# Timid Rescue Pup



## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

For now, just go slow and work on building up a bond. Her life has been turned upside down and all around, so she's probably unsure about her surroundings and her circumstances.

I'd do positive reinforcement only training for the time being and ONLY on the necessaries, like house-training and crate-training. Spend some time building a bond and then work on everything else slowly.

In the meantime, find activities she likes. Does she like getting brushed? Find a nice soft brush and spend some gentle grooming time. Don't do anything she doesn't like right now, like maybe nails or ears. Just things she likes so she starts to trust you. 

If she's scared of things in the house, like the vacuum, put her in her crate with a kong before you start vacuuming and then don't do the room she's in. You do want to expose her but you don't want to go too fast. Slow and steady. 

If something happens and she does act scared, like say you drop a pot in the kitchen, don't coddle her or apologize or anything. Just carry on like normal or maybe toss her a cookie. My dog (also a rescue) hated pots or stainless steel bowls dropping when I got him so after a few months - and he was never scared of anything - I'd drop a bowl and give him a cookie. Instead of running away from the noise, he started running towards me; I'd conditioned him that a 'loud noise' meant cookies and yummies instead of something scary.

But, that's pretty extreme. You have to work with the dog you have and like I said, my guy was never really frightened of things so I could expose him to things a little sooner. Traffic, big trucks, statues and people swinging things all took time to get him used to them.

If you have questions or any specifics, make sure to post! Congrats on your rescue girl and thank you for saving her!


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## iforget (Jun 26, 2009)

First thank you for rescuing! I too adopted a one year old this month and the first few days were scary for him but each day he has became more confident. Keep a routine and don't do any "feeling sorry" when the puppy reacts. In no time you will see the confidence grow just as quickly as your bond.


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## alifoo (Aug 17, 2011)

We are taking it very slow. For now, she is in love w/ her crate and keeps running back to it every time she gets scared. She's definitely starting to seem a little more comfortable and wants to follow me everywhere. We have a year old hound mix in the house that she is afraid of. He really wants to play w/ her. We've been keeping them separated, but how can we go about getting her to be less afraid of him? Afterall, they're going to have to be friends at some point.


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Is the hound gentle with her? If it's her being scared of him just because he's new and different, then you can start slowly introducing them but keep it controlled. Inside, have a leash on the hound (just in case), and then just let them hang out together in the same room.

If the hound is too in her face trying to play and that's why she's scared, then keep him in the same room but calm. Keep him away from her and let her adjust at her own pace. Teach him to leave her alone and she'll start being more comfortable.

If she's scared of him and he's giving her lots of space, still let the two interact. You just need to make sure he'll leave her if she gives him signs she's scared. I had a little foster pup who was scared of Ranger for 2 weeks. If he even moved suddenly on the other side of the room she was in, she would yelp and run and hide. He didn't push things and respected her need for space, even though all he wanted to do was play. She was the one who started initiating play. She got comfortable enough that she'd walk up to him and then they went from there and were great buds. But the key was that Ranger wasn't ever too much in her face or bugging her. He left her alone until she was ready to play on her own terms.

Glad to hear she's already coming along, that's great!


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## alifoo (Aug 17, 2011)

She's still a little skid dish, but she's definitely improving. The pups have started playing together some, and she's not hiding under furniture anytime there's the slightest noise. Thanks for the advice!


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## Evie (Dec 22, 2011)

Hey, just wanted to say that our 2 yo was very shy and timid when she came home with us (at nearly 2 years old) and its been nine weeks since then. She's still quite timid BUT improving all the time. Your pup sounds like she's coming right along real well.


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## alifoo (Aug 17, 2011)

I've noticed 2 strange things she does:

1. When she eats, she takes a bite, walks across the room, drops it on the floor, then eats it.
2. I'm convinced she's never seen a toy. She will not play w/ toys at all. 
Im incredibly curious about what her life up until now has been like.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Alifoo*

Aliffo

Bless you for adopting her. All I can say is love her and the rest will follow.
It is possible she was taken away from her Mom too early and not socialized properly, so it will take time for her to feel comfortable, but people are giving wonderful advice here. What is her name?


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## alifoo (Aug 17, 2011)

Yes, the advice has been great! Her name is Sadie.


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## coppers-mom (Jan 9, 2009)

My third rescue was about 5 and he also grabbed the food out of his dish and dribbled it all over the floor as he walked away to eat it.

Chance was afraid of me for at least two months - not all women just me. he got over it and we became best friends. Sometimes their earlier lives are not very good, but love, patience and time will make up for it.


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