# Very Shy, Scared of People Puppy



## thegreatescapex0 (May 17, 2009)

My pup Liam (5 months now) never had problems being around people when he was tiny, but recently I took him to a kennel and he was TERRIFIED of the people working there. The woman took Liam aside to see his attitude and he kept trying to come back to us and his ears were down and his tail was between his legs. When he is with us, he hides behind our legs and barks at the lady, she said this will become a problem because he will turn into an incredibly difficult, aggressive dog towards others.

I understand that I need to socialize him more, but I'm sort of scared of him snapping at someone at any random moment. The biggest problem is that we are going away to Europe for 3 weeks next month and we need to keep him in a Boarding Kennel. Do you think that he will get socialized well enough during his stay there? The place specializes in German Shepherds, so I guarantee they will do what is best for him. They seem like they want to help, but we can't really afford the $2000 to have him trained there, my parents can only pay for the stay. Any advice? Suggestions?


* Locking this thread to consolidate into one: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1129069&page=0#Post1129069 Please go there to post-thank you! Jean, Admin *


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Oh that woman is full of crap. You took your puppy to a strange place and handed him over to a stranger who "took him aside". He was scared NOT aggressive!

You need some training for him, and that does NOT cost $2000, and for yourself so you know how to redirect his attention and handle the situations like that.


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

What kind of socialization are you doing? Are you using treats and positive reinforcement?

Can you have someone come stay at your house with him while you're gone? Are there other kennel options--perhaps something more like a home-environment?


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Jax reacted the same way to a stranger when she was about 6 months old and she is not the least bit aggressive.


----------



## thegreatescapex0 (May 17, 2009)

Pheww this is really reassuring  Like when we have people come over, he acts totally okay if they do not approach him and if he gets to approach and sniff them out first, but he still isn't that confident to allow strangers to get to know him, he just starts barking and backing up all tense


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Well you do need to socialize him more. He start barking and backing up when ppl come towards him. You definitely need some formal training so YOU know how to help him. I pay $30/hr from my trainer...that's a sight lower than $2000. I would deal with that right now while he's young.


----------



## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

You need to do more socializing, using tons of treats teaching your dog that good things come from strange people, and also I would rather pay $2000 to a friend of mine to keep my fearful puppy in their house during my vacation then board him. 3 weeks of isolation is very counterproductive for your dog.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I absolutely agree with GSD07. If my pup had that kind of reaction to a place there is no way I'm leaving him there. Even if they are great with him you've still put in a position that he is terrified of and you are suppose to be his pack leader aka protector.

If you can't find someone to take him for 3 weeks then maybe someone on this board can help you out. I would if I were closer.


----------



## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

Has he gone to any puppy socialization classes or OB training where he is around other dogs/people? If not you need to get going before your vacation. 3 Weeks is along time to be alone.


----------



## phgsd (Jun 6, 2004)

What part of NJ are you from? If you don't want to board him at a kennel I could probably "board" him here in my home. And I would suggest getting together once or twice beforehand so he doesn't see me as a total stranger.
I have a feeling I know what kennel you're talking about so I don't think you're too far away. Feel free to PM me whether it's about boarding him here or about that kennel/trainer.


----------



## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

I was wondering the same thing about J, he is very shy with new people, and hides behind me until he's sure they aren't about to eat him.


----------



## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: Jax08Oh that woman is full of crap. You took your puppy to a strange place and handed him over to a stranger who "took him aside". He was scared NOT aggressive!


It seems to me that what the woman said is that the pup could end up being an aggressive dog. And based on what the OP has written, she *might* be right unless things change. 

Hopefully, the boarding situation can be remedied, and it sounds like help is on the way. 

But the vast majority of aggressive dogs ARE fearful dogs. It isn't either/or. It's the same thing. This pup is young, and his future isn't bleak. But we need to change what we're doing.

Getting the puppy into obedience classes is a good start. Socializing is necessary. But not just "socializing" by bringing pup to the same 10-15 places in the community that he always goes to. He needs to be taken to new places and exposed to new things in a _careful_ manner. 

I strongly recommend these books. Not one, but all. They each discuss reactive dogs and how to "fix" reactive dogs. You're catching this at the very beginning. That's the good news. Your pup is fearful and shy (and fear is a "reaction"). If we can get this under control now (and do so APPROPRIATELY), then you may not have a reactive adolescent or adult to deal with. 

The books (available at Amazon and Dogwise): 

_Scaredy Dog_: http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB799

_Cautious Canine_: http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB586

_On Talking Terms with Dogs -- Calming Signals_ http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB527
There's a DVD you can get in addition or instead of the book.

This one is optional, but I think it's very worthwhile: 
_Chill Out Fido_: http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=dtb1061

_Scaredy Dog_ and _Cautious Canine_ will explain to you how to introduce scary new stimuli to your pup. If new people scare him, you shouldn't go up to a new person with him immediately, and you certainly shouldn't just hand him off to a stranger. This has to be done in steps. 

_Calming Signals_ will help you read your pup's body language and facial expressions. Almost always, our dogs "tell" us when they're stressed and afraid. We just don't see it until the behavior is terribly obvious, like they're hiding and barking. But every time a pup barks at what scares him, he is developing behaviors that are going to be very hard to extinguish later. We want to back up and recognize when he STARTS getting stressed and stop right there. So we need to learn to read him better.

_Chill Out Fido_ has all sorts of ideas about how to manage a dog that tends to be reactive, and if we do what's mentioned, it can help us avoid exacerbating (or creating) a reactive dog as well. 

Finally, if you haven't done so, I always like to suggest a THOROUGH vet exam. Dogs that don't feel well may be reticient and unwilling to accept anything that's new. If you haven't done so lately, a fecal might not be a bad idea for starters. Talk to your vet about possibly running bloodwork, perhaps a urinalysis. Even though dogs look perfectly healthy, I'm a big believer in ruling out anything medical that might be affecting behavior, especially since this is new behavior. 

So, if I were you, I'd start by ordering those books, see if you can get your pup into a *well run* class, and talk to trainers about anything else you can do to get your pup back on the right track. 

Good luck!


----------

