need advice please

[triskal]

hi,Saba is almost six months old and I couldn`t ask for more loving dog,she`s not destructive,gentle with my almost 3 years old son,no food or toy aggression,she loves being with us,fuss& cuddles but...she was always a bit barky on walks[people&dogs] we work on it-leave command,distractions and she improved,she doesnt bark at all when we go for a lead walk and rarely off lead when we go woods but she is scared[?] of people
when on a lead walk we pass people by she`s trying to hide behind me or get on opposite side so I`m beetwen her and people,she lowerst down as well when people are approaching
if someone is behind us she can`t walk,she seems alert and is trying to watch them-most time she just sits and we wait for person to pass us by
another thing is she won`t let people touch her-when outside if they ignore her she may come for a sniff but she always keeps distance,we met lots of lovely dog people on walks in woods-they let her sniff,offer treats[never took food of a stranger]
at home she`s very protective and it takes few visits for her to get used to our friends-then she`s like with us all sweet and cuddly
people say she`s timid,scared,nervous,shy...someone make comment that she`s very dependant on us-always stays close when off lead and doesn`t` pay much attention to other people,should I see it as an issue?can it create any issues in future?what could we do to improve her social skills?
any advice welcome

[Stuart]

I dont think you have an issue at the moment, she is only six months old, and has time to come out of the shell she is in,... but it may become an issue later on.

A dog that is like this now, may turn into a dog that is fearfull, and if thats the case its only a short hope to fear aggression.

I am sure you are already doing this, but she needs as much contact with others as possible, do you go top classes at all?,.. what does she do when people go to touch her?

[triskal]

thank you for quick reply,we don`t go to any classes yet[but are looking for one at the moment]
when people try to touch she runs off,if they move suddenly towards her it`s more like jumping away,if someone is persistant-follows and tryies again and again she will bark
she`s fine will few of our friend-they more then welcome to give her belly rub

[Stuart]

Classes would do Saba the world of good, she should have already been in them really, so I would try extra hard to find somewhere,...its nice to have a dog that wants to be close to you but it will not be good to have a fearful dog,.. that could lead to all sorts of problems

If you cant find classes, then you will need to try and get her used to people, so that she doesnt feel so insecure around them,.. have you ever tried walking her through the town, where there are lots of people,..start with not so many and lead up to busy streets, dont have people fuss over her though, just let her walk amonst them, get her used to people being close

.... but those classes are important to Saba

Hi I agree with Stuart getting as much contact with people as possible, Maybe go to classes. This is what I'd do if in your situation only my opinion mind. I would start by being in the distance from people playing games , giving treats and I would gradually get closer over a few days keeping an eye to make sure Saba is comfortable and do the same . When I feel she is ready I'd get within the people still playing treating with plenty treats . If you take your time moving closer the transition should make her comfortable never doing more than she can handle. Watch her body language if happy move on if not move back and ignore any fear as in don't say anything to her just go back a stage. After this I would walk amongst people dropping the odd treat down. Eventually I Would (only if comfortable) ask people to give her a treat nothing more in the beginning, no touching Saba just feed or drop a treat. Once she is confident get her amongst as many people as possible socialising her as much as possible and I am sure if you take baby steps in the beggining it will pay off and when you look back you will see that you are huge steps away from a shy puppy to a confident big girl! Goodluck!

[triskal]

i know it takes us ages to find classes for her-don`t want to make excuses,we need to do it and the sooner the better
as for walking it`s exactly what we do but I can`t see any improvement[she`s not getting worse]she gets long walk off the lead in woods and 1-2 walks on a lead [around half hour]
i don`t want to push her and force to get close to people,how to built her confidence up?she was never abuse or even treated roughly,why is she so weary of people?

[Su-C]

Sometimes its just in their nature. Did you meet the mother when you got her? Was she confident and outgoing?

Anyway, if you post where you live, someone on here may be able to recommend a good training club.

Sue
x

Originally Posted by CATRIONAGSDLOVER

Hi I agree with Stuart getting as much contact with people as possible, Maybe go to classes. This is what I'd do if in your situation only my opinion mind. I would start by being in the distance from people playing games , giving treats and I would gradually get closer over a few days keeping an eye to make sure Saba is comfortable and do the same . When I feel she is ready I'd get within the people still playing treating with plenty treats . If you take your time moving closer the transition should make her comfortable never doing more than she can handle. Watch her body language if happy move on if not move back and ignore any fear as in don't say anything to her just go back a stage. After this I would walk amongst people dropping the odd treat down. Eventually I Would (only if comfortable) ask people to give her a treat nothing more in the beginning, no touching Saba just feed or drop a treat. Once she is confident get her amongst as many people as possible socialising her as much as possible and I am sure if you take baby steps in the beggining it will pay off and when you look back you will see that you are huge steps away from a shy puppy to a confident big girl! Goodluck!

This is what I'd do to build confidence. Why she seems to lack confidence not sure sorry but I do know many wonderful people who have turned shy pups into confident dogs and I think classes is a very good place to start Goodluck! xx

[kita]

Originally Posted by triskal

I don`t want to push her and force to get close to people,how to built her confidence up?she was never abuse or even treated roughly,why is she so weary of people?

It could be her breeding, certain 'lines' of GSD are a bit shy/wary.

If you do take her to classes just make sure that they are good ones, avoid very large classes full of noisy dogs/people. Go to the class without her first and observe.

Don't force her into interacting with people or other dogs - to do so could make her more fearful.

Some good tips on finding a class here:

How do I Find a Suitable Dog Training Course?

especially this part:

"It is always a good idea to attend a training class without your dog first, so you can assess the type of training that is being used, see if you feel relaxed with the instructor and assistants, and would be happy to bring your dog into that environment.

Some of the things that you should look for include:

* Observe the behaviour of dogs in the class. If this is the first night of a course some of the dogs may be anxious until they have settled in. How do the instructors and/or assistants help the anxious dog and their owner? If this is the second or later class the dogs should be relaxed with wagging tails and be interested in their surroundings. Be wary of classes where lots of dogs appear to be cowered, have their tail between their legs, or do not make eye contact with their owner or trainer.
* Look out for the types of training methods used. You should not consider joining the class if instructors/assistants are recommending techniques which rely on inducing fear or pain, such as prong collars, or where they rely on shouting at dogs, or hitting them with hands, feet or the lead. There is no need for such techniques to be used in the training of a dog. Check that dogs are motivated to show the desired behaviours through the use of rewards such as food treats or playing with a toy, and not through fear of the consequences.
* Check whether there are an appropriate number of dogs and owners for the situation. For example, the APDT (UK) recommends no more than 8 puppies in a class with an instructor and one assistant. Lots of dogs crowded together in a hall can create problems, and too many dogs makes it difficult for the instructor to clearly see what is happening, and be available to help owners.
* Observe whether the class is calm and quiet – lots of shouting (by owners) and barking indicates that people and dogs are finding the situation stressful. Except in an emergency, there is no reason for an instructor to be shouting – at dogs or owners.
* See if the instructor recognises that each dog is an individual and may be motivated by different things (such as food, play or toys), and is likely to progress at different rates. For example, check that the instructor or assistants do not force anxious dogs to participate in activities before they relax and are ready to take part. If your dog becomes anxious during training sessions, or is not keen to enter the training class, then group training may not be appropriate for him or her at this stage and you should speak to the instructor about one-to-one training.
* Are the instructors and assistants friendly and do they welcome you observing their class? A good instructor will be proud of the service they are offering and will be pleased that you are taking the trouble to find out about classes before enrolling your dog.
* You should also check that the instructor is not giving advice beyond their level of knowledge or qualification. For example, you should be wary of instructors who give advice about serious behavioural disorders, such as aggression, or medical disorders within their training class. Owners should be advised to seek advice from their veterinary surgeon in such cases.
* Before or after the class, ask some of the other participants about their experiences of the course, and how successful they have found it, as it is difficult to assess how well dogs progress with their learning when attending a single class. If possible, go to the first night of a course and then go back to the same class a few weeks later."


Sue

[triskal]

thank you all once again for replying so quicky!!sound like we need to try harder
we are in London,Charlton-any recommendations welcome
as for her parents-her mum is a rescue,both are family pets but very guardy and vocal,thinking about it she`s just like them[i don`t need doorbell]