Instructions
Adopt a calm, patient and gentle approach to training your dog. Spend short periods of time with it each day, teaching it to focus on you. This will help distract the dog from potentially fearful situations. Call the puppy's name. Wait until it makes eye contact with you. Move a few steps. If the puppy follows you, give praise instantly. Follow this by giving a little treat. Repeat this four or five times each session.
Gradually desensitize your dog to specific fearful situations. Some puppies are afraid of the sound of the vacuum cleaner and may respond by running away, hiding or even urinating. Put the vacuum cleaner on in another room. Play with the puppy, getting it to focus and rewarding it with praise and a treat. Do this for a short time, at first. Slowly increase the time and bring the vacuum cleaner a little nearer.
Ask the veterinarian to check your puppy if it has suddenly become fearful or your training is not effective. The puppy may have an underlying condition or may be in pain or discomfort. Consider asking the help of a puppy trainer, or take the dog to a puppy behavior class. If you decide to take the pup to a class, do this slowly by stages, keeping the puppy at the periphery of the class until its confidence improves.
How to Make a Timid Puppy More Comfortable
You may feel drawn to take home the timid puppy, the one that looks as though it needs a lot of care and attention. However, you should keep a tight rein on your emotions when choosing a puppy. Veterinary Partner advises potential dog owners not to underestimate the time and patience you need to train a dog with these traits. The Dog Listener says that 95 percent of dog bites are related to fear. However, if you are sure that you are the best person to care for this new puppy, or you already own one that is timid, there are steps you can take to improve the situation.