[Shibamomx2]

Hello. I am new here, but I'm hoping someone can help me. I adopted a 6 month old male Shiba Inu, whose name is Nikko. He's very sweet natured but seems to be terrified of most everything including humans. We have tried giving him his space to warm up to us on his own, but he just wants to run and hide under the first thing he can find. When we take him out to potty he pulls really hard on his leash like he just wants to run off. It's hard to believe he's a puppy, because he shows no interest in playing with our other pup. We've had him to the vet and everything checked out fine. I would just like some ideas or at least some reassurance. Anything would be appreciated. Thank you in advance

 

[Kyllobernese]

It sounds like a puppy that was never properly socialized. I would take it slowly, don't try and do a lot, like trying to take him for walks until he is comfortable around you and your house. How long have you had him? Start throwing tasty treats to him. Don't get discouraged as it will probably take some time.

 

[Shibamomx2]

@Kyllobernese, Thank you for your response. We've had him a little over 2 weeks. I think you you're right about him being unsocialized, because it just seems like he has no idea he's a dog. It's so sad. He looks so depressed. We're trying to take him on more walks with the weather getting nicer. We've also been rewarding him with treats after we get done taking him outside.

 

[Rachaelf]

I agree with the other person, I have a dog that behaved similarly at first. Patience and consistency are definitely key. When she looks at you or is around you & not stressed, toss a treat. Another tool I used was feeding. I started by tossing kibble (could be treats) when she was at a “safe” distance (no stress), then slowly would toss it closer and closer to me. Your dog might be timid at first, this process could take days maybe even longer. Eventually, I was able to get her to eat out of my hand. This technique was recommended for bonding with feral dogs to me, but I think it might be worth a shot with yours. Mine likely adjusted better to this because I also was using play to bond. You could start by just being in the room while your dog eats and move yourself closer over time. I might look up techniques for feral shy dogs though, they helped a lot for us. After keeping up with this for around two months or so there was a huge difference in ours, yours may take a bit longer without the play. My dog is great now with us though! Keep your head up!