Timid Shy English Springer

[Daz Harrison 9]

Hi all, I have a 5 month old English springer that is very timid, he cowers down at people walking towards him when were out and stops walking when he see's something he doesnt know, anyone had this problem before and turned the dog out to be good around people and dogs ?

 

cheers

Daz

Edited January 9, 2016 by Daz Harrison

[leegreen 2,099]

Socialise, socialise, socialise and life experiences (lots of them).

 

Get it down the town centre as often as you can. Shops, train stations, bus stops full of people are very good. Give it sensory over load.

All my dogs are super steady, even the very bitey ones .

[leegreen 2,099]

Or bring it here £30/day, £20/day over 3 weeks, I have it walking to heal in a crowd, retrieving shot game from the water and rolling cigarettes.

[Flairball 141]

Socialise, socialise, socialise and life experiences (lots of them).

 

Get it down the town centre as often as you can. Shops, train stations, bus stops full of people are very good. Give it sensory over load.

All my dogs are super steady, even the very bitey ones .

This. And don't make a big deal about anything. Let the pup learn everything is normal.

[stealthy1 3,964]

Get it out more and it should be fine, but what ever you do, don't lose your temper with the dog.

[Flairball 141]

Or bring it here £30/day, £20/day over 3 weeks, I have it walking to heal in a crowd, retrieving shot game from the water and rolling cigarettes.

Fetching beer from the fridge? Who wouldn't like that?

[jok 3,035]

Take the pup down the pub everyday from 12 till 2 and then again from 6 till closing. That little dog will be humanised in a very short space of time. Oh. And you will as well. LOL LOL

[leegreen 2,099]

 

Socialise, socialise, socialise and life experiences (lots of them).

 

Get it down the town centre as often as you can. Shops, train stations, bus stops full of people are very good. Give it sensory over load.

All my dogs are super steady, even the very bitey ones .

This. And don't make a big deal about anything. Let the pup learn everything is normal.

 

Never pander to your dogs fear and praise to encourage you dog forward. All positive encouragement, ignore negative behaviour and make walks.

"everything is normal."

[Casso 1,256]

On the flip side it can be hard to bond with a pup like that out in town when it's fear instincts (cars noise people) are getting triggered constantly,

 

If your going to socialise in that manner, I would also use quiet woodland walks as a way of destressing and bonding in a natural setting, prey making instincts triggered through walks generate the bonding process

[bird 9,591]

On the flip side it can be hard to bond with a pup like that out in town when it's fear instincts (cars noise people) are getting triggered constantly,

 

If your going to socialise in that manner, I would also use quiet woodland walks as a way of destressing and bonding in a natural setting, prey making instincts triggered through walks generate the bonding process

fair point that yeh it will ge on edge all the while, better to walk it 1st where its more relaxed with just few people , then build it up to more noise/people. suppose in every litter you always going to get the nervy/sensitive pups, but I think for working dog like springer that's got to be full on/brave type dog , I would have gone for a ( more confident ) type pup in the 1st place, why make the job hard to start with . that to me any dog pet or worker I always try for a out going pup to start with .!!

[Casso 1,256]

That's a good point about more outgoing pups bird, a shy nervy pup is lookin at the world through a self survival state of mind and at the same time a ballsey outgoing type has a can do conifident attitude

Personally I don't like to put a pup in situations or environments he can't emotionally deal until I feel he's ready, building conifidence all the while with a tail up devil may care attitude when meetimg new objects or environments ,

Never felt a pup was ever lacking as a grown dog with a slower more relaxed upbringing where trust was high on the agenda,