# 4 m old LEASH training - timid and shy puppy needs some help



## Sajen (Jul 14, 2011)

4 month old GSD female, ive had for 3 weeks now. Listens perfectly in my yard and walking up to parents house. (i'm 28.. live in mobile home in back of parents 20 acres) She is comfy with that, no pulls nothing BUT, when i take her out on a walk she gets all scared and forgets everything. any advice? when she sees something that scares her she freaks and pulls leash, i make her sit and comfort her and usually the walk takes hours because she is pulling all the time.

she was raised in a pen until i got her, she doesnt know anything. Today for example my parents bought a TV, she was scared of the box when we went to work today. (i work with family) ALSO, she likes to walk around cars when im on a walk... nothing i can do, she pulls the other direction or flips out if i dont let her. I guess hot cars that just got back or something. 

I have 5 seasons of Cesar the "Dog Whisperer" on my netflix now, yet to get my first, but she is a scared alot, and that ruins my training and everything.

any advice would be appreciated


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Socialization and just taking your puppy in the car, driving somewhere new, and sitting there to let the puppy absorb and look/listen/learn from you it's ok...

Getting in the car and driving somewhere you can have the puppy safely follow you OFF leash will improve your bond and the puppy's confidence because they can CHOOSE to follow you and not have the leash mucking things up.





 
PUPPY CLASSES!

Some great links...

Shy Dogs: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Shyness and Fear in dogs and puppy by Perfect Paws Dog and Puppy Training

You need to watch that you are NOT falling into this trap:



> *Training Your Dog or Puppy to be Shy*
> 
> In a well meaning attempt to calm their dog's fears, many people end up actually reinforcing the dog's shy behavior. In effect, the owner inadvertently trains the dog to be more fearful. Be careful not to reinforce your dog's fearfulness by offering reassurance. When our timid dog hides, barks defensively, whines, screams or snaps, our response is only natural. Our protective instincts cause us to reassure the dog by talking soothingly, petting or even picking up the dog for a hug. These actions flagrantly reward the dog for fearful behavior. It is best to just completely ignore your dog when he acts fearful. Let him learn by his own experience that there is nothing to be afraid of. Save your praise and reassurance for times when your dog acts with confidence.


Behavior Training – How to Make your Shy Puppy a Social Superstar

GOOD LUCK!


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Shy dogs can be a challenge, especially when they've been undersocialized (and isolated) as puppies. I would forget about Cesar Milan right now b/c your pup needs some special training. You will need to be patient, extremely alert to her cues and think outside the box. The idea is to build her confidence and slowly introduce her to new experiences, being very careful to keep everything positive and set her up for success every single time. 

For starters I would join the shy dogs list on yahoo: shy-k9s : shy-k9s

Here is a FAQ that they compiled with lots of helpful info: Shy Dogs: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Here is another website: Fearful Dogs | Positive help for fearful, shy & anxious dogs

If you go to dogwise.com and type in "fearful dogs" or "shy dogs" you will find some good books as well. 

The most important thing to remember is that she is not like other puppies and you need to be very patient with her. 

Good luck!


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## Sajen (Jul 14, 2011)

Thanks for the INFO, ill just take some extra time with her, and keep her training in the yard.. she is already my guard dog, was teaching her come today, she did FANTASTIC.. of course i was using her favorite treats  .. I'm a country boy, all she really needs is SIT, COME, DOWN, and NO .. she already knows those, so in time she will be fine


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## Sajen (Jul 14, 2011)

the heel leash training where she walks beside me is what im fixing to start on, I got so mad at her a week ago because she pulled so much because scared, but then again she sit in grass for passing cars which i saw she picked up


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

you being a country boy has nothng to do
with what your dog needs as far as training.
your dog should know a lot more than sit, come, down and no.
get out and about with your dog for socializing and training.
the more things your dog is introduced to the better
she's going to be. train and socialize everyday,
several times a day. i always train in sessions. 
each session last 5 to 10 minutes. i would get up
1&1/2 early. my noramal wake up is 5:30 am. when
my dog was a pup i got up at 4:00 am so i could
get in 3 sessions before 5:30 am. my GF did the samething.
when our neighbor came in to give our dog a break she trained
him also. train and socialize everyday as much as possible.



Sajen said:


> I'm a country boy, all she really needs is SIT, COME, DOWN, and NO .. she already knows those, so in time she will be fine


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Sajen said:


> the heel leash training where she walks beside me is what im fixing to start on, I got so mad at her a week ago because she pulled so much because scared, but then again she sit in grass for passing cars which i saw she picked up


With a 4 month old puppy the first thing with puppy who pulls on a leash is *NOT* to try to fix it with an 'Attention heel'. 

You need to find some puppy classes.

An attention heel is a VERY HIGH LEVEL TRAINING SKILL that our dogs get thru the years. When you start with a puppy it's against a wall, goes VERY VERY slowly with treats going out about every 1 sec and tons happy breaks and playtime. This is NOT what we do when we take our dogs out for a walk.

You need to find some puppy classes.

What you DO want is a puppy who doesn't pull on the leash. FRANKLY, I'd just do the smart thing and get a Gentle Leader No Pull Harness or Head Halter. Makes this so much easier and walking is full of fun not full of anger and frustration (with a confused puppy )

Easy Walk Harness | Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness Review | Dog Training and Behavior










If you want to TEACH your puppy to not pull, that can be done but it takes alot of time......and patience (PUPPY CLASSES!) Here's some sites with info:





 




 
BTW, Cesar Milan has lots of good information but he's NOT a dog obedience trainer. So there's alot of other places to go for help (DOG CLASSES).

Other thing is you should be doing WAY WAY WAY more happy fun confidence building BONDING stuff with a puppy than 'strict obedience you must listen to me and be perfect' . Goal is a happy confident puppy is a happy confident adult dog that can learn ANYTHING and listen in any situation.

THIS is alot more what you should work on OFF leash!


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