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New Puppy Is Very Shy And Timid


whitey1270
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I have just brought a new border collie pup home yesterday and she is very shy and timid, I would like for her to open up and have more confidence around the house. but she will always walk away from every one and wont eat the food I try to train her with, I have tried a few different treats and she just drops them and walks away she eats her food in her bowl and will eat her food as a treat but it doesn't get her excited or wanting to come over. She wont come when called and hates looking at people but whines when she is left alone. How can I get her to be more confident and less shy when treats wont work?

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If you only brought her home yesterday, then she is still probably missing her mum & litter mates. What was she like when you picked her out of the litter :confused: What did the breeder use for treats?? She wont come when called, because she hasn't been trained to. Try offering her yummy treats before you feed her, or if she likes her food, get her used to eating bits of it out of your hand. And be prepared to put in a lot of effort training your pup but just little bits at a time...cause she is a BC & will thrive on learning new things. ;)

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This is quite normal and some dogs are alot worse than others. Just lots of calm talking to your dog and try not to cuddle her when she whines as this will only reinforce the behaviour. Also the crying/whining when being left alone is to be expected as it will be her first time being separated from her litter. Are you leaving her in a crate of some sort?

Also what treats are you using? Maybe try something smellier like cheese? ANd if she prefers her kibble, then use that as a treat. Over time, she will open up and become more confident. It might take a month or more for her to settle in her new environment, but be patient and just lots of praise when she is coming towards you. Also try to make it fun! Good luck with the new addition :thumbsup:

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Yep you need her to settle & also don't push things that you want,ignore the pup but talk to her in a confident voice .

Some pups can settle from day 1 others can take a few days or even weeks ,often it depends on the household expectations & whether your confusing the pup with things its not ready for.

How was the pup with the breeder??

Was the pup outgoing when you saw it or quiet??

What are the parents like??

Where was pup raised inside/outside??

What advice did the breeder give you for settling the pup??

Is pup left alone during the day or is someone home???

When you say wont come when called remember you are most likely using the name you have selected which "pup" has no idea off.When we have pups they are all called "pup" so if you wish to try calling using "pup & see what happens.

Is your voice tone encouraging or insisting??

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Thank you all for the reply, Iv been using liver treats, not exactly sure what the breeder used she just told me what food to use not treats.

How was the pup with the breeder??

very playful was playing with all her litter mates.

Was the pup outgoing when you saw it or quiet??

she wasn't quiet but wasn't the loudest one

What are the parents like??

Very Very friendly they loved every one and seemed very out going and lovely

Where was pup raised inside/outside??

Was always outside, but since coming to mine is now inside for the time being

What advice did the breeder give you for settling the pup??

none really but when we did pick her up she did say she started sooking a bit, which only not long started.

and she is always with some one as I am not currently working.

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No one's asked yet (unless it was elsewhere!!)... do we get to see some piccies of pup!!????

Does pup have a crate? She might feel a bit happier and settled if she has a little house to call her own.

If she doesn't come when called (and agree with others this is probably because she no idea what you're saying just yet!!) i would be thinking don't chase after her as it may actually make her a bit scared. With so many dogs I've met who haven't want to said hello to me I find if I ignore them then suddenly I'm interesting and they want to know why I'm not paying attention to them. Maybe with pup spend some time just hanging out in the same room, sit on the floor so she can approach you, have her kibble and maybe some other exciting treats (you'd probably be pretty safe with little bits of boiled chicken) and if she comes near you I wouldn't even look at her I'd just have the food there for her to eat out of your hand.

Take it slowly, her world just fell apart and she just needs gentle encouragement for it to be rebuilt!! You never know in a couple of days you could be wondering what to do with a pup that is pestering you all the time!

ETA - I was also thinking if she does have a crate then keep that near by where you spend your time so she's in her happy safe place which is near you.

Edited by Pretty Miss Emma
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Use a high pitched voice and call "pup pup pup" and start running away from her . That gets most puppies interested and running to you. Once she is reliably doing this you can start calling her name in the same happy voice. Treat her when she comes, but if she is not interested in treats then maybe a favourite toy and a game? Border Collies generally love playing chase...

If you're leaving her food bowl down and she hasn't eaten all the food- she's probably not hungry. Its better just to take the bowl away after 15-10 minutes as leaving it out all day can lead to a fussy eater. This will ensure she's hungry for the next meal.

Funnily enough my labrador puppy was also unsure of liver treats at first- I found it better to do her training with just her puppy dry food she was used to and would basically stand on her head for. As they settle in a bit you can start introducing new foods and treats.

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We brought our 8week old bullmastiff home on Monday and he was exactly the same. Seemed really nervous of a lot of things in the house, even his food bowl making noise lol. We thought he would just need time to settle in and as he was being kept outside when we got him we realise he isnt used to inside things and all the scary noises. It's only been a few days and he is starting to get more confident already. She will just need time to settle in and get used to her new surroundings :)

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This may be a silly question but is the Breeder you got your BC off a registered breeder???

My girlfriend is a BC breeder, her dogs are in pens outside but when her bitches are due she brings them inside till the babies are about 6 weeks old, then she has the babies outside during the day if the weather is good, inside of a night so they come acustom to the different noises

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Thank you all for the reply, Iv been using liver treats, not exactly sure what the breeder used she just told me what food to use not treats.

How was the pup with the breeder??

very playful was playing with all her litter mates.

Was the pup outgoing when you saw it or quiet??

she wasn't quiet but wasn't the loudest one

What are the parents like??

Very Very friendly they loved every one and seemed very out going and lovely

Where was pup raised inside/outside??

Was always outside, but since coming to mine is now inside for the time being

What advice did the breeder give you for settling the pup??

none really but when we did pick her up she did say she started sooking a bit, which only not long started.

and she is always with some one as I am not currently working.

If she wasn't used to being inside then everything about the house will be scary. Most breeders try to bring their puppies into the house at times to get them used to household noises and to just being inside a house.

The bit about her sooking before leaving the breeder is also a bit of a concern. Sooky puppies are usually like that from the start, it is not something that suddenly starts at 8 weeks. I would be a getting a vet check just to be sure that nothing else is going on. Are her parents DNA tested for TNS ?

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I have found it takes a while for a BC pup to settle in as they are usually quite sensitive to sound / different noises & surroundings.

Your puppy is missing the other siblings as well. It is a lot for a littley to take in & adjust to, so it will just take some time

& lots of patience. And as another Doler said if your pup is shy now she always was it just doesn't happen. My girl is 8 months old

now & still whines occasionally when I leave her & she has another BC for company so she is never alone. Some pups are just more vocal

than others. I just ignore any whinning e.t.c. as long as you know there is nothing wrong & they are just having a sook.

Have fun with your new little girl & enjoy her. It is very early days, just take it slow & try to build her confidence.

Every tiny positive step forward she takes make a big deal out of it with lots of gentle praise & affection. Good luck with her.

Makes me want another puppy now :laugh:

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This may be a silly question but is the Breeder you got your BC off a registered breeder???

My girlfriend is a BC breeder, her dogs are in pens outside but when her bitches are due she brings them inside till the babies are about 6 weeks old, then she has the babies outside during the day if the weather is good, inside of a night so they come acustom to the different noises

Not relevant as not all registered breeders do it this way. Some are in & out in the day.

The puppy won't respond to treats, training, run to them or eat all the food etc because it doesn't know what is going on yet. A day is not long enough.

The baby has been taken away from mum & litter mates & sent to a strange place with people it doesn't know. All normal.

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