shy dog

[michaelk]

Hi:

my first post here; I promise I tried to read as much as possible in order to avoid duplicate questions.

I adopted a female chihuahua ( 4 1/2 yrs old) 2 weeks ago from the local humane society. She was kept basically all her life in a breeding kennel.

Here's what I observed so far : after a couple of days in the house she has adapted incredible well. Comes when called; not "clingy"; when we don't pay attention to her she just goes in her bed; no begging ; no barking chewing or anything. Truly a relaxed; confident dog. ( I don't feel sorry for her past and treat her just as a normal dog; i.e. we don;t pick her up just because we can ( 6 pounds ) - that one was a little hard to explain to my wife though )

Everything changes though on the outside. I am not 100 % sure but I think she very seldom went outside in her life. It's not like she's deadly afraid ; cautious would be the better word. Everything gets approached that way with the tail tucked between her legs.

While we can play tug of war or similar outside on our patio ( florida), her " fear " overrides everything outside that realm. She reacts to a certain extend to food ( has to be real tasty ) but not always. My question would be how to make her more confident and just have her walk next to me in the same relaxed manner she's at home. Right now she will follow me , reluctantly it seems , but after 5-10 minutes it just becomes too much ( my interpretation ) and literally just sits down and refuses to move. The moment we reverse directions she takes off almost in panic trying to get back home.

Once inside the house all the confidence and relaxation is back and she just lays down.

I don't think her prey drive is very high; also the pushing and tugging works well in the "patio environment", but my "prey value" doesn't seem to be high enough on the outside.

thanks for everybody's help

michael

[neilsattin]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for registering, and for doing your part to read before posting...

A few thoughts (in no specific order):

1. It can take time for a dog to unwind from a stressful environment. 2 weeks in a normal home doesn't quite have the weight to balance out a lifetime of the breeding kennel and the shelter - just yet. You're on the right track with her. Time is the healer to some extent - so patience will reward you in that regard.
2. Small steps. If 5-10 minutes outside on a walk is all she can take before she shuts down, then walk for less time, making it your goal to "turn around" before she shuts down. Make your return path different than how you left on your walk (return home obliquely) to try to keep her focus on you and the game you're playing rather than on the rest of the environment. Just try to have successful time outside, and then you can build on it time-wise.
3. What are you DOING on your walks? Can you turn them into a game? Can you make them more about her chasing you, playing some tug, getting some food, pushing, chasing you some more?
4. To that end, maybe you could find a quiet park where you could just have her on a long, loose leash (just let it drag on the ground) - once there, spend some time just chilling out, relaxing, massaging her gently, letting her acclimate to the environment. Then maybe you can transition to playing a game, activating her playfulness (and your preyfulness) fully in the outdoor, grassy environment.
5. re: food - you can try having her be a little bit hungrier before you go out on your walks/outdoor excursions. That, combined with ultra-tasty treats, will help her recognize that you're giving her an outlet for the stress she's experiencing.

But, sticking with the theme of my current blog post on "improvisation" - my hunch is that some time outside, in a quiet natural environment to decompress - coupled with seeing if you can then, after relaxation/settling occurs, make it PLAYFUL. That could potentially be more helpful to you at the moment than the "techniques".

Please keep us posted on your progress, and keep the questions a-comin'.

And of course, if anyone else has some thoughts - chime on in!

[michaelk]

Hi Neil:

thank you so much for the quick reply.

re:

[*]What are you DOING on your walks? Can you turn them into a game? Can you make them more about her chasing you, playing some tug, getting some food, pushing, chasing you some more?

that's were I was unsure about. I didn't know if I decrease or increase her anxiety outside by just letting her "explore" things on her own. ( sniffing - letting her go where she wants to go etc. )

After reading here I have the suspicion I should take a more ' active ' role in her outside activities

If that's the case I assume making myself more interesting outside would be a good start ?

Also when would be a good time to work on sit, heel etc.? should I wait after she is more relaxed outside or would that help her to relax?

thanks again for the help

michael

[neilsattin]

Think about it this way:

When you're outside with your dog, she is picking up on the vibes of her environment. And because she's tiny, nervous, and tense, those vibes end up causing her more stress than she can handle: she shuts down.

There's nothing wrong with letting her sniff/explore per se. In fact, there's nothing "wrong" with the whole cycle. It's just that once it enters your awareness you then have the power to change it.

By making yourself more interesting outside, what might be helpful to do is frame it this way: "How am I helping my dog deal with the stress that she's experiencing? Am I helping her *relax* (so she can experience more energy without shutting down)? Am I giving her a way to *express* her energy (so that it keeps flowing and doesn't get all bottled up inside)?

You can ask those same questions when it comes to your obedience work. My intuition tells me that at the moment you still need her to get the feeling that she can plug into YOU to resolve her excess energy before she'll be in an emotional state appropriate for your obedience work.

"Obedience" is really just a way of playing with the energy dynamic that flows between the two of you. You might need that dynamic to be stronger and more fluid as Step #1 before you start thinking too much about sit/heel/etc. On the other hand, as that dynamic develops it can DEFINITELY increase her attraction to you (as I mentioned in the article).

Short version: not quite yet is my gut sense. But try it soon, once she settles a bit more and you start to feel more confident in seeing the cycle at work - and your ability to step in and direct it through

• relaxation
• giving an outlet for the expression of energy that she enjoys

Thank you for the additional questions!

[neilsattin]

Just had to quote him here - since he just posted this on his "introduction" thread and it's so relevant:

You're absolutely right. I just re-read your blog posting on developing the right attitude as a trainer and my focus is starting to shift from perfecting every exercise to making sure that Jinxsie and I are connected and having fun with each other during our play-training.

I used to practice a Brasilian martial art called Capoeira, which is a form of fighting masked as dance. My mestre talked a lot about "the conversation" that two capoeiristas have in the circle (or roda (pronounced "hoda"). To have a real conversation with someone means that not only are you aware of what the other person is expressing, but you are also aware of yourself and your own feelings. This is exactly the type of energy that I have to bring to "the conversation" that I'm having with Jinxsie when we play-train together.

[michaelk]

Thank you again Neil - so - having fun with each other - it is

cheers

Michael

[michaelk]

it's absolutely amazing the transformation my little girl went through in the last 24 hrs or so.

Simply by me going " gaga " over every little thing that seemed to frighten her ( palm fronds, leaves, cars etc) and praising the heck out of her she has completely turned around.

Almost everything is now being approached with confidence; I still don't stand a chance being more interesting than those things but I am confident that will come in time. As far as the ' running home' thing - I now have a hard time coaxing her back.

Also our ' pushing ' has almost evolved into a 'full head on attack' by her ; I guess she just figures I am big enough to catch her

Thank you so much again for the tips and help.

cheers

Michael

[neilsattin]

Hi Michael,

So glad to hear that you're experiencing such a quick turnaround, and that we've been able to help you here.

occasionally after people make progress there can be a little bit of a regression (or a different "problem" - like when a shy dog has all this energy that you suddenly have to channel). So please keep us posted, and let us know if any other questions come up.

Great work though!!!

[michaelk]

Hi Neil:

You are definitely right when it comes to different challenges now, but I now much better understand why she does certain things. i.e. she will literally explode into the " zoom " routine ( I think mentioned on Kevin's blog ) after she's has been sniffing intensely on a high dog trafficked area. Previously I would have thought it's playful but now, it's actually very liberating to watch the forces that are being described here and in Kevin's blog, at work; I guess it's just energy overload for her. At this point we are getting better into channeling at into chasing me ( as a matter of fact it seems to be the only time I can get her to chase me ).

On the other hand we successfully completed today the " dog introduction " routine you have described on your blog and it was absolutely mind boggling to see that within seconds a german shepherd mix ( 85lbs ) and her ( 6lbs) happily "hunted" together. The biggest challenge was to convince the owner to take a walk together, the dogs 'knew' exactly what to do. ( albeit the sniffing part was a physical ( height ) challenge for her

I do have a couple of questions though - if you don't mind.

When I am sitting outside on the patio she's generally content to sniff around or lay in the sun by herself - but sometimes I have her jump up on my lap. I know it satisfies my emotional needs - what about hers ? she normally makes herself comfortable and goes to sleep. When I take her down she happily goes her way. No harm - no foul?

I don't think has ever really had a toy to play with or similar - while the pushing with food goes very well right now - we are making very little progress with tug of war. If I can get her really excited she will grab the rope and hold it or chase it for a couple of seconds, but then it loses it's luster completely - just a matter of time and perseverance ?

And lastly a really weird question; when I am at home she will bark at strangers passing by or other dogs barking etc, but when she is alone by herself in the house - no barking ( trust me, I asked my neighbors and they know everything ) just trying to understand if her behavior with me in the house is an indication of anything - maybe something I can change to make her more 'secure'.

Again this place here has bee eye opening for me to say the least. For the first time I can feel my dog without any preconceived 'human notion' and it has been rewarding already - thank you again

cheers

Michael

[Margot]

I also have a small dog and the best way I found to get him to play tug is to lay on the ground. Also be careful to use something that is soft and small enough to fit her mouth. One way to get her crazy enough for tug is to lay on your back and let her jump all over you, to encourage that blow rasberries, make funny noises and gently and playfully push her away. Then bring in the tug toy and tempt her with it, keeping it just out of reach until she really wants it, but not so long that she looses interest.

I do not think it is an issue to have your dog jump up and sleep on your lap. Butters will sleep next to me on the sofa with his head or more of him on my lap, and he will just as soon sleep with his head on Stan the girl cat's belly. or on one of his many much larger dog friends. Dogs like to sleep in a pile.