Help Shy Dog
Nervous dogs often try to evade people who try to touch them and will, do almost anything to keep away from strangers. Often, they will snap at people wishing to make their acquaintance, a state of affairs that has probably come about through someone hurting them in puppyhood. Much patience is required on the owner’s part to get the dog over this nervousness. It could have been caused by a youth touching the dog with a stick or other weapon when the animal was being exercised in the main street, and the owner may have much difficulty in getting the dog to pass this type of person.
The remedy is to introduce the dog to as many people as possible, and it must be handled in and out of doors by different people whenever it is convenient to do so. The dog may have to be muzzled in the should be made aware of the objects, and have sympathetic natures.
It will be appreciated that the dog should always be given his daily ration by someone other than the owner, thereby expediting the correction of the dog.
After a little while it should be possible to take the dog into a street frequented by a few people, then into main streets, and in and out of shops. The dog must get accustomed to people passing by and obstructing its path, so that later, when it is taken into crowded parts, it behaves rationally. It may take time to achieve this object but it will certainly be well worth the effort.
The owner must also try to understand that, in all probability, he himself has been responsible for the dog’s becoming nervous, by not taking the dog out and about when he first acquired him. It is, therefore, up to him (or her) to try to remedy the trouble. The excuse that the dog is too big or too difficult to handle is a poor one. Enquiries regarding the possible growth of the animal should have been made when the animal was obtained. In any case now is the opportunity to treat the dog in the correct manner, and to help the dog overcome hand-shyness, by training him in obedience in early stages, and held by the owner, to enable other people who understand the position to pat or stroke the animal.
In all probability the dog will struggle, and may even attempt to bite through the muzzle, and it is on these occasions that the owner must try to sooth the animal and not be deterred from encouraging other people to make the dog’s acquaintance.
As soon as it is apparent that the dog no longer minds being handled by some person other than the owner, then ask that person to feed the dog, through the muzzle at first, then, if the dog appears content to take the food this way and does not resent that person, without the muzzle. The lead, however, must be held by the owner. It may take a few days to get as far as this. The person concerned should, in the first instance, place the food on a flat piece of wood or other convenient article so that he is not likely to have his fingers bitten. Then, if all goes well, he can feed the dog with a piece of meat held in the centre of the flat hand. This routine is then continued for a month or so with different