Hey all,

I stumble to this site in frustration of my new shih tzu puppy. I got him as a present and he was bought from a pet shop at 13 weeks. He is adorably cute. But it doesn't seem that he wants to play with humans. He does not like to be held, although when we approach him he does wag his tails. So I don't think that he is afraid. But when we try to hold him, he will run away and hide somewhere. At first we thought that he is afraid of heights, so I just sat down on the floor and try to gently pet him, but he does not seem to like that either. I think he is lacking of human contact when growing up.

All I know is that at the pet store he was in a large pen with other different puppies and he was only there for about 2 weeks before he was bought.

I really want to just cuddle him. Could you please help me and advice me what I should do?

to understand your puppy, you must understand where he came from. pet store dogs come from puppy mills where the mothers are bred every heat. they get no vet care or socialization & they live in filth. naturally some of moms problems rub off on the puppies just as her looks do

Home Page

here is one - you can google for other info. there is lots on PETA about mills

you will need a LOT of patience to bring her around. move very slowly & don't expect much. relax with her.

make sure she has a crate to go into when she wants to.

I would suggest you try to introduce socialization skills to your dogs.

Gentle socialization plays a huge role in preventing fearful dog behavior. Lack of socialization can lead to shyness. The younger you begin socializing your dog, the better dog behavior your dog will have. But all dogs can be gradually brought into new and even initially fearful situations and learn to enjoy them.

Socialization is a lifelong process. For example, if your dog does not see any dogs for months or years at a time, you would expect his behavior to change around them when he does finally see them again.

How to expose your dog to something new or something he is wary of:

* Make sure that you remain calm and up-beat and keep his leash loose, if he is wearing one.
* Expose him gradually to what he is fearful of, never forcing him. Allow him to retreat if he wants too.
* Reward him for being calm or for exploring the new situation.

Try to expose your dog regularly to all of the things and situations you would like him to be able to cope with calmly in the future. Progress slowly enough so that it is easy for your dog to enjoy the sessions. It will seem like a lot of time to spend at first, but it will pay off with a well-behaved dog behavior! Below are some examples, but is not an exhaustive list:

* Meeting new people of all types, including children, men, crowds, people wearing hats, disabled, etc.
* Meeting new dogs (due to disease risk, do not bring your pup to areas with lots of dogs until after 4 months -unless it’s a well-run puppy kindergarten). Positive training classes are great for this.
* Exposure to other pets such as cats, horses, birds.
* Teach him to enjoy his crate.
* Riding in the car (be sure to restrain him using a secured crate or dog seatbelt for safety).
* Being held, touched all over and in different ways, being bathed and groomed.
* Visiting the veterinarian’s office, groomer, daycare, boarding kennel.
* Exposure to loud noises and strange objects (ex. umbrella opening).
* Exposure to traffic, motorcycles, bicycles, skateboards, joggers.
* Getting him used to being left alone for a few hours at a time.

Danielle Chua
| Dog Care School

Love and Understand your dog!

I would suggest you try to introduce socialization skills to your dogs.

Gentle socialization plays a huge role in preventing fearful dog behavior. Lack of socialization can lead to shyness. The younger you begin socializing your dog, the better dog behavior your dog will have. But all dogs can be gradually brought into new and even initially fearful situations and learn to enjoy them.

Socialization is a lifelong process. For example, if your dog does not see any dogs for months or years at a time, you would expect his behavior to change around them when he does finally see them again.

How to expose your dog to something new or something he is wary of:

* Make sure that you remain calm and up-beat and keep his leash loose, if he is wearing one.
* Expose him gradually to what he is fearful of, never forcing him. Allow him to retreat if he wants too.
* Reward him for being calm or for exploring the new situation.

Try to expose your dog regularly to all of the things and situations you would like him to be able to cope with calmly in the future. Progress slowly enough so that it is easy for your dog to enjoy the sessions. It will seem like a lot of time to spend at first, but it will pay off with a well-behaved dog behavior! Below are some examples, but is not an exhaustive list:

* Meeting new people of all types, including children, men, crowds, people wearing hats, disabled, etc.
* Meeting new dogs (due to disease risk, do not bring your pup to areas with lots of dogs until after 4 months -unless it’s a well-run puppy kindergarten). Positive training classes are great for this.
* Exposure to other pets such as cats, horses, birds.
* Teach him to enjoy his crate.
* Riding in the car (be sure to restrain him using a secured crate or dog seatbelt for safety).
* Being held, touched all over and in different ways, being bathed and groomed.
* Visiting the veterinarian’s office, groomer, daycare, boarding kennel.
* Exposure to loud noises and strange objects (ex. umbrella opening).
* Exposure to traffic, motorcycles, bicycles, skateboards, joggers.
* Getting him used to being left alone for a few hours at a time.

Danielle Chua
| Dog Care School

Love and Understand your dog!