Man shy dog

[clousewt]

Anybody know how to get a dog out of being manshy? I have a Line bred Sock It Too Me female pup I got from Terry Tapley of Journeys End Kennels, she has started acting really shy when I go out to feed or try to get her to come to me. I have never done anything to this female but pet her up and praise her. I have been working with her trying to get her over this but it just isnt working. I am tapped out, any suggestions? Tom Clouse

[PREACHERS KENNEL]

is she just kennel shy or tottally man shy?? if she is man shy i'd get rid of her kennel shy is not really a problem!

[C & T Kennels]

I have one who is shy towards men I have been working with her by taking her out in public with me when i go somewhere i can take her . she handles real good in the field n on leash for me but is very leary of men . I even bring her in the house if I have male company and have them pet her and all she is starting to come around nicely

[tflader]

Here is why I hate trading for, or buying an older dog. I can't stand a dog I alway have to catch, because it is basically afraid of me. I think some folks think hunting dogs have to be wild. I get rid of any dog that acts wild. Dogs that will come close enough so you can see them, but will neve stop and let you put a lead on. Will never take food from your hand.

In your case however you never mistreated the dog You pet the dog. I haven't ever had a dog do that. I will have to change my theory. I always thought dogs were made to act this way. I guess i would like to know how old you brought the dog at. I wonder if there's a vet on here that would know if this could be a sign of some kind of illness. The other guess is a nieghbor or aquaintence did something stupid to the dog without you knowing. In Hamilton, Oh kids do dumb things like throw fire crakers at them. I even heard of dogs being stold. If someone attempted to steal a dog but it got away. I bet that could make them man shy. Otherwise, I would go with some kind of illness.

Very hard to break, a lot of human contact might help. Might have to cull this dog. Here again some folks don't mind a dog like this as long as it runs. Probably get it to act right with a shock collar. I am not for or against a shock collar. I thnk on some dogs you don't really have a choice.


Just my thougts, with my limited experience.

Ted Flader

[clousewt]

She is ok in the field, but I have to use the tone on my shock collars to get her to come to me. I pet her and praise her alot. She didnt really act this bad when she was younger, it seems to be getting worse as she gets older. She is right at 1 years old and should be use to me and my girls by now. I have little girls who play with my dogs all the time, they are all pretty good around people except for this one female. Tom

[Buckshot]

I've seen alot of the Sock it to Me stuff be this way esspecially the ones out of Pleaser..

[clousewt]

I have 2 females out of Pleaser, the one is manshy and the other isnt but she is a kennel fighter. The dog thats shy is a great looking hound, she is tri colored and she runs very good for her age, she is a little loose with her mouth but man can she pound a rabbit when its hot. Tom

[show dog]

When did she have her vaccinations? I have a dog that has gone shy and fearful and it is because of vaccine reactions. Is she afraid of noise? If you send me a picture, I will see what comes up re health and behaviour. I have some skills as an animal communicator. Carolyn

[Bunny Runner]

Shyness can be genetic, but it also has alot to do with the environment and it's experiences.
All behaviors (excluding sickness behaviors) are based on three things:
Genetics + Environment + Experience

An animals genetics are internal programs that make it what it is. For instance, a pit bull is genetically programed to be aggressive. They were used for guarding. Now, if you take two pit bull puppies from the SAME litter, give one to someone who puts it on a chain, only feeding and watering it, then that person uses sticks to beat it when it misbehaves.
Then you give the another person the other puppy who provides it with a nice warm bed, good nutritious food, speaks kind words and never raises a hand to it.
Which one of these two PIT BULL puppies is going to show aggressive tendancies? Well, first of all, probably both will. BUT, the first one will show more aggression toward most people, and especially to those who are holding a stick. The second one may show aggression toward people who are threating their territory or pack leader!

So, as far as your beagle goes, she could be genetically predisposed to being shy (some bloodlines are), which is why breeding OUT these traits are so important. But she could have encountered an experience in her past that is manifesting itself currently.

Just out of curiosity, is she kenneled with other dogs? She may benefit to being kenneled alone for a while, if so. She needs a confidence builder, where she doesn't have to compete for everything. Leash her and give her lots of treats. Let her know that good things come from your HANDS. She is going to take alot of work and time.

You may want to also consider her physical maturation. She is becoming sexually mature and that can cause problems also. Has she come into "heat" yet?
I don't think a shock collar is the best thing to use on a man-shy dog. It only re-enforces the "bad things come from man" feeling. I would really try to avoid using any "shock" on her, but the tone is ok. ALWAYS give her treats for coming on command.

[clousewt]

She has not come in yet, she is nearing 1 year, been watching for it but she hasnt been in yet. Probably will when I am on vacation and want to run her alot. She is being kennelled by herself. I had a young female in with her that was very outgoing and always wants to be petted. I could sit in their kennel and Wendy would be all over me and Bonnie would just pace back and forth and act startled sometimes when I spoke. Tom

[Bunny Runner]

How long did you say this has been going on?
If it is just recently (say with in the last few weeks or so), you might want to consider having her check by a vet. If she will let you, check her ears, feel her belly, give her the once over. Sometimes a dog will act "standoffish" when they don't feel good or if something is physically wrong with them. How's her diet/appetite? Her coat condition, stool apperance and volume, activity level?

[clousewt]

There is nothing physically wrong with this dog, I feed Purina Beniful and they love it, all my dog coats are shiny and they have lots of energy. Their stool is solid and they maintain a healthy weight. I really dont feel its anything physical, has to be something genetic. Tom

[Cannon Hollow Hounds]

Hi Tom , as you know , I have Bonnie's littermate sister (Cloie) and when we first got our pups at 12 wks. old she was somewhat timid. But it didn't take long with me sitting in the yard with a pocket full of biscuts and another hound loose with her until she would little by little come to me to get her treat. After a while she completly accepted me as her buddy and now goes to my wife and two sons to get some petting. She doesn't run up and jump on strangers but doesn't cower or run from them either. Sorry to hear you are having this problem with Bonnie as if I remember right she was doing real well for a while there. I hope she comes around for you. As was mentioned above , maybe there's some kind of hormonal imbalance thing going on due to her age and possibly it is just a stage that will pass. Good luck with her and keep in touch. CHH

[Jake]

Tom-

I have dealt with this problem in quite a few beagles. What I have done that seemed to work real well was to take the dog out of the kennel everyday at feeding time on a lead, and tie them off to the porch on my house. I then sat there on the steps, and petted/ and or talked to them while they ate. It doesn't usually take too long of doing this before they associate seeing me coming or hearing my voice with the positive experience of being fed, and their attitude got alot better. Most only took a couple of weeks of this, but some took around a month to get completely over it. Alot I think depends on age, or how long the dog has been acting like this. I only ever had one that didn't show any improvement after a few weeks, and she was EXTREMELY shy, so I had to cull her. I have broke around a dozen or so shy beagles using this method. Hope it helps.

Jake

[clousewt]

Thanks for the info, Tom Clouse