How do I build her confidence

[Ali77]

Lottie is 11 weeks old today and a total pleasure in every way.. very very well behaved and a joy to have around.

However she is soooo timid.  I put her down on the drive today for the first time when I got her out of the car and she ran under the car and wimpered and would not come out. Its like she needs to have her confidence built up, i've been taking her out in my arms now for a few weeks but she shakes constantly.  Do I just keep going taking her out more and more or is there something else I can do to build her confidence.

She can start going out for walks from Monday but I can't see us getting anywhere for ages.

Ali

[Nicola]

She's still very young and the world is a big and strange place to her now. Does she go to puppy socialisation classes? Alfie went to these from 9 to 12 weeks and they were great, he was very timid the first week but on the second was like a different puppy. Don't act like her being timid is a big thing, if you make a fuss you'll reinforce for her that there's something to be worried about. Speak to her brightly and jolly her along a bit, encourage her to play games and make it fun for her. Do you play with her in the garden? You can use this as an opportunity to get her used to being in the great outdoors but in a safe environment. If there's a toy she particularly likes take it out with you and use it to play with her.

[Ali77]

Thanks for replying Nicola...

she has been to 1 puppy class, goes again tomorrow night although even that i'm worried about.  last week she sat between my legs and shook and the other puppies are very in your face (1 Staffi, 1 Nova Scotia, 1 Scottie, 1 Springer) i'll go again tomorrow though and see how it goes. 

In the house and garden she's a very brave little girl, she charges round the garden (but not near the BBQ, don't know why) and chases balls and her toys) as soon as she goes out of her comfort zone she shakes.  I don't react at all, just carry on as normal. 

I have taken her to a friends house, they have a scottie/bichon frise pup who is 2 weeks older than her, Lottie just sat still and my friends puppy tried to bite her face and mount her so after a while we split them up and Lottie went to sleep.

I tell you, this puppy is as worrying as having a child.  My hubby thinks i'm too worried but I want her to be a 'happy go lucky' sort of girl

Ali x

[spanielcrazy]

I agree with Nicola. 

Don't worry about puppy class. Your worries will transfer to her and then she really will be fearful. You have to treat everything like the grand adventure it is, so you have to adopt a very happy go lucky attitude.

There is nothing wrong with going to puppy class and just sitting on the sidelines and soaking up things, don't put any expectations on her or yourself. Just go, take some yummy treats and toys and play with her there, and don't require her to do anything. Just let her take it all in, and like Nic said, talk to her in a jolly upbeat way, and lots of praise and reward for anything "brave" that she does

Same with going out. It's supposed to be her time, so if that means that you sit in the drive and just take in the big world, and play and treat or praise for bravery, then so be it 

Just relax, there is nothing to worry about (bridges should be crossed when you come to them, not worried about). Take the pressure off yourself to be a "perfect cocker mum" and the pressure off her to be a "perfect puppy" and things will fall into place. Patience, calm and happiness, those will be the keys 

[Karma]

Definately don't worry about the puppy class - in ours there was one pup who was so timid the first session that they couldn't do any training with him - 3 weeks in and he was as confident as the rest!

Nicola's right - try not to reassure too much, as this makes them think they are right to be scared....
Just keep introducing things and she will get there.

I remember Honey was very nervous of going up the drive between our house and the neighbour's house - she was fine in our garden, fine out on walks, but froze if I tried to head up the drive rather than into the front door!!! 

[Ali77]

Thanks for your help, if you could see her growling and barking at her toy in the garden you wouldn't believe how fearful she is when out.

I'm going to turn all adventures into great fun... 

I'll let you know how we get on

Thanks again
Ali

[ludo]

Hi - I think you are doing all the right things with your puppy  and you will start to see a difference in time - I had a Lhasa Apso like this - he was verrrrry nervous and shook from head to foot most of the time from the moment I got him home.    I took it steady with him - he couldn't cope with classes at first so I built up his confidence in the home (the sight of the vacuum and anything else which made a noise distressed him) and on walks and then returned to classes later when he could cope with it -   it took me a year but he was much more confident by then rarely shaking, though he was never super confident or carefree - he was 11 weeks when I picked him up and hadn't been socialised so he didn't get the best start.  Just stick with it and you will see results  Have you thought of Tellington T-touch? - This might help. 

[Ali77]

I haven't heard of Tellington, i'll go and google now.

Thanks
A x

[ludo]

have pm'd you a contact e-mail address 

[Cazzie]

I was in Pets at home today and as I was walking around a dvd on the tv caught my ear  They have a super guide to puppies on dvd it was very good so maybe worth a wee look. The bit I saw was a wee yorkie who was quite timid and was encouraging it in a positive way. 

[Ali77]

well yesterday we had a really good day.  We sat on the drive and she didn't want to move at first but eventually she carefully walked about 10metres and then we came in. We also went back to puppy class and although she sat under the chair she did stretch her neck to sniff the little staffi sat next to us and she took a treat from the teacher so a definte improvement. 

Just going to take everything very slowly.

I can't believe how smitten we are with her, she has definitely completed our family

Thanks for all your advice, COL has been a massive help to me

Ali

[spanielcrazy]

Excellent!  Baby steps for her, curiosity will get the better of her eventually 

Just going to take everything very slowly.

That's the ticket! 

[bibathediva]

It is a big scary world out there for a pup and some take longer than others to get use to it....Biba was a little wary of the outside world but was soon very full on with everything 
Lola is not a very confident pup and is just going through the second fear stage  where she woofs at everything  cause she thinks it makes her look hard   
for the full 5 weeks of Lolas first puppy classes she sat under the chair  ...so i have carried on with them for another 6 weeks to build her confidence....she also comes to agility to watch Biba to give her a bit more socialising with dogs and people and i walk her seperatley from Biba a couple of times a week so she can stand on her own 2 feet   
Just let her go at her own pace and before long you will wonder what you were worried about 

[ludo]

brill  a good step forward 

[Ali77]

Well its like having a different dog, despite me constantly telling my husband 'she wont go for a walk' she did 'go for a walk' and loved every minute of it, especially playing with next door's springer.... it was brill and she even stopped shaking after a while!

Ali