never been out of work.  Never, in my life.  Something always seems to drop into my lap just when I need it.  I’m used to working hard and used to working long hours.  I’ve done a lot of things from my “career” job of a chemist, to substitute school teaching, baking, waitressing, cooking, bed and breakfast owner, maid, bartender, secretary……should I go on??  I have a ton of skills.  Just need to formulate all I can do into that fabulous job preferably working with animals that doesn’t take me away from the house for 10 hours at a stretch.  Picky?  I guess.  At my age I am glad that I can have choices and that I am quite happy doing a variety of different things.

I know it will all come together for me.  It always does.  I’ve never gone hungry, nor have my dogs.  I just need to get the confidence and nerve to make another plunge into something different.