I need some help. I just got an 8 week old puppy and he seems very shy, homesick. What can I do to help him pull out of this. I want to train him to retrieve but feel like it aint going to happen.
What's great to see is how the dog goes from tentative and unsure to HAPPY. As mentioned already, five minutes well spent building trust, which gives the dog the freedom to enjoy so much more.
Exactly... set the dog up to succeed, allow the dog to succeed and watch them progress. Most dogs want to connect - I think in all the "Wallflower" classes I've run I've had two dogs who were not able to come forward into connection. Those are dogs for private work. The rest all improved and gained in confidence. My favorite sort of dog to work with...
I agree... want to change her mind about approaching people and since she is a social dog, this work will tend to "stick" nicely.
One of the BIG keys for working sensitive dogs is to get them out of pressure before they get overwhelmed. When you do that, they can progress quickly.
If I had just taken the lead and hauled her away from the owner, I would never have been able to find trust with this dog.
I want them to WANT to work with me first, whenever that is possible.
I need some help. I just got an 8 week old puppy and he seems very shy, homesick. What can I do to help him pull out of this. I want to train him to retrieve but feel like it aint going to happen.
bigdixechopper 8 months ago
What's great to see is how the dog goes from tentative and unsure to HAPPY. As mentioned already, five minutes well spent building trust, which gives the dog the freedom to enjoy so much more.
Naturepainter 3 years ago
Exactly... set the dog up to succeed, allow the dog to succeed and watch them progress. Most dogs want to connect - I think in all the "Wallflower" classes I've run I've had two dogs who were not able to come forward into connection. Those are dogs for private work. The rest all improved and gained in confidence. My favorite sort of dog to work with...
sw845 3 years ago
Watching the pup's tail come up is amazing...5 minutes well spent to build trust. :)
KennyCorgi 3 years ago
I agree... want to change her mind about approaching people and since she is a social dog, this work will tend to "stick" nicely.
One of the BIG keys for working sensitive dogs is to get them out of pressure before they get overwhelmed. When you do that, they can progress quickly.
If I had just taken the lead and hauled her away from the owner, I would never have been able to find trust with this dog.
I want them to WANT to work with me first, whenever that is possible.
sw845 3 years ago