Shy StaffyXLab lacking confidence - 2009-02-10

Question

Hi. I have a 3yo staffy x lab. that I got from the animal welfare league. 5 days ago. He seems to be a very scared dog when walked at the park. He also doesn’t seem interested in playing with his toys. I got him tennis balls, squeeky toys and he not interested. He seems to be more interested in sleeping all day. How can I make him more active and with more confident

Answer

Well done! Having taken a dog from the animal welfare league you have taken on a dog with issues, and often these are not totally transparent. Being only a short time, the dog is still settling in and it may well have a very stressful past, so it is ‘recovering’ with a lot of sleep. Sleep also means that the dog is at ease in his new home. Some dogs never learn to play, and I would start with some gentle play with the dog, to show that play is fun. But he may need to learn this. Build it up, patiently and gently and do not force the dog to play, entice and invite would be a better approach. Similarly he may well not have been socialised, so all he experiences with you walking him seems new and scary. Again you – as the leader – take a very patient, empathetic and friendly approach and reward when he is good. Allow the dog to observe things. I often ask my clients to go and sit with their dogs on a roundabout and let the dog observe. Build up his confidence over time and with more and more experiences over time. Little steps forward allow you to keep going forward. Rushed steps forward will force you to go backwards.