by Katrina Murphy

Created on: November 12, 2008

Rescue dogs often bring a host of physical and psychological problems along to their newfound homes, one of these being timidity. We adopt animals with the best intentions of caring for them, yet we do not always understand the best way to approach their problems and mistakenly aggravate their issues. Exploring the concepts of dog behavior and rehabilitation helps us to help our dogs overcome their social awkwardness. With some patience, understanding and training, you can help your timid rescue dog become a confident and permanently placed dog.

-Patience and Understanding-

Most of us acquire rescue dogs by happenstance, thus leaving us no time for preparation. However, if you have the good fortune of knowing you are adopting a timid dog before he enters your home- than you and your new dog will have a productive first day, so long as you follow a few guidelines.

The first rule is to never approach a timid dog- let him approach you. This rule serves your safety as well as the dog's mental health. Aggression is the product of fear; therefore, you must never force contact with a fearful animal because this may provoke an attack toward you or cause the dog to delve deeper into anxiety.

Our bleeding hearts beg us to rush up to cute dogs and drown them with love and affection, but this does not help a timid dog, or any other dog for that matter. There is a time and place for affection, as noted later, so we must brush our desires aside to serve the health of the dog. Difficult as this may seem, the best way to gain the trust of a timid dog is to ignore him.

Starting a positive relationship with a timid dog requires you to calmly sit off to the sidelines, ignore him and let his curiosity convince him to approach you. This may take twenty minutes, five hours, three days or two weeks- your patience with this process promises a rewarding bond of trust between you and the timid dog, so allow nature to run her course.

Once the dog approaches you, do not look at him, but allow him to sniff at you- this is his way of learning everything about you. When he seems receptive to touch, continue to look away from him and gently touch him around the mouth and under the chin- handling his mouth shows him that you are not fearful of him and stroking beneath the chin allows him to raise his head, which is the body language of confidence. However, always use your best judgment to determine the safety of handling a dog if there is any sign of aggression.

Once the dog willingly sits with you

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