by Alicia Kryklywyj

Created on: November 11, 2008

Being in the animal industry as both a trainer and rescue worker I have dealt with many timid dogs. If you do not understand how to deal with this type of behavior, it can be very frustrating.

When working with a timid dog you will have many problems to overcome. Some timid dogs submissive pee every time you reach out to touch him. Some run, pee or shake when approached. Others run far and fast from everyday objects or noises. These are only a few examples.

What a timid dog needs in an owner is someone with patience and understanding. Never push your dog to investigate something he is afraid of. Just because you know that person, place or thing is alright and won't hurt him, he has no idea.

The one mistake owners unknowingly make with their timid dog is they encourage them in staying fearful. If your dog is afraid of the garbage can and shakes every time he goes near it and you bend down to pet and reassure him, you are telling him this is how he should react and that he is right to be afraid. You need to allow him to progress near the object at his own pace and comfort level.

A little over a year ago I brought in a rescue from a horrible abusive and neglectful situation. He was deprived of human contact, food, shelter and water. There was 52 all in the same area suffering the same abuse. I chose to foster one knowing that I was going to have my work cut out of me.

I named him Shadow, very fitting for the way he constantly hid in something dark and small. It took over two weeks for Shadow to approach me. I would sit around his hiding area not moving and reading a book a few times a day for hours so that he would learn I was not going to hurt him. Finally one day of sitting around and reading a book near him paid off, he came over and sniffed me! I did not reach out to touch him incase it scared him away.

The next few days showed me a dog with much more courage. He came to me right away as I sat down in my place. I gave him a few treats and was able to touch him. Progress started to snowball.

I moved his feeding area closer to the house and left the house door open. He soon chose to come inside and investigate. He discovered this wonderful soft cushion on the floor that he immediately fell in love with and claimed for his own.

He gradually became use to the every day house hold occurrences and noise. He found a love in toys and slept at my feet.

Now that we had bonded and he placed trust in me it was time to start exposing him to the outside world. I took him for his

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