What You Can Do to Help Your Shy Dog

Dogs have all kinds of personalities just as people do. But if your dog is shy she may not have been socialized enough when she was young. Shyness can be a real problem for dogs. It may sound counter-intuitive, but shyness in dogs can lead to them biting people. If your dog is shy then she may be very fearful of things, other dogs or people. This means that if she feels very threatened she may overreact to something and bite out of fear. You should help your dog try to overcome some of her shyness. There are a lot of things you can do to help.

One of the best things you can do with your shy dog is to take her places with you, especially places where she won't feel threatened. Go to a park that allows dogs (not a dog park). Take her for long, relaxing walks where she can see birds, trees and other objects at a distance. Let her get used to being out of the house, with you, and having a nice time. Don't push her. Don't try to introduce her to strange things or anything that will alarm her. You will have to go very slowly. All you want to do is show her that she can have a good, safe time away from home.

You can take your dog to a pet superstore. These are good places to socialize your dog. She can examine new sights and sounds, cautiously meet other friendly dogs, and, if she's agreeable, let people pet her. Make sure that you have treats with you so you can give them to anyone who offers to pet her. She may be more inclined to let them pet her if they have a treat to give her. If your dog seems overwhelmed you should not make her stay but if she seems to be curious about the place and the other dogs and people, praise her and give lots of rewards.

You can also help your shy dog by building her confidence. Training builds confidence. Work with her at home to learn basic commands. The more she focuses on training and paying attention to you, the less she will worry about feeling shy.

If your dog is feeling confident enough around other dogs you should consider signing up for a training class. An obedience or agility class can be fun for your dog and will help her overcome her shyness. Being in a class with other dogs and people may make her feel nervous at first but she should soon forget about her shyness and focus on having fun with the training.

Finally, be sure that you aren't accidentally encouraging your dog to be shy and fearful. If you are soothing and comforting your dog when she's scared you may be sending her the signal that there is really something to be afraid of when she sees another dog or a person. It's better for your dog for you to stay calm and cheerful and let her know that there's nothing to be afraid of. If there's another dog, show her that he's a good fellow. If she's fearful of a person, give him a hug. Teach your dog that it's not such a bad, scary world after all.

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