My dog is shy with family. How can I help him feel more at ease?

I certainly sympathize with your situation. My own 2 year old dog is the same way. The key to training him is to expose him to situations that are not too scary for him, but improve his confidence. This is not a quick or easy process, and will need to be continued long term. I have found the best method to be a desensitization and counter-conditioning system. When Max encounters something that is slightly scary for him (not too overhelming at first), ask him to sit or lie down for a treat. The goal is to get him to do something that he is comfortable with and receive a treat (positive reinforcement) for doing that behavior instead of being afraid. Do not give him any reinforcement (verbal or otherwise) for fearful behavior, but try to ignore it. Instead reward the behavior you want to see. It would be a great idea to have a trainer try to help you start this type of training program, so you might ask your vet for a recommendation on a trainer. I have been using this on my dog, and it works well, but requires a lot of work. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Some dogs just do not like other dogs no matter what you do. you can try training and anti-anxiety medications like Prozac from your vet to help any anxiety cause. Then it’s slow desensitization. With the dugs you do short sessions with people touching her. But also realize her walking away from them is better than her biting them. Consider spaying her to help with the dog issues. You can also try a calming collar and treats first. But no drug is going to work without training and effort on your part. Good luck! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=37239 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=20934

Dogs will gradually gain confidence and improve the shyness over time. I've had good luck improving this by taking my dogs to group obedience classes. The dogs become more confident and relaxed learning with other dogs and people present and a trainer there to supervise the interactions. This may take months to years to improve so be patient. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Spunky.

I hate to hear this is happening for both you and Lola. If you want to try to show her that humans are good, you will need to gain her trust. The first thing you need to do is find a treat that she really likes. This will be her high value treat. Basically, sit quietly close to Lola and don’t look directly at her. This can make some dogs uncomfortable. Every time she makes a move to investigate you, she gets a treat. Clicker training is something that can help in this situation as well. Any time she makes an attempt to approach you, click the clicker and treat her. The key is to be slow, patient, calm and not to make her feel pressure. You may also get a small assortment of toys and once again, sit close to her (but don’t force yourself beside her), avoid looking at her and try to get her interested in the toys. This will not be forever but it is needed for right now. The key is that Lola needs to approach you on her own terms. You may also do some reading about shy or fearful dogs to learn other techniques that benefit them. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello. It is good that you are exposing Oscar to new things. Overtime he should adjust, but you do have to go slow & limit these public excursions to a few minutes at a time. I am sure you are very reassuring with him, but do reward him with special treats when he seems to relax. You can also try some of the natural stress relieving products such as Zylkene. The best way to help Oscar get over his fears is to work with a veterinary behavioral specialist. Your veterinarian should be able to see if there are any in your area. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I recommend he take over the walking and give her treats so she looks forward to being with him. Don’t have him be too pushy, have him sit with a treat and let her come to him. You may also want to try an anti anxiety supplement like Solliquin. It helped my rescue dog relax in the new household. This may take several months to improve, give them time and as they both grow and mature this behavior should improve. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kona.

Socialization and more socialization! The more that Lucky is exposed to in a positive manner, with treats and praise, the more courageous he will become. You will want to start slow and increase the amount of time for socialization periods so that it is not overwhelming. Here is a great article on socialization in puppies. https://www.petcoach.co/article/socialization-of-your-puppy/ Thanks for using PetCoach.