So today I would like to talk about having a shy timid furbaby, My little girl Miss Mildred is a little shy and sometimes nervous around new people and dogs, So I been doing lots of research in to this problem over the last year and I believe we are now getting her over this problem, we have done lots of treat and command training with Miss Mildred and over the last few weeks have taken Miss Mildred our sweet shy little chihuahua out and about and getting her to met new people and dogs.
We went to a Chihuahua play date and my normally playful and bossy girl, and to my surprise she went very shy and scared I was thinking when walking into the play date what if she barks at all the other fur babies and starts to be overly bossy, Gee was I wrong she had never acted like this before so I was a shocked, Miss Mildred's fur brother George had a wonderful time running around playing with all the other cute chihuahua while Miss Mildred would not even try to play and just looked like she was frozen,
But after about 30mins she was warming up to just a few other chihuahuas, but her little tail was still not waging and I felt so bad for her as I had been reading that chihuahua's like to be around other chihuahua's so I just didn't know what was going on.
Poor little Miss Mildred we just wanted her to have some fun with other furbabys. As she is around 6 other dogs all the time I thought we would be fine but I was wrong wasn't I.
So I started taking her out walking and trying to get other people to talk to her and pat her, its a very slow process and we are making great progress with our little girl, But the biggest highlight is the we went to Bunnings and we put Miss Mildred and George into a trolly and started to push them around looking for what Monster need and while going about our shopping people would come over and start talking to us then ask if they could pat the dogs this is when the real training started, I would give Miss Mildred the
Command "say hello" or "who is it" then they people would pat her and George and after I would say "good girl" and make a big fuss of her we were able to have about 10 people pat and talk to her without her barking growling and tucking her tail between her legs. So this was a great success to me and I am so very proud of her and how far she had come, anything is possible if you put your mind to it and keep it up! So do you have any problem with your Furbabys?
Here are some more tips and ideas to help you with your Furbaby
Because each dog will have their own personality, some dogs may just be quiet. Others, outgoing. Others a little bit crazy ! Let’s first discuss how to know if a Chihuahua is technically shy.
A shy Chihuahua will show physical symptoms. The dog’s ears will lie back against the head, the dog’s pupils may become dilated, the dog may pant when there is no need, tuck its tail between its legs and avoid all eye contact.
Does your Chihuahua do this? If so, then your dog is shy.
A dog that is fearful and not just shy will urinate out of fear, run from people or other dogs and/or show extreme submission such as exposing their belly. If a frightened dog cannot run, they may then show aggression. Therefore biting, barking and growling could be signs of a dog that is very scared
There is training for a shy Chihuahua that will be successful if followed and if an owner is patient enough to allow this slow, gradual conditioning to work.
The best way to help a shy dog is to show him that there is nothing to be wary about. Never comfort your dog, this will be perceived as your confirmation that there is indeed things to be timid of.
The general gist of this sort of training is to show a dog that shy behaviour is not punished; yet it brings no benefits at all.
Conversely, interest and curiosity that nudges a dog to become a bit braver will bring him benefits.
If at any time, your dog shows behavior of interest or curiosity with the trigger that caused the shy reaction… praise your dog as if they just did something extremely wonderful. Give treats, talk in a happy, proud tone, and pat your Chi.
Timid Behaviour With Guests
If your dog is particularly shy when guests come over, you will want to use desensitize training with your dog. This can be done by having a guest come over for just 10 to 15 minutes per day. Increase the time very slowly over the course of several weeks.
Whenever your dog acts shy, both people must ignore him. 100% completely and utterly ignore him. This will actually set off a chain of events that will help the Chihuahua come out of his shell.
There will be times that the Chi prefers to remain alone, often watching from a distance. Though, when humans ignore the dog - not trying to coax him out or pay any attention to him - something happens now and again... Curiosity will take over.
When the atmosphere is calm, without any pressure to show himself or perform - a shy dog often on his own will venture out to see what is happening.
You see, when a timid dogs knows that there are no eyes on him, he will then feel safer to inspect things, to come a bit closer to hear conversations, to peer over to hands to see if they hold any treats. If he can smell a particular food, this will insure that he will be inquisitive about exactly where it is and how to go about getting it.
The key to this, is to make sure that the dog does indeed receive confirmation that there is a treat for him. Plan this with your guest in advance. As soon as he or she enters the premises, indiscreetly give that friend a treat for just this moment. Have one in your hand as well.
A crispy piece of bacon works amazingly well for this type of training. Pre-cooked microwave bacon - with grease blotted out via paper towels - is only 40cals a slice. With both people holding a 1/2 slice, this is 20 calories for each treat.
As the Chi - insecure as he is - slowly comes over to sniff or see just what you are both holding, without saying his name or making a big deal out of things, each of you can extend your hand and allow the Chihuahua to retrieve the snack from whomever he wishes.
Afterward, go back to the conversation and allow your puppy or dog to do as he wishes. On this first attempt, he may very well bring the food back to his little corner or his special bed.
After several visits in which this same thing is done, add on the element of giving praise for taking the treat. It can also help to have it be a treat one time and a new toy the next, to keep the curiosity level high.
This will allow the Chihuahua to associate something good (snack or toy) with a 'stranger' speaking to him. The next time, a gentle pat can be added. The next time, a fun new squeaky ball can be rolled, with quiet yet enthusiastic encouragement to play.
This way, on his own terms, a puppy or dog will begin to make the association that being shy does not cause anything negative to happen, but being a tad more outgoing and summoning the courage to greet a guest brings about very good things.
In time, a Chihuahua will 'forget' that he was shy. The arrival of guests is a fun event! Tasty treats are given, new toys are brought, fun play is initiated. Life couldn't be better.
I really hope this has helped you out in finding some new ways to train your furbaby to be less timid and shy!
Like I have said before we would love to hear your stories and hints you may have used to help your little one! So until I blog again we hope you are all happy and well enjoy your week.
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