Why Are Some Dogs Shy?
Early experience can shape adult canine behavior. The Dog Trainer on the importance of socialization
Jolanta Benal, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA
I’ve had clients tell me they suspect their shy dog was abused by, say, a man with a beard, because she hides behind the client’s leg whenever bearded men appear. And yes, abuse or other trauma, such as pain from being hit by a car, can surely affect a dog’s behavior.
But trainers and behavior specialists generally believe that undersocialization is the likelier villain. In Amish, Hasidic, and hipster communities, you see a lot of beards; elsewhere, not so much. It’s not that a puppy has to be exposed to men with beards, or else she grows up scared of them. Rather, a fearful response to encountering sights and sounds that are relatively uncommon suggests a puppyhood with limited experience of the wide range of perfectly fine things in the world.
To learn how to socialize your puppy, check out my article on socialization how-to’s.
Jolanta Benal is the author of The Dog Trainer’s Complete Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Pet.
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About the Author
Jolanta holds professional certifications in both training and behavior counseling and belongs to the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She also volunteered with Pet Help Partners, a program of the Humane Society of the United States that works to prevent pet relinquishment. Her approach is generally behaviorist (Pavlovian, Skinnerian and post-Skinnerian learning theory) with a big helping of ethology (animal behavior as observed in non-experimental settings).