how do i react to skittish dog?

[amjs]

we've had our 1.5 year old golden for about four months now. he's doing great, but sometimes is still skittish when we have something in our hands. what scares him can range from a roll of wrapping paper to letter sized envelopes from getting the mail! i know he needs time to continue to adjust to his new home but how do i react when he starts acting goofy and skittish? do i ignore him or do i try to show him it's nothing scary? i've been laying down the item to let him come smell it and check it out, but 3/4 of the time he's still scared when i pick it back up.

TIA!

[lauraess]

Thats a good question. I would like an answer on this one too.:

[shannon0218]

You're doing exactly the right thing, ignore that kind of behavior, when appropriate set the item out where he'll need to pass it (or beside his food bowl)
Is there anything that motivates him? Like food, a ball, something like that??? If there is then there are ways to desensitize him a little quicker.

[Dar]

Oooh, that reminds me! When we first got Nana she was scared of a hundred things, but the worst was balls. Kind of an idiotic thing for a border collie to be afraid of, but she was... and I really had my heart set on having a dog I could throw a ball for, and she's retrieve it.

After she's been with us a few weeks I put a tennis ball down near her blanket, just to see if she'd get used to it a bit... it was just an inoffensive old yellow tennis ball. When she first saw it she jumped, and then made a wide circle around it... but you could see it bugged her to have it there. She watched it... and watched it... and watched it.

A couple of hours later I looked again and the ball was gone, Nana was on her blanket, and one of my dirty t shirts was lying in a pile on the floor. She had gotten the shirt from, well, the bathroom floor probably, and had covered up the ball so she couldn't see it. Then she was happy...

FWIW, she is okay with balls now. Goung to the dog park helped a lot - the foirst time she hid behind me any time anyone threw a ball, but she got used to it...

dar

[amjs]

Originally Posted by shannon0218

You're doing exactly the right thing, ignore that kind of behavior, when appropriate set the item out where he'll need to pass it (or beside his food bowl)
Is there anything that motivates him? Like food, a ball, something like that??? If there is then there are ways to desensitize him a little quicker.

i think he could be motivated by a lot--he's got a lot of energy and is easily engaged. so food, toys, attention--i think all of those would work with him.

[shannon0218]

Start here then, when he reacts to something and you happen to have 10 minutes to work with him, grab some super yummy treats, I mean suuppppper yummy, stuff he doesn't get just for sitting, I like cheese or liver for this. Hold the treat in your closed hand and let him sniff it until he gets his big slobbering tongue trying to get into your closed hand, then pick up the object, allow him to actually get a piece of the food....move the object, allow him to get at another little piece....touch him with the object, another tiny tidbit, stroke his sides with the object (not over his back or head!!!), more tidbits. If you can swing that in the first try, stop there, if he really balks at any other part, take a step back, reward then end it happy.
Once he will tolerate all those things start stroking under his chin with the offending object, treat, belly, treat, legs, treat, bum, treat, rest it on his back, treat, stroke his back, treat, slowly move towards his head.
This should take at least a month, so don't try to do it all in one day but do it in that order. Everytime he flips about one step and doens't recover within 20 seconds, move back a step.
In about 8 weeks the problem should be basically gone with the exception of the odd freak out that hopefully he recovers from quickly.

[amjs]

Originally Posted by shannon0218

Start here then, when he reacts to something and you happen to have 10 minutes to work with him, grab some super yummy treats, I mean suuppppper yummy, stuff he doesn't get just for sitting, I like cheese or liver for this. Hold the treat in your closed hand and let him sniff it until he gets his big slobbering tongue trying to get into your closed hand, then pick up the object, allow him to actually get a piece of the food....move the object, allow him to get at another little piece....touch him with the object, another tiny tidbit, stroke his sides with the object (not over his back or head!!!), more tidbits. If you can swing that in the first try, stop there, if he really balks at any other part, take a step back, reward then end it happy.
Once he will tolerate all those things start stroking under his chin with the offending object, treat, belly, treat, legs, treat, bum, treat, rest it on his back, treat, stroke his back, treat, slowly move towards his head.
This should take at least a month, so don't try to do it all in one day but do it in that order. Everytime he flips about one step and doens't recover within 20 seconds, move back a step.
In about 8 weeks the problem should be basically gone with the exception of the odd freak out that hopefully he recovers from quickly.

thank you so much!!! i hate the thought of him being scared when i have something in my hand, so i'm definitely going to put in the time with this.