Hello, I have a 4-month old lab/collie mix puppy named Gloria who we have had for six days. Gloria is a beautiful, calm puppy who is no trouble at all and can be very sweet and playful when she is comofortable.

The problem is that she is only comfortable when she has backed herself into a corner somewhere in the house where she can see the entire room. Once there, she will not budge from that corner, not even to eat. When you call her or play just outside of her reach, she whimpers and fidgets as if there is an invisible fence keeping her from you. Sometimes she moves as if she is about to get up, whimpers, and sits back down. Other times, she gets brave, and runs a loop around the room with her tail between her legs, head down, and back to one of her corners without stopping along the way. She will play, wag her tail, paw you, and give puppy kisses if you come to her corner, but will do none of these things anywhere else.

This makes training impossible because she will not move, and nothing we have tried (affection, treats, playing) can coax her out. This means we have to carry her if we need her to relocate! Luckily she did figure out the potty-training, we just have to carry her to the door because she will not walk there.

That being said, once outside, she is much braver. She will walk around and even run with us, with little problem - she does sit down and refuse to budge every once in a while, and noises still bother her, but she is getting much better and can be coaxed to keep moving. She interacts wonderfully with children, and is shy but calm with strange adults.

I am really starting to get worried, because her behavior has only improved very little since she has arrived (when she first entered the house, she stood like a statue for hours, not budging eyes or body). Her nose has also become very dry, I suspect it is because she only drinks water if we bring it to her, and is not getting enough. We have made artificial corners by blocking off areas with pillows and such, to bring her closer to the center of the room. Please help! We love Gloria and she is a fantastic dog, we just want her to feel safe and happy in our home. Thank you!

Wow! Have you asked the breeder if she's had this with any of her other pups? Did you take her to the Vets when you got her to have them check her out at all?

It concerns me that you've only just got her and she's already 4 months old, was the breeder taking the puppies out and about and getting them to experience new things?

What flooring do you have in the house, wood carpet or a mixture and do you notice any difference when she walks on them? And what flooring was she on where you got her from?

Firstly I would totally get her into clicker training, she'll be a bright dog and being able to do things and figure stuff out for herself will increase her confidence. With a dog like this I'd try feeding a lot of her food with a clicker, so you're clicking for her coming towards you and away from the corners, have you heard much about clicker training in any puppy books you might have?

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Use your brain, not a choke chain.

Hi and thanks for the response! To answer your questions: no, I haven't asked about the rest of the litter, but I certainly can: our breeder was out in the countryside and it seemed like the pups were quite sheltered - they lived in a barn on a straw flooring. No city sounds, no house. They were very comfortable in this environment. The breeder took her to the vet, and she received all shots and dewormings, but I have an appointment for her next week to visit our vet as well. We have carpet flooring in the house, and she doesn't seem to care much about the different flooring textures, but I will pay closer attention. Our carpet is quite old (but clean!)and I was wondering if maybe something in the carpet was spooking her.

I have heard about clicker training but didn't really understand it. Gloria shows anxiety around loud noises, so I hadn't considered it previously, but will definitely learn more!

Oh, and I really should have mentioned this in my first posting, but I forgot. We do have a cat in the house, too. Strangely enough, Gloria does not appear to have any concern about the cat - she has walked right up to it several times when on her "comfort route" with no problems. The two have touched noses with no issue (our cat lived with another dog before). Just thought I'd mention it since it could be another factor. It doesn't seem to be people or animals that scares her, just the circumstance she is in right now.

The only thing I can think is that she feels crowded. Maybe you should just ignore her for a while, let her do her own thing, don't call her, don't take food to her, don't pet her. If you do any of these things when she's fearful, you are basically rewarding this kind of behaviour so she thinks it's acceptable and correct.

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ShazaLhasa
My fabulous furry friends

Thank you - yes, we are experimenting with this approach. My concern comes from the fact that she went for an entire day and half without food or water (when it was in the same room) and I didn't want her to get sick. So we still bring her water occasionally and carry her to the door to go out.

Update: As I am writing this, my mother just told me that she ran to the water dish, took a few drinks, then ran back to her corner of choice, which is another first...!

When I read your first post, I was going to post to ask about where they were born and raised, then I saw your 2nd post. Pups ae usually stressed to a degree just by leaving mum and littermates, having a journey and finding themselves in a strange place. If she was born and raised outside and has never seen a house and everyday appliances even things like the TV, hoovers and stuff will be extra hard, so she will need to adjust to it all in her own time. Maybe make her a comfy corner, with her bed and chews and toys, where she can watch and learn from. Then give her time to come out and explore in her own time at her own pace. She will it may just take a little longer to adjust than most pups, its all very strange and new at the moment.

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I think that is very sound advice. Thank you

Your home is obviously very different to the environment she knows and it will take time for her to feel comfortable in it. I agree with sled dog that all she needs is time to adjust to such different surroundings.
Also agree with shazalhasa about rewarding fearful behaviour by giving her attention. It's a very positive sign that she has come out of her corner and had a drink too, showing you that she won't let herself go without water when she needs it.

Puppy training classes will also help build her confidence I would think.

Keep us posted on her progress, would love to know how she gets on.

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Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

Hi! Found this interesting! Having the same problem with our new Sibe puppy (although he's only been here 1 day) he is the Shyest most timid little baby I've ever ever seen! I'm hoping in a week or so he will come out of himself a bit. He is scared of everything! Probably me the least but still - If I move too quick he darts like a bullet straight into his crate. He doesnt seem to like playing with toys and just sleeps alot My last poor puppy (who was put to sleep bless him) was a loony! Always playful, wanted attention ect.... So I know how you feel! I keep thinking he doesn't like us lol xxx

Was your sibe pup raised in the home, or was he raised outside in a kennel in a quiet environment too and was he the same at the breeders and with his litter mates? Depending on his previous enviroment it might be just leaving mum and litter mates and if not used to a home that might explain it. Sibes pups in general though are usually pretty full of themselves mostly and into everything. Just keep and eye on him, it could be just a culture shock, and he could well just need to adjust, but if he continues to sleep a lot, doent seem interested in anything, then it might be worth having him vet checked in a day or too, or obviously sooner if he does begin to show any signs of being unwell.

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