Help timid, shy puppy

[yorkietew]

I just bought a new yorkie puppy two weeks ago and I knew when i got him he was shy and timid. I thought maybe after 2 weeks he would come out of it. He was 19 wks when i brought him home so he was a little older. His parents and other yorkies she had was all so friendly and out going. That has what I have been use to with all my other yorkies. Romeo is very sweet and he loves me follows me wherever i go but when I go to pick him up he cowards down, backs up or hides. He does this with everyone. My friend stopped over the other day and he ran and hide and was shaking and he was just at my friends house a wk ago. I just want him to be friendly and out going and not to be afraid. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Oh yes the breeder said he did this from day one. he would hide behind momma. He was also the runt of the litter. All my other yorkies are friendly and outgoing. so im at a loss here.

[Deb1]

First congratulations on your new puppy! I don't have much advise except to just give him time and lots of love to get to know everyone! Go slow when introducing him to new situations or people. He needs to first know who he can go to if he is scared and that is you. Just bond with him and give him plenty of reassurance that everything is ok! He will come around when he is comfortable, just take it slow.

[yorkietalkjilly]

I would start to give him some responsibility and get him involved in obedience training - any good online source is fine - just get him working to learn and getting positive reinforcement when he does it right and a goodie treat to boot, plus give him interactive toys to bring out his competitive and inquisitive nature and get him some little agility course items set up to jump over a tiny jump, go through a little tunnel made out of a cardboard box or two, some things like that to give him a sense that he is capable and is a member of your "team". Stay very, very upbeat, call him upbeat things like "hero" and "champion" and "winner!" since words like that tend to fill the human with more power and change your state of mind and less sympathy for the insecure dog. Sympathy won't help him but pumping up his ego and self-confidence through your attitude toward him will as will teaching him how to work and achieve things and feel pride of accomplishment.

Also, Google the terms "timid, shy puppy" correction and read up on a lot of other ways to work with your little guy aside from all the advice you will get here.

Once he's got more self-confidence, it will be important to positively socialize him. When he goes out and about, carry treats and treat him for every experience he undergoes - a loud truck, a helicopter overhead, going into a store - don't pet or praise him if he's shaking or scared but just keep whispering power words into his ear and take him right out, then treat him. But every time he undergoes stress or a new situation, a treat can reinforce that that was a good thing. Praise him if he stays calm during any new stress. Take a squeaky toy to distract him if he does get scared and won't take a treat. If he's walking, turn him around on the leash and keep him busy going around in circles for a couple turns if he gets nervous over something - that can help to keep him focused on something other than the noisy or scary thing. Squeak that toy and walk him around in a circle or two. Start to run with him - anything to get his mind off being scared. Laugh and smile during stressful times, too, and don't look concerned about his worries - just stay upbeat and happy. Keep his socialization short so he doesn't have much time to get too scared and repeat the sessions often.

[yorkietew]

I having been giving him lots of love and attention. I work from home so I am with him 24/7. He does love my other 2 dogs, he will follow and play with them.

On Jan 23 my little yorkie Sammie who was 11 1/2 yrs old passed away form Lymphoma. He was my precious baby, who I loved very very much.. I have really mourned his loss.. I was totally lost with out him. I said I wasn't going to get another cause he could be replaced. So here I found Romeo who has the same sweet face as Sammie did. I know Romeo has his own personality . No 2 yorkies are ever the same all have there own unique personalities about them. Romeo is helping me heal from my loss. But Sammie will never be forgotten.

So I really doing want to try to help him open up and show him its ok.
Thanks again for your advise

[yorkietalkjilly]

I'm so sorry that you lost little Sammie in such a painful way and I know it probably has affected how you react around other dogs for a time and maybe made you a bit overly protective. You can really help this little shy baby by working teaching him to learn things, becoming your team member and getting him achieving and getting lots of positive feedback and he could soon start to blossom. Stay upbeat & patient & happy with him. When he hides, bring him matter of factly out of his little hiding place & happily start redirecting him with an interactive toy, baiting him to play with a squeaky toy or training him with a luscious little pile of boiled chicken for treats to work for. Then, when he's a little less retiring and shy, start to socialize him. At first, you might take him out in a little airline carrier so that he's got a sense of safety and security inside there but still gets him used to smells and sounds and the differences out in the big world. Toss a treat in through the door every so often and keep those sessions short. When he's better still, take him out on the leash and treat often.

[nanahas3]

Kyra is 15 months old and no yorkie could be more spoiled and she still backs up when you go to pick her up. She will come put her paws on your leg but when you reach for her she does this. We have learned to just reach slowly and then she is fine. I think with her it is the sudden reaching movement. Welcome to YT.

[Lap Princess]

Teaching him to sit & stay really helps with the picking up thing. Lexie used to do the same thing & I just was NOT gonna chase her. Once we got the sit/stay down, she sits, turns her back to me & lets me pick her up.

Lot's of good advice here, so sit, stay & welcome to YT!

[yorkietalkjilly]

A lot of small dogs walk back a few steps or shift their weight over their haunches when you reach toward them, preparatory for a possibly heavy-handed petting session or picking them up, which happens so much to small dogs; or, from that position, they can readily flee, if necessary. It's instinctive with so many small dogs. Others will quite readily turn their backs to you when they know you are about to pick them up. But doing that and shying back, clearly showing all of the body language of avoidance and even fear, is different and you can readily see the difference. Some dogs ears are out to the sides or back, eyes squinting or walled, head turning to one side and a dipping down, tail going down, back hunching a little and the body sways or even flinches from the outstretched hand. That is plain old avoidance that is usually from a fear or shyness of humans.

[Teresa Ford]

Welcome to Yt. I am sorry for your loss but glad you have let another Yorkie into your heart and home. I think yorkietalkjilly gave you some good advice. We have several exercises we do with shy pups.
1. Floor Party Tell your friends (two or three is enough) you are training your shy puppy give them a written list of what to do and what not to do. The day before they come over. Have guests come in and ignore the puppy . No touch no eye contact. Every one sits on the floor in a horse shoe shape (a closed circle may make a puppy feel trapped) When you sit down go to about the center of the group. Hold your puppy on your lap. Have your friends roll a tiny ball back and forth to each other slowly, completely ignoring the pup. When the ball comes to you roll it back to someone. If he gets interested in the ball or people yahoo. Next is pass the treat. I suggest boiled chicken breast cut into pea size cubes. Each person will have a tiny (one bite size) treat to place it on the floor in front of them. He will eat your treat first, then the next person puts theirs down. If he goes and get it wahoo. If not they pass it to you. The object of this is for the pup to get treats from other people with out touching them at first. Hopefully he will bravely take it from their open palm the second time around. Remind them no eye contact no touch.
2. Teach your pup to sit
3. Teach your pup to come
4. Take your pup every where you can ( keep him safely in your arms untill he has all his shots) Stand outside the bank, grocery, your childs school, and so on. Do not let people hold him. If he seems comfortable let people gently pet his side. Head pets can be scary.
5. Take him to basic puppy training classes.
This basic training will give him confidence.
Let us know how it goes.

[Jacksmom052709]

Hello and welcome to YT! So sorry for your loss of Sammie, I know that had to be hard. You have gotten some great advice here for your little Romeo. Wishing you the best with him!

[kimp5]

mine does this as well. We started using the verbal cue "up" when we would pick her up. So I would have a treat in my hand, bend down to knee level and say "up" give her a treat and say "good girl" I also started doing it for "down" when we put her down. She is much more adapted to being picked up now. She knows what to expect...hope that helps

[Lisa and Pic]

You are getting some great advice.

My Piccolo was also very shy as a puppy. She is 8 years old now and does much better, but still runs aways if someone new tries to pet her when she is sniffing them. She really loves to do tricks and is smart as a whip and I think teaching her tricks was a great first step in working on her socialization. She loved clicker training, too, and would come running when I got it out.

I feel certain that things will continue to improve for your pup, as you work on this.

[chachi]

My Jewels was very shy and timid and would cower like that and she has come along in time but we also have another yorkie that isnt like that so I figure hes helped bring her out of that. She still is a nervous dog around loud sounds and new situations and being in the car though