Hi, I have just joined this forum and this is my first post. I have just got a GSD female puppy 4 months old. She is very lovely and pretty. Up to last week she behaved in what I regard a normal way, but during the last 5 days she has become fearful of strangers. When we walk in the street she tries to avoid strangers turns away and puts her tail between her legs. I am worried about this kind of behaviour and I wonder what can I do about it.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Regards
Rino

Have you done any preliminary obedience with her? Does she know how to sit? If she does know how to sit on command in the house, you should mark her sit with a high pitched "good girl" or "well done" or any reward phrase will do, then follow with a treat (at first all the time, then treat intermittently, then move to vocal praise only). This will help teach her that doing the sit is indeed fun stuff and she will relax with you because she will think, when I am sitting, my master is happy! Once she is through the learning phase and sitting on command (happily, tail wagging), you should take her outside in the presence of strangers and work the sit command. Make sure you praise her and don't pay attention to the people around you, just keep focus on her, and help her keep focus on you with your voice and treats.
In the meantime, while she is learning the sit, I would continue to walk her in public and repeat the phrase good girl (it should get her tail wagging after one session of coupling good girl with the treats). Just keep on walking, ignore her scared behavior. If she senses confidence in you, that will travel down the leash. The worst thing you can do now is to indulge her fear and stop taking her out, or if she shows fear, to stop, bend down, coddle her.... In my experience with shy, fearful dogs, the most comforting thing you can do when the dog shows fear is to have them perform a command they know SOLID so they find that comfortable place even in what they perceive as chaos. But a pup will only perform a command while fearful if they have propoerly learned it with positive reinforcement. For some dogs its the sit, for others its the down. You'll have to see what works. Keep taking her out and desensitizing her to people. Make the experience positive with treats and praise. Set her up and have strangers approach her with treats in hand (helpful to do this when she is hungry). Soon she will love being approached by a stranger.
Good luck
Michelle

I have been out of town. Thank you for your promp advice. I hope it will help. I am very anxious about this problem and I will let you know.
Best regards,
Rino

IMO, and I know others agree, your fear about this behaviour in your dog, or your anxiety about this behavior in your dog will undoubtedly "carry through the leash" and reinforce your dog's anxiety. Muster your confidence and your pup will follow your lead.

Interestingly enough, I actually had an opportunity to indulge myself (while man and kid were sleeping) and watch the amazing Cesar Milan Dog Whisperer. There was a Cesar Marathon on!!! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> There was a dog (weimeriner--sp) on there who lived in grueling fear in the city. Scared of everything, strangers, trucks, grates, sounds, you name it...Anyway. Cesar tried something he admitted he had never tried before, and that was putting the dog on the lead, and then taking the lead part you would normally hold and somehow "tie it" or wrap it around the tip (or in several inches) of the dog's tail. Then, to walk, you hold the lead above the dog's back, it kind of looked like a triangular shape.

Cesar said this assisted with the dog's esteem and like was previously posted here, that tail out and wagging has something to do with the esteem of the dog. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Cool show and thought I'd share the tip if you needed extra support in this area. Cesar did also mention that it looked kind of funny, with the lead the way it was, but who cares, as helping the dog with the fear was definately more important.

Good luck.

 Quote:

Hi, I have just joined this forum and this is my first post. I have just got a GSD female puppy 4 months old. She is very lovely and pretty. Up to last week she behaved in what I regard a normal way, but during the last 5 days she has become fearful of strangers. When we walk in the street she tries to avoid strangers turns away and puts her tail between her legs. I am worried about this kind of behaviour and I wonder what can I do about it.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Regards
Rino

Michelle is giving great advice (as well as others), IMO; boost her confidence, and don't reinforce fearful behavior (as much as you might want to) by soothing, caressing, etc, when it's exhibited. If she sees you as her 100% confident and calm pack leader, it will help her. Keep walking, striding purposefully, and maintaining assertive calmness in yourself. It's true: she will to a great degree depend on your demeanor and energy for guidance.

And motivational training is always (always!) a plus. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

When the tail breaks off quickly replace and/or pick and place in bag

Much easier solution to new owner
Feed your dog only on walks
Rearrange how you feed your pup
No more food in the dish
All food is hand feed on walks

Place your dog’s meal in a Zip lock and grab your leash
Off you go, it'll take three weeks before your dog will be looking forwards to going out
Second phase, feed only around strangers

Assuming pet home
Get to obedience school as soon as dogs confidence grows
Exercise to learn stand for examination CD AKC

Hey Mike, you can call me Scott.

First I did not create the problem.

I only suggested what has provento be the easiest solution for most other clients when dealing with this problem.
GSD four months of age, eats 3-4 cups, fed handfuls on walks.
No big deal, feed when you pass strangers.
I don't see how that's extra time really.

I'm really not concerned as to how this happened or why?!
I have lots of suspicions, however, what I am interested in helping is to re arrange this dogs way of thinking ASAP .

Schutzhund terminology, dog is showing signs of “high stress”, prone to flight, eventually may escalate to bite if trapped/cornered.

The behavior issue is how do you build confidence?
Socialization is introducing your dog to the world correctly!

Scott,

Fair enough.

I agree with your points, and your motivation, if not all of the techniques.

I think the question you posited - "The behavior issue is how do you build confidence?" - is the nub of the matter. How does a trainer/owner build confidence, and build confidence?

Anyway, I do appreciate your response and advice.

Mike

Hi Rino, I think the other posters have given some great advise. I would like to suggest that another thing to do is to have friends come over & let the pup go up to them first, rather than them approaching the pup. With some pups at that age, a human coming up & over them is a bit overwhelming. You may also want to give the humans little treats to give her as a reward. As far as strangers go, I don't let them interact with the youngster pups. Instead, I walk right by, making sure to let the pup know my feelings which are "this is no biggy". I don't talk to the pup, I just walk with confidence. Usually the pup begins to have the same attitude in no time.