# She's shy....what should I do?



## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

im not quite sure what you mean by "she is in a position where she cannot be shy"... could you elaborate a bit?


----------



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Welcome to the forum. You didn't say how old your pup is but the key to getting over shyness is to expose your pup to as much as possible with lots of positive praise and no coddling. Watch you pup closely and stop before fear sets in and stop and do some basic obedience things that you can give lots of treats and praise for.


----------



## TheGoldenDream (Feb 25, 2008)

She's training to be a therapy dog. She's still only 20 months old so I am hoping that I can help her enjoy people a little bit more. Sorry I should have written more to explain what I meant.


----------



## goldenmomof3 (Feb 15, 2006)

How old is she? I would NOT push anything on her. Was she rescued? There could be alot she is overcoming and time is key here. Need more info.


----------



## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

if she is that shy around new people, are you sure her "true calling" is being a therapy dog?


----------



## TheGoldenDream (Feb 25, 2008)

She was not rescued, but when we picked her up we noticed that her parents were shy also, which the breeder did not mention when we contacted her. I have started to think about that fact that she might not be a therapy dog. She is so sweet around people that she is comfortable with. Either way she is still such a wonderful dog that I want her to be able to explore the world of people. I could be wrong too.


----------



## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

You might try enrolling in some obedience classes. Sometimes, the shy ones will gain confidence participating in organized activities with other dogs and people. I've got a shy one who is a rescue, but his confidence has increased tremendously in two years with lots of patience, exposure and no "coddling", just my being very matter of fact in new situations that scare him.


----------



## Bogart'sMom (Sep 16, 2005)

Bogart is not shy at all but little Toddler kids make him a little nerves because of their unsteadyness and they could fall on him. This whole month every Sat or Sun we have been going to the Library with some people from our obedience school (it's also a dog rescue) and performed Doggy freestyle for the kids and parents. At the end of the performence the dogs meet the kids and get pats BUT also each kid that pats the dogs gives the dog a treat. Bogart thinks now that little kids are the best thing since sliced Bread it's too cute. He gets all exited to go to the Library. I hope we can continue doing our little performances. The library district donated some money to our rescue so that's cool. I have been thinking about getting Bogart into therapy work I think he would enjoy that since he is a sozial butterfly.
Elke, ZsaZsa and Bogart


----------



## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

If she's shy around strangers, being a therapy dog may be too stressful for her. While I agree you may want to work on getting her more comfortable around strangers, I think you should focus on doing it for the dog's sake. Not because you want her to be a therapy dog. Not all dogs are cut out to be therapy dogs. I think this is a pretty good explanation:



> *What makes a good therapy dog?*
> 
> Visiting dogs must be social. The point of the program is the interaction between the dog and the people you are visiting. If the dog does not enjoy the visit the interaction will be less than ideal. The person needs to feel accepted by the dog. A doggie rejection could make the visit more hurtful than no visit at all. A good therapy dog is calm, tolerant and friendly. The visits should be pleasurable for both of you. Don't try to force therapy work on a dog.
> 
> ...


Source: Dog Play


----------



## TheGoldenDream (Feb 25, 2008)

Yes you guys are completely right. She's sweet just the way she is and I want her to feel at ease around new people. It's not good for her to feel so nervous and anxious all the time. I guess let me rephrase my thoughts. 

I want her to be comfortable in many different situations so that she does not feel anxious all the time, and so that she can come with me to dog parks and such.


----------



## TheGoldenDream (Feb 25, 2008)

We have started tracking with her just recently and that seems to be a huge strength of hers and she enjoys it so much. I think we have found her calling. Thanks for all of your help!


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

I was just going to suggest Agility classes for fun or tracking for fun!! 
Good plan Mom!!


----------



## TheGoldenDream (Feb 25, 2008)

Thank you! It's so much fun to watch her have so much fun ad confidence! She's a totally different dog! The transition has begun.


----------

