timid about everything

[rosanna_kwok]

Hi I am a new member and just got our corgi two weeks ago. Lovely dog but extremely timid around children and other dogs. He is fine when they are not too close. but when his cousin, Henry the sheepdog came to visit he bark, growl and bare teeth. very scary, He barked and howled at my niece and nephew who are quite young, toddlers. he bark and howl at every new sound and smell. I am just so afraid He is going to get agressive If I do not get him some help. We signed up for obedient class but the behaviorist does not think that will work right now since He is so fearful, any advice????:

[glencorgi]

How old is he? and what is his background? - how old was he when you got him?

Debbie

[Michael Romanos]

Timidity in dogs is very difficult to completely shake off. When choosing a pup, never select any who have this unfortunate tendancy. However some pups can become timid once they have been passed over to a new owner through frightening experiences and a member or members of the family who regularly scare them. A member of the Wellington Wlesh Corgi Walking Group has a 15 month old female Pem who was extremely timid when he got her at age nine months. She is with a litter brother who is a little on the timid side only. Well the girl is much better when I saw her a week ago but you can tell she will never be free from being in a shell. In these cases both Corgis are not going to bite anyone just run for cover and are not the happy Corgis they should be.

[BannaOj]

Make sure you aren't inadvertantly "praising" the nervous behavior, by petting or talking to him in an excited manner. Be very calm and assertive (like Ceasar Millan) because he needs to know you are the pack leader and in control, so he doesn't have to worry about it.

It may be a developmental phase, many puppies do go through a "fear" phase and grow out of it, it depends on how old he is.

Many of my generally well-socialized puppies spend the first two or three weeks of their first puppy obedience class hiding wherever they can. You have to be calm and gentle but not reward the behavior. Then they tend to get over it and become the stars of their class and learn everything faster than the other dogs.

[Clogs]

Hi and welcome, Rosanna.
I would try to keep new and potentially scary experiences to a minimum until he develops more confidence.
If you can, let him experience something new for a short time, then take him or it away. Then reintroduce the same experience again, maybe later that day or the following day. Continue with this one new experience until he starts to become comfortable with it. Then introduce a new experience.
As others have said, be gentle but firmly reassuring, but don't inadvertently praise his timid behaviour by being too comforting when he feels threatened by something new.

Let us know how he is doing, won't you.

[Pawsies]

Try clicker training to build up his confidence. Also is he acting this way only when people/dogs come to visit or also on neutral ground e.g the park?