i wish vegas would be a little more sociable with people he is so scared of everyone he meets he is nearly 7 months do you think he will come out of this? he does not like to be picked up by anyone even me he just runs away, when my hubbie is leaving for work in the morning he bends down to speak to him and he just runs away comes back and runs away again he is like this with everyone, i am with him mostly all the time he is never left alone my teenage kids are great at looking after him if we need to go out somewhere, but the other day i had to go away for an hour somewhere so i left him with my parents he would not settle in their house when i went away, althouth he is used to their house my mum tried to give him a treat but he would not take it he kept looking out of the window looking for me and my mum said you could hear a little whimper coming from him, he also does not like you touching his head, where is the best place to touch him with affection?
The best place to touch him with affection is to lightly tickle his chest or chin, but let him approach people at his own speed. He sounds very shy - my Geordie was the same way as a pup, and still is to this day with most 'outsiders'. The best thing to do is to have family members sit on the floor and be calm, quiet and not too attentive. When he begins to seek affection on his own, then lightly touch his chin or chest, quietly praise him, and reward him with treats. Shy dogs require lots of patience; they can make progress as long as people allow them all the time they need and don't scare them back into their shells.
It may be just his temperament or it could be a physical problem as well. You might want to talk to the vet. Also, do you know the proper way to pick him up?
We thought Geordie had a temperament issue that made him shy, because we had India first and she was never shy. We took him to obedience and agility classes, and made some progress. It is only recently that we found one reason for Geordie's temperament and shyness issues - he has a mild case of hydrocephalus. One of the symptoms, which I didn't realize until recently, is the whites of his eyes are showing in the center, towards his nose, as shown in these photos:
Just a few months ago he was diagnosed with SM and mild hydrocephalus when he was CT scanned for the PSOM study. He is now taking medicine for his health problems.
Long before we knew the cause, we had accepted Geordie as he is - very loving and devoted with us, but not very comfortable with 'outsiders'. He is capable of forming strong relationships with others, if they are patient and kind - he loves Melissa, who owns/runs the kennel we use. He lets her pick him up, pet him, and he gives her kisses and seeks her affection. :flwr: