Loss of confidence ?

Asha

Asha

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My choc lab was attacked out on walk by a neighbours GSD. ( neighbours dog escaped through the fence to get him ) He went to the vet that night and fortunately just had some muscle / soft tissue injury which he has now recovered from. With other dogs he seems fine. But ive noticed since then hes started barking a bit more around the house/yard. Not a lot, not a nuisance. But its not like him at all. Hes not aggressive in anyway, if i call him over to whoever hes barking at he will run over and say hello. But has his head down as if hes scared. He doesnt do this out on walks, only at home.
Hes 3 this September.
Am i putting the 2 scenarios together and getting 5 ? Or could it be related. If so how do i help him get his confidence back. Thanks in advance
 
I am sure more expert people will have better advice but I wouldn’t make him come to situations that scare him. He’s a dog, he doesn’t need to be the brave one. You do. So if he’s intimidated just shut him away, or say ‘quiet’ and ignore.
I think that’s what I’d do.
 
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Clodagh said:
I am sure more expert people will have better advice but I wouldn’t make him to come situations that scare him. He’s a dog, he doesn’t need to be the brave one. You do. So if he’s intimidated just shut him away, or say ‘quiet’ and ignore.
I think that’s what I’d do.
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Perhaps thats where ive gone wrong. I thought i needed to show him its ok, like you would a horse thats spooking. Thank you
 
I have a very timid dog who barks. My farrier (also big dog trainer and has own training school in the family) tells me to leave my three out as normal when he comes, and he ignores them all. (Two are very confident/not bothered) At first the timid one would stand just barking at him for easily 20/30 mins while he sorts the horses. Now its about 5 and then she wants a fuss.
I'm no expert but I find it fascinating watching dogs/horses.
I've noticed now I've started getting everyone to ignore her, she's actually becoming a lot more social and confident when out walking she will now even take treats off some people, not all.. but some she will approach herself and accept a stroke or a treat if I stop to talk/allow people to engage with the dogs. Ignoring is seeming to work for the two confident dogs too, they don't go charging over to people half as much as they used to.
 
yellowman said:
I have a very timid dog who barks. My farrier (also big dog trainer and has own training school in the family) tells me to leave my three out as normal when he comes, and he ignores them all. (Two are very confident/not bothered) At first the timid one would stand just barking at him for easily 20/30 mins while he sorts the horses. Now its about 5 and then she wants a fuss.
I'm no expert but I find it fascinating watching dogs/horses.
I've noticed now I've started getting everyone to ignore her, she's actually becoming a lot more social and confident when out walking she will now even take treats off some people, not all.. but some she will approach herself and accept a stroke or a treat if I stop to talk/allow people to engage with the dogs. Ignoring is seeming to work for the two confident dogs too, they don't go charging over to people half as much as they used to.
Click to expand...
My old boy was very much like your 2 confident ones, and would always want a fuss of people, but Stirling has never been interested /confident with other people. He has always seemed genuinely uninterested . Perhaps ive mistaken that and hes always been nervous as opposed to uninterested.
 
I agree, please don't force the interaction and just tell people to pretend there is no dog, he needs to think 'if I bark, nothing happens, good or bad'. So he doesn't get to feel like he has driven the threat away either. It's his home and he needs to feel safe and secure, not be forced into unnecessary interactions. It's OK for dogs not to say hello to everyone and everything. If a dog is barking at me I will just stand there and ignore it and continue to talk to the owner or do whatever I was doing unless I feel in real danger. At the dog club I might also not look at the dog and throw food on the floor near it but not in my 'zone' so I am not forcing it to come too close to me to get the food, and I am not hand feeding it.
I have, in the past, if the dog has been upset by an inanimate object, gone over to touch it and stand beside it to show it means no harm but I do not force the dog along with me and allow them to keep their own distance, if the dog wants to come up and sniff it of their own volition once they have seen that it hasn't eaten me, that is fine and I will feed the dog.

My old dog was incredibly aloof and would get pee'd off if people tried to force and interaction and would let them know about it. If he wanted to say hi, it was on his terms. His daughter is a pushy appeaser and will fling herself at people and wriggle all over them but it's not because she loves everyone, she's ingratiating herself with them as she is insecure. 'Pwease be nice I am so cute and smol and harmless, squirm squirm' etc.
 
He doesn't need to meet people. Let him hang back if he wants, don't call him forward.

I can't remember when I posted this, later today according to the forum.

Also unable to quote so here is a screenshot.

and for stranger, read anybody.

1751542897636.png
 
CorvusCorax said:
. His daughter is a pushy appeaser and will fling herself at people and wriggle all over them but it's not because she loves everyone, she's ingratiating herself with them as she is insecure. 'Pwease be nice I am so cute and smol and harmless, squirm squirm' etc.
Click to expand...
Thats Stirling all over when he does greet someone.

Thank you, makes a bit more sense now. So perhaps nothing to do with the GSD, and more just his insecurities that ive failed to acknowledge/deal with.
 
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