Nervous Puppy??

[fitzaud2]

Just wondering, when do puppies stop being nervous?? We have our puppy 9 days and she's still sooo jumpy - poor little mite. loves attention, but I just left the room for 2 mins and when I came back couldnt find her, she was hiding under the couch, shaking!!! Minute I wakled back in she was fine, is that normal, and if so, at what point do they get confident??

 

[MurphysMinder]

Well tbh, a pup shouldn't be nervous if their temperament is right. What was she like when you saw her with her litter mates, was she used to household noises etc? To help improve her confidence, when she is hiding don't try and encourage her out, just ignore her and leave her to come to you, and then lots of fuss. If she is so nervous you may have to be cautious with her socialising, but tuck her under your arm and get her out and about as much as possible, into town, parks etc, and again don't reassure her if she is timid, just be positive.
I'm sure Cayla will have dealt with dogs lacking confidence so will be able to give more useful advice.

 

[CAYLA]

What MM said ^^^^, how was she when you purchased her? and what was the bitch like, or is she a rescue?
As MM suggests don't make a fuss of this behaviour and heighten her anxiety/fear.
At this age she should be bounding towards you or even screatching when you leave the room and scratching at the the door and trying to trip you up to get out with you
Has she had her hearing and eye sight checked?
A nervous dog need a leader just as a bolchy/confident one does, so you must work to boost her confidence in a non smoothering (feeling sorry for her way) as these stages are crucial to mould her social behaviour and her behaviour and reactions to stimulus in general.
How is her behaviour/response and the way she interacts with you otherwise?
What breed is she/he?

EDA, had this with Panacake (puppy cavi). I had a litter of cockers in at the same time and the difference between the behaviour/response to "anything" was phenominal.
Pancake is now the most out going little dog ever. (I will explain a bit more if you are back her before I go to bed )

 

[Spudlet]

When you saw her, was she in the house or outside in a kennel or similar? It may be that she is not used to normal household noises.

I agree with MM, don't encourage her nervousness, just let her get on with it and encourage her when she is being brave. She needs to get used to being left, it sounds like she has found a safe enclosed space under the couch. Do you use a crate at all (hopes she is not reigniting huge row!)? Having her own enclosed, dark (put a blanket over it) little space might help her to feel more secure.

 

[celfyddydau]

Have you tried DAP?

There is a leaflet you can download from Dog's Trust on socialisation. But think how you would feel being pulled from everything you'd known and dumped in a strange place where you knew no one.

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/az/factsheetsanddownloads/default.aspx

Encourage your pup to come out and play with you. I have a book by Ian Dunbar on my website that's available for free download, it's called "after you get your puppy", or you can buy it for £10 http://gooddogschool.webs.com/downloadsandarticles.htm