Scared cavoodle?

Behavior

We brought home a puppy yesterday and, while he has been sleeping in his crate and not having any ‘accidents’ other than on his training pads, it’s almost impossible to get him to come out of his crate. He seems to recoil when anyone tries to pat him and even using treats has limited effect on him. He just seems too scared to come out of the crate or interact. If we carry him out, he doesn’t struggle or run off - just sits calmly on my lap.

He seemed confident and happy when we picked him up. The only thing that I can think of would be the bath we gave him when he got home?

Any advice in overcoming this fear would be appreciated!

Posted Jul 1, 2019, 8:12 AM UTC

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dartrix_•7 yr. ago

Congratulations on your new pup! :)

He's only been with you for a day, so I'd give him some time to adjust. He might just be tired and confused and missing his littermates. He's a baby, give him a minute.

Always approach him with a friendly face (not too much teeth), calm and happy voice and treats. Avoid sudden movements or loud sounds when he's nearby. Offer him toys outside of his crate, maybe that'll convince him to come out. Sit near the crate and do your own thing so he gets used to your presence.

If he doesn't adjust in a couple of days, that's when I would get worried, but for now, I think he just needs a nap and some time to get used to his new surroundings.

Good luck! :D

RaeRae1845•7 yr. ago

Lol enjoy your shy puppy while he lasts I'm sure he'll be a wild crazy thing before you know it!! 😅

noneuclidiansquid•7 yr. ago

Sit with him, read to him even. Spend time being quiet with him. Sleep near him if you can. Let him come to you rather than going to him and forcing him to be patted. And then avoid touching the top off his head or looming over him, go for spots like the chest and side of his shoulder. It takes time to build a bond and 2 days is not much time. If you can get him out of his crate, throw a yummy treat to him then walk away, if he takes a step towards you, throw another treat and step away, repeat - this is a great confidence building game as he's basically controlling your movement with his bravery. Do you know where he came from? dogs from petshops often don't have the best upbringings or socialisation before they are brought home and can take longer to adjust. Adaptil spray (spray it on yourself or his blanket not the dog) is also a wonderful thing for puppies coming home it is a pheromone and can really help them feel safe. Some does it does not work on but a lot it does.

p_qrs:ModPaw: 1 Year Pembroke Welsh Corgi•7 yr. ago

His real puppy personality should come back within the first week home once he gets used to his surroundings. Being a little reserved on day one is totally normal. Though he does seem to be on the fearful side and may have a low resiliency for unfamiliar situations.

After the first couple days of getting used to home I'd hit the ground running exposing him to everything. There's socialization checklists you can follow to make sure he can take in the world and have positive associations with it. He's going to really benefit from confidence-building activities throughout puppyhood.

I'd also suggest avoid patting him on the head if you are doing that. Many dogs tolerate being pet on the head but most don't enjoy it. It can be quite intimidating, especially for small dogs. Try approaching from under and letting him sniff your hand before gently petting his chin/chest.

unknown3901OP•7 yr. ago

Thanks for the advice guys, I guess I’ll try to incorporate the above and see how we go. I managed to get him to run up the stairs toward me today with his toy and some treats so I’ll count that as progress :)