I am almost finished my first sit of a “people timid” dog and looking for tips from other sitters who have experienced this type of sit or just generally situations you may have come across and how you problem solved them or just managed your sit differently than with “people social dogs” so next time I am more equipped. I know for the next time I will ask the owner questions about more questions about their dog’s unique personality. Maybe you have suggestions on how to word these questions…
All of my sits so far have been rescues who are socially healthy with people but not with other dogs. This is something I have been easily able to adjust to - they hang with me and/or my husband and we keep them safe from potential situations (i.e. not taking them to dog parks with other dogs there, avoiding walking them in areas where there are bound to be other dogs being walked) basically keeping their arousal level low when it comes to other dogs and we spend loads of time with them playing, walking and hanging out watching tv.
This is a rescue as well. She was found in a cave in a Caribbean country with her brother. She was in foster care before the owner adopted the dog. I believe she was 1 years old at the time. The dog is now 2 years old. Here are some facts/observations about this dog:
she doesn’t respond to her name inside
she occasionally turns her head when we are outside on a walk with her extra long leash
accepts treats tentatively
when we finish a walk and I take off her collar and leash she runs back into an office area where her bed is
if I don’t take off her collar and leash and lead her into the den she will jump on the couch and sit next to me which is when I get a chance to pet her
she occasionally comes out of her room when I am in the living room watching tv - I call her over and she will only come over if she knows I have a treat
she doesn’t venture out into the kitchen to watch me prepare her food - her owner keeps the food in the office where the dog sleeps and eats, however I moved the food bags/cans to the kitchen
her hearing is very acute - she can hear a car coming on the gravel road and stops on the side and waits without being told
she doesn’t ask to go out so I schedule her bio breaks
she doesn’t have any words that get a react from her like “treat”, “walk”, etc.
I’ve sat for several timid rescue dogs. I find the best way to deal with them is just to allow them their space and not try to force any kind of interaction. In my experience it’s always just a matter of time before they become more comfortable in your presence and will seek it out more.
As you’ve observed, rescue dogs can be hyper vigilant (acute hearing etc) so I also try to bear this in mind and don’t make sudden movements around them or surprise them from behind when putting their harness on etc.
Things that I’ve found that help:
don’t look at them directly eye-to-eye, which they can find confrontational
try to speak to them in a quiet soothing way and alway reward any positive interaction with ‘good girl’ or similar in that voice
sit on the floor when possible with treats ready to reward them if they do come to you. I try to do this while watching tv/in the garden. They can find people standing over them intimidating
initially stroke them on their chests rather than on top of their heads until I find what they enjoy
It can be a longer road with rescues but doubly rewarding when they do ‘let you in’ their lives.
I’ve had 2 sits with timid dogs -
First was with 3 dogs, a cat and a parrot. 1 of the dogs - Bindi -kept her distance for all 2 weeks. She would watch me from a distance but not get close. She really did seem curious, but not anxious in any way. Bindi didn’t interact with the other animals either (unless maybe after I went to sleep). She ate and drank just fine, had a dog door to take care of her needs.
Second was a 3 day sit with Kahlua - a dog who spent day time in the yard or on the front porch. I was told that he was a 1-person dog so I shouldn’t be concerned. This was a country side sit - and there was a dog door. K would come inside to sleep at night but as soon as I got up, he would go out.
I think we just have to respect the dog’s needs. Cats often behave this way and we don’t seem to worry about their aloofness.
This is all excellent advise. In addition to this, some dogs find play a very rewarding way to interact with humans (and on the flip side - some dogs could care less about toys at all).
Just take it slow and respect the dog’s wishes. If they get comfortable and seek interaction out, great. If not that’s ok too.
One thing I’ve noticed is that peoples’ instinct is to “show them it’s okay” by trying to administer human-coded reassurance (things like moving in closer, more petting, more soothing talk.) This is the wrong thing to do!! If a dog is uncomfortable with you, give it more space not more attention.
Maybe you have suggestions on how to word these questions…
A necessary thing to ask a HO is how their dog shows signs of stress/discomfort for a situation. Yes there are universal signals for stress, but each individual can be different or very subtle– for example, mine will hold very still when she’s uncomfortable, which can easily be mistaken for acceptance. Also ask the HO about their dog’s preferred ways to bond and interact; mine loves performing tricks for treats and does not care for physical affection. Ask about any people-triggers and how to handle them; mine doesn’t like it when we stand on chairs, so she needs to be preemptively told to sit and wait if a sitter has to do that. I would think (hope) that a HO with a sensitive dog would be a lot more aware of and in tune with their dog’s ways, and have more detailed answers to these questions.
And here are some things I tell my sitters that could be applicable to any timid dog:
Upon first meeting, ignore her completely. She’ll approach very waggily and sniffy, but let her be “invisible” for a little while so she feels safe to freely investigate your knees. (Also you don’t need to hold your hand out for a dog to smell. They can smell you already.)
Don’t crowd her and don’t put your face into her face (ie, don’t lean over her); if you need to handle her, squat down instead.
When giving treats, either toss it to her or hold it out with a straight arm. It’s natural to lean over with a bent arm while giving treats, but my dog will get tunnel-vision on the treat, eat it, and then suddenly become aware of you leaning over her and crowding her space.
It’s less scary for her to be the one approaching, rather than the one being approached. Invite her over and let her choose when to interact. Don’t force it on her.
When in doubt about her stress signals, back off and go back to ignoring her.
We’ve worked at shelters in the past and it is so rewarding to see a timid dog open up. We also LOVE getting updates from our sitters about the little ways ours is warming up to them!