Puppy Socialization – four month old great pyrenees who is scared of us
by alexandria
(otis orchards, wa)
We just got a four month old Great Pyrenees, he seems to be very scared of us and when we go to approach him he whines then runs and hide in a corner. My husband has to carry him every where. he doesnt like to come out of the garage, we have had him less then a week and have moved him into the House so he can get use to having us around, he stays in the same spot all day. We don’t know what else to do.
Our Response
Hi and thanks for your question. It is very early days and you should not worry too much. Your puppy needs to be constantly socialised around you, your husband, other people, dogs etc well you get the idea. Puppy training classes are always a good way to socialise a puppy with other dogs and people so that your puppy’s confidence grows.
You need to make your puppy trust you and your husband and picking her up will only reinforce negative behavior – as this will be seen as a reward to your puppy.
You could also start by making it worth your puppy’s while to come to you and your husband. You can do this by attaching a long adjustable leash to your puppy and keep some treats on you.
Crouch down on your knees and call your puppy over – have a raised inflection in your voice and smile with your arms wide open in a welcoming gesture. If your puppy ignores you give the leash a gentle flick to focus his attention.
Now when he starts walking towards you keep welcoming him so say ‘Good Boy…thats a good boy’ and keep calling him and welcoming him. When he gets to you give him lots of praise and a treat.
Hope this helps!
