We have rescued a beautiful German Shepherd about 7 months old. She has been abused, and is very timided. She has a very short attention span when I try to get her involved in playing a game, or even sitting in one place for awhile. I believe she is going to be quite a callenge for me, and would appreciate any help I could get.
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Hi there,[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Thank you for your post regarding your timid German Shepherd. With lots of hard work and positive reinforcement, timid dogs can make fantastic pets. [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]If you are having trouble getting your dogs attention, you should follow the steps below:[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]- Firstly, take some treats and put them into your pocket. These treats should be particularly tasty and appealing to your dog. Make sure that they are concealed within your pocket – your dog should not be able to see them.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]- Praise your dog to help get her attention.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]- Say your dog’s name, and as soon as she looks at you give her a treat. Do this a number of times in a row so that she learns when you say her name, she should look at you, and she will be rewarded. Practice this as much as possible.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]- Once you are consistently keeping your dog’s attention by saying her name and giving her a treat, you can start teaching her some new commands. [/FONT][/SIZE] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]- If you prefer not to use her name, you could use the command “Look at Me”.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]It is important to start every training session with a few moments of praise and affection. This will form a positive association with your praise, which is very important. Otherwise your dog will only place importance on the treats, and not on your encouragement.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I think it will be very important for you to teach your dog in obedience, as this will help boost her confidence. Try to have at least one training session per day, even once your dog has learned all of the commands you want to teach her. If you use lots of praise and some treats, training sessions will be fun and a good experience for both you and your dog.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I think it will also be really important for you to provide your dog with lots of exercise. She is still a little young for strenuous walks/runs, but if possible, you could take her swimming. Any pent up energy will only make your dog’s fearful behavior worse.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]It is important not to throw your dog head first into any new and possibly frightening situations. She will need calm and gentle introductions to new things. [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Please make your visitors aware of your dog’s tendency for timidity, and ask that they not immediately approach her upon arriving at your home. Instead they should ignore her for the first few minutes, and maybe throw a few treats on the ground for her. They should definitely not stare at your dog, or lean over her. Instead, if she approaches them they should kneel and pet her under her chin or on her chest.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][/FONT] [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]We wish you the best of luck with your German Shepherd. Please let us know how you progress.[/SIZE][/FONT]
