Dog Behavior - Shy Dog to Party Butterfly

I am well acquainted with the dog behavior issuesdad until they show their credentials. Mind you, in
you are facing if you're trying to deal with a shyall the din I make, I don't always hear them right
dog. I would even say that I am an authority onaway, but eventually I get the message. Hey, just
the matter, since I was myself a very shy dog abecause I'm shy doesn't mean I'm not brave,
while back. In fact, I was so shy that I could notright?
bring myself to eat when I arrived at my newDid you know that toy dog breeds are well
home, although I had been starved for the firstknown to have at least one puppy exhibiting fear
nine months of my life.disguised as symptoms of shyness? The worst
At the Humane Society, I shied away fromthing you can do is reinforce their behavior by
everyone because I thought all people were bad. Itrying to soothe away their fears. They will only
did not even trust the other dogs. I had nevergrow needier with time and will eventually turn
been socialized, so they felt very threateningthat fear into aggression. Encourage them instead
because they made no sense to me at all, and Ito become social animals by letting them know it's
could also smell their fear.not okay to be afraid.
Shy dogs tend to display signs of behavior thatShy Dog Behavior of the Lost Dog
are easy to recognize. They will often have theirPerhaps surprisingly, shyness is often the
tail tucked between their legs and will avoid lookingcommon behavior of a dog once it returns home
at you, just as they would in a pack in the hopefrom being lost. Though it may be baffling at first,
of not offending anyone. They will hide behindit all starts to make sense when you look at it
their owner's back or make a disappearing actfrom a canine perspective.
when visitors appear at the door. In their distress,From a kind and loving home, you suddenly find
they'll even piddle on the floor.yourself roaming unfamiliar streets, being chased
These dogs are usually not comfortable beingaway by strangers and having aggressive dogs
with other dogs. Even if they ever becomegrowling and barking at you, dodging to safety
socialized, they will tend to exhibit omega dogwith cars racing by, hungry and thirsty. Wouldn't
behavior, showing signs of subservience such asyou agree that this would be an earth-shattering
exposing their bellies to indicate that they are notexperience?
a threat to other dogs' authority.And besides, how do you explain your absence?
Now, they call me the 'party butterfly', and I haveSomehow you're not quite sure if you're going to
yet to meet a dog I have not liked. Of course, Iget blamed for taking a hike, or maybe get exiled
always greet newcomers by showing them myfor causing so much grief. And to top it all, you
tummy and letting them know I'm no threat tocan't even remember how it all started. Come on,
them. And we always have a grand old time.give a fellow a break, will ya? Maybe the best
But watch out! Just because I'm your typicalthing to do is hide under the table till the storm
omega dog doesn't mean I won't stand mypasses.
ground. No stranger is allowed near my mom or