[skim7x]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forum, but I've been reading up on the stickies... and I need your help!

I got my puppy (half corgie, half german shepherd) from the Humane Society at 2.5mo of age. From the beginning, he loooved being in his crate and will ONLY come out when he needs to pee or poo (which he does on his puppy training pads).

At first, I thought it was just because he was traumatized by the puppy pound, but it's been a week and he still loves his crate to death (which is good) but is afraid of anything outside his crate. He won't even walk from my bedroom (where the crate is) to the living room because he's so scared! I can't even think about taking him outside because the couple times that I have, he gets SO scared that he either freezes up or tries to make a break for the bushes to hide.

Is this normal? I was kind of hoping for a more playful dog, but this one seems so afraid (or so comfortable in his crate?) that he won't come out and play! Any help, please?

And now that you've read all that, here are some pics

Notice there are no pics of him with his entire body outside the crate...

 

[TooneyDogs]

What a cutie! One big mistake in the photo which might be part of the reason he doesn't come out.....you're sitting directly in front of the crate...body blocking him. That's a powerful message....don't come any further. If you've been doing that repeatedly (standing/sitting in front of the door) you need to move away....at least 8 feet. Anything less than 8 feet is still body blocking.
Just drop treats as you walk away. Don't look at him or try to entice him....let him take it at his own pace. Use this same tactic to expand his world...the living room, bath, etc. He should start following you around...picking up the treats as you go.
Next step; when he confidently follows you into the living room, sit on the floor turned slightly away from him. Look at him casually from the side of your eyes...still no talking. If he doesn't come up close to you for petting or more treats try putting a treat in your open palm and then put rest your hand on the floor with the palm up....you don't want to reach for him...he has to come to you. Use really good treats...sliced hot dogs, cheese cubes, etc.
Once you build the trust and confidence the rest of world becomes alot easier for him.

 

[Pepper]

Too add to that, he doesn't need to wear clothes if he's afraid of everything. I'm sure he was stressed out when you put them on, and since he's already stressed, no need to do it more.

 

[iSaidNoSprinkles]

When did you get him? I just got my 10.5 week pup on thursday and he's just now starting to warm up to his new environment. We would go outside and he would just sit there and cower under me. But now he's starting to drag me around. If you just got him give him time. I was worried at first too, but he will come around. Tooney's suggestions are really good. He'll soon trust you.

Pepper is probably right, but I must say I love the long horn jersey. If only I can find an LSU one. lol. good luck. Before you know it he'll be running around like crazy like mine just did at 4am. He's adorable btw.

 

[skim7x]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I'll definitely take TooneyDogs's advice and be more patient with it all, as iSaidNoSprinkles suggested. As for the clothing, he actually didn't seem to mind it! Which is weird since he's scared of everything else... but that could definitely have made him a little more scared hehe... thanks again guys. Will keep you updated! And thanks for the complements... he is such a cute dog! haha

 

[rosemaryninja]

I would just leave him be. Leave the door of the crate open and scatter a few treats on the ground, not just around the door of the crate but just in the room in general. Then sit down somewhere far away from the crate, say on the other side of the room, and read a book or something. Puppies are naturally curious and they will explore anything if they don't feel threatened by it. Just let him leave the crate on his own. No verbal praise or body language necessary. Keep an eye on him just to make sure he doesn't end up peeing somewhere or chewing something he shouldn't.

Don't chase him around so you can pet him. If you want, sit cross-legged on the floor with some high-value treats (and a book). Avoid sudden movements or loud noises. Let him approach you. When he does, give him a treat. You can try hand-feeding him his meals this way.

Be patient. He'll come out of his shell eventually; it just takes time. It's very common for dogs who are extremely fearful and timid in the beginning to turn around completely after they gain a bit of confidence. Trust me, if you do things right, eventually you won't even recognise him.

 

[iSaidNoSprinkles]

It's very common for dogs who are extremely fearful and timid in the beginning to turn around completely after they gain a bit of confidence. Trust me, if you do things right, eventually you won't even recognise him.

I think this is exactly what mine just did. Now I can't keep him still, haha.

 

[skim7x]

What a cutie! One big mistake in the photo which might be part of the reason he doesn't come out.....you're sitting directly in front of the crate...body blocking him. That's a powerful message....don't come any further. If you've been doing that repeatedly (standing/sitting in front of the door) you need to move away....at least 8 feet. Anything less than 8 feet is still body blocking.
Just drop treats as you walk away. Don't look at him or try to entice him....let him take it at his own pace. Use this same tactic to expand his world...the living room, bath, etc. He should start following you around...picking up the treats as you go.
Next step; when he confidently follows you into the living room, sit on the floor turned slightly away from him. Look at him casually from the side of your eyes...still no talking. If he doesn't come up close to you for petting or more treats try putting a treat in your open palm and then put rest your hand on the floor with the palm up....you don't want to reach for him...he has to come to you. Use really good treats...sliced hot dogs, cheese cubes, etc.
Once you build the trust and confidence the rest of world becomes alot easier for him.

Quick follow-up update... the advice above worked INCREDIBLY... I chopped up a bunch of boiled chicken and put them in a zip-loc bag... I then walked around the living room dropping pieces of chicken behind me as i walked around and ignored the puppy... he ended up following me EVERYWHERE and after about 15 minutes of that, he's STILL exploring my apartment after 2 hours!! On top of that, he found a tennis ball I left out and started playing with it, a huge step... he seems to be a LOT more comfortable around the apartment in general and is seriously a different dog than he was yesterday.

We'll see how long this lasts (until he finds out there are no more chicken pieces everywhere? haha), but even if he stops, I can just do it again, as it took very little chicken and very little time. I'll keep updating, but here's a BIG thanks for all the advice!

 

[iSaidNoSprinkles]

That's AWESOME! So glad to hear it. Again, he's ADORABLE!

On a second note.... how does a tiny corgi get together with a big german shepherd? Food for though. lol.

 

[skim7x]

That's AWESOME! So glad to hear it. Again, he's ADORABLE!

On a second note.... how does a tiny corgi get together with a big german shepherd? Food for though. lol.

That's what I SAID!! lol...

 

[TooneyDogs]

That is wonderful!
Next step: read the sticky at the top of the Dog Training Forum titled NILIF (Nothing In Life Is Free) because now you raise the bar....the food needs to be earned. Start with a simple Come (just move closer) while he's following you around. Make it a game/fun to do. Then add Sit, Down. You can toss the treat and let him chase and pounce on it.
While I say that food needs to be earned, that's only true 95% of the time. You'll certainly want to give food treats in Kongs and such and for other games like Sniff & Find. I encourage you to play that game to build his confidence to explore his surroundings.
The game is played by letting him sniff a treat (you can put the command Sniff on that) and then 'hide' the treat just a few feet away in plain sight. Say Find. Once he understands the game, you can start hiding it further and further away eventually hiding treats under cushions, up on a sturdy shelf, etc. Don't make it too hard too soon....you want to build confidence, not frustration.

 

[alphadoginthehouse]

That's AWESOME! So glad to hear it. Again, he's ADORABLE!

On a second note.... how does a tiny corgi get together with a big german shepherd? Food for though. lol.

Actually, it's not that hard to imagine. Corgi's are really bigger than one would think...they just have very short little legs. He is going to be a cutie and I can't wait to watch him grow up. Good luck...sounds like you're on the right track. Pretty soon you will be wondering why oh why was I worried...