timid 13 week old puppy

[JoBordeaux]

I have a 13 week old DDB puppy I picked up yesterday. So far she been very standoffish and seems frightened of me. I don't raise my voice to her or abuse her so I don't know the problem. I need to build trust with her but she won't approach me or even play. As soon as I approach her she runs away, I even tried tempting her with treats which didn't work. She also seems to hate her collar and leash so she runs away whenever I bring them out. I knew this wasn't going to be easy but I just want to get her to trust/like me. Any help or experience would be appreciated.

 

[Wyo- Dogue de Bordeaux]

It's going to take some time for her to get used to the new environment. Try sitting down and have her come to you, things are just so new to her that she may not want the treats. I would try and let her adjust before using a collar and leash if at all possible. It took our ddb puppy 3 days or so to get used to us and things in our house. Are you using a crate? If you are, put one of your unwashed shirts in the kennel with her so she gets used to your smell, this seems to help them adjust better.


Wyoming Dogue De Bordeaux

 

[musicdeb]

Yes, she needs to time to get used to you and the new environment. Give her lots of love and attention for a few days. Best way to bond is to walk with her, start training her basic commands and just sit with her.

Is this your first DDB? Do you have pics?

 

[mx5055]

When I got my cc pup Bella at 13 weeks she was a bit like this, and I was kind of baffled as I had never had a puppy who acted this way. But, she did come from a rescue and I didn't know her early history, so I proceeded very slowly with her. It hurt me so much that anytime I tried to interact with her she would act terrified...it broke my heart. So, I just tried to be very soft-spoken and gentle with her and dealt with taking her out to potty, feeding, etc in just a very quiet matter of fact way; and then I gave her her space. She was scared of everything, and everyone. I just took things slow and let her be the one to approach me, and she finally did start approaching me. She definitely feels at home now, but I think that's mostly because she has come to realize that she is in a safe place. I am by no means saying I have her full trust, but our bond is getting stronger everyday. My advice would be to give her time and a bit of space, and not to take her behavior personally. I am sure others with more experience can offer you better advice; I am just telling you what worked for me and Bella.

 

[DennasMom]

I like Cindy's advice - as I've never had a puppy that shy, I'm not much help, either.

I'd suggest you give her space to get acclimated to her new surroundings... become her "nurse" - a calm source of food, potty-guidance and safety - don't pressure her, but do encourage her. Don't tell her "it's ok" to be shy... suggest being scared is "just silly"... and try to show her that the things she's worried about aren't that scarey.

Try and get down to her level. I would lay down on the floor with her, and just stay still. Maybe put some really smelly, tastey treats on your belly and 'nap' until she comes to taste one. When she does finally step up to get one - don't grab her! let her take one and retreat... verifying you are still a safe object. She'll soon be back for more.

 

[marke]

it's not really a desireable temperament .... you need to be careful not to enforce the pups fear , you need to ignore her fears and socialize her at the same time , without traumatizing her .... can be done , but takes some work ...... best thing to do , imo , is get the pup around some solid tempered dogs as much as possible ....

 

[mx5055]

it's not really a desireable temperament .... you need to be careful not to enforce the pups fear , you need to ignore her fears and socialize her at the same time , without traumatizing her .... can be done , but takes some work ...... best thing to do , imo , is get the pup around some solid tempered dogs as much as possible ....

I agree to a certain extent with what you are saying marke, and I never meant to imply that I encouraged her fears...I did not, I simply ignored them and praised her when she did anything positive. She doesn't get her final puppy shots until Monday, so out of fear for her health I have not had the luxury of taking her around other dogs; I have simply spent this time working on simple commands and getting her use to the leash. so that when she is fully protected she is ready to go out and experience the world in a positive way

 

[marke]

i honestly didn't mean to imply you have enforced her fears , just saying it's easy to do , it's actually easier to do than not reinforce them ......sadly it is a common temperament in ddb ...... i know what you mean about the puppy shots , it does make it hard to socialize them ..... i think the dogs you should take her around are dogs you are familiar with ...... strange dogs with unstable temperaments will not help , and may make things worse ...... do you have any friends or family with laid back solid tempered dogs you can borrow ? good luck with your puppy , with some effort timid dogues can overcome most all of it and be great pets .........

 

[musicdeb]

I would say relax for at least for another week. You've had the pup 2 days. He will come around. He's stressed due to change. You're doing the best thing for the pup. Give yourself some credit.

 

[mx5055]

No, I understood what you were saying and I didn't take it in a negative way. You are very right about how easy it would be to reinforce her fears by wanting to be "the good guy" and always offer her comfort; that's why I find this forum so valuable; it has taught me so much and kept me from making so many mistakes

 

[JoBordeaux]

Thanks everyone for the replies. We had a minor breakthrough today with our walk. We played and I started to get her used to being led and not leading me every where while on her leash. Of course she refuses to go to the bathroom outside and just goes inside after we come back in no matter how long we stay outside. I tried waiting her out, but she's so stubborn she eventually just laid down and tried to go to sleep. I want to correct the pooping issue without scaring her more. Basically I just change my tone and be stern with her without yelling. It is only the second day after all. She does let me pick her up and pet her. But I did notice her tail is always tucked between her legs. I don't know any "well mannered" dogs to bring her around but I'm trying to socialize her.

 

[JoBordeaux]

This is Josephine

 

[tb44]

Look at that face it screams kiss me! Lol gorgeous

 

[mx5055]

What a cutie! You must be head over heels in love with her

 

[musicdeb]

She's adorable! I want to kiss that face all over! Have you tried to take her out to potty as soon as she eats? She's probably used to pottying on concrete floor or in the room where she lived. Do you know where she lived and living conditions prior to you adopting her?

I'd take her out every 2-4 hours and tell her go potty. When she goes potty, reward her. Titan knows go potty and he will go when I tell him to, especially at night and I'm a zombie walking. When he goes potty, I tell him good boy. For Josephine, you're going to have to reward her since she's young. As she gets older, rewarding should be far and few between for commands she knows. At that time, a good girl works.

 

[JoBordeaux]

As of the end of the third day we are practically best friends now. She wants to play all the time and we are really having fun together now. She is slowly getting used to walking on the leash and just takes some coaxing to get moving. However she does get spooked occasionally and shuts down. I can always tell because her tale tucks between her legs and she just sits down. The big drawback is she is scared of the elevator in my building and I have to carry her to and from it. Any cars passing by seem to spook her too. I just want to get past this because soon she will too big to carry anywhere. Any advice? Thanks.

 

[musicdeb]

Give her time.

Continue to take her by the elevator to let her know that it's ok. Try not to baby her when she's afraid of the elevator. Tell her it's ok when walking by the elevator and by a car. When she doesn't freak out, reward her.

 

[tb44]

My em was 13 weeks.when I brought her home and she was the exact same way! Scared of birds it would send her running to the door, my other dog barking. I ignored this behavior and refused to reinforce her fears. I would purposely take her in the front yard so she would hear and see every day lifeAbout a week later she was no longer running from birds, cars, squirrels! Everyday she will become more confident hang in there

 

[chinabelle]

My first girl was just like this. I got her at 12 weeks old. She didn't trust me for weeks and even then not completely. About the time she passed at 5 months old we were finally really starting to bond. It really does just take time and commitment to her. She will eventually fully come around. She's super cute btw. Love puppy pics.

 

[bishopsam]

Hey Jo I have had the same problem with my boy bishop, he was very scared of everything when we first got him. Like everyone else said its going to take some time and just be patient with her, My boy is almost nine months and he is still scared of plastic bags sometimes and alot of other things. Best thing to do is just take her out more and more til she gets use to it and she will. These dogues are not like anything other dog which I had to really adjust myself to. Best of luck and enjoy her they are lots of fun. If you have anymore question feel free to ask.