We have all seen them, dogs that bark, jump, and become very defensive around other dogs. Some of these dogs can even be scary to a point that it’s hard to take them around other dogs without worrying that some one might get hurt. And, then, we’ve all seen the other end of the spectrum as well, those dogs that are super shy around other dogs and just submit to anything that another dog might do. It can be hard to figure out how to bring a shy dog out of their shell, but once you understand why your dog is shy around other dogs, it can be so much easier to help them.
Why does it matter if you have a shy dog? Well, while most shy dogs simply try to hide, or wet themselves, if they are approached by another dog, other dogs can start to feel cornered. When a shy dog feels cornered, it can growl, bark, or even snap or bite another dog, causing a fight. This is something that needs to be handled before anything bad happens to your dog.
When it comes to shyness in dogs, the root is normally just a lack of confidence. Sometimes, dogs from shelters are shy because they have been abused, punished excessively, or struck. Other times, dogs are simply shy because of their nature. There are also physical problems that can cause a dog to become shy around other dogs. Some of these include blindness, deafness, and chronic pain as the dog gets older and can easily cause your dog to become shy around other dogs or even people. Of course, some dogs do not get the proper socialization with other dogs, people, and new places which causes them to become shy around new things.
If you notice that your dog is starting to become shy when they were never that way before, take them to a vet and make sure that they are healthy. If your dog is healthy and still being overly shy, you can start obedience training, or work on some confidence building exercises with your dog to help them come out of their shell a bit. There are several different confidence building techniques that you can use with a shy dog, and your vet can easily recommend a few to help your particular dog.
Some of these techniques include desensitization, which basically introduces what your dog is shy around, or afraid of, at a slow pace to allow them to get used to it. For example, if your dog is shy or afraid of other dogs, have a friend with a very well behaved dog help you. Have the friend and their dog come over on your dog’s own territory where they will feel comfortable, and have the other dog sit still and not go near your dog.
