Hi I have a 10 week old pup. Obviously he's very young but he's nervous around people. He's not allowed out yet to walk but I have been taking him out carrying about. Is it normal for a 10 week pup to be nervous when meeting people. I don't let strangers walk up and immediately pet him as I know he's nervous. However when strangers have come to my house he's immediately ran into his crate. Is this normal.
It is common for puppies at 10 weeks old to be nervous when meeting new people. They are still very young and may not have had much socialization or exposure to a variety of people, environments, and situations. It is essential to give them positive experiences and help them to feel comfortable and safe in these new situations. This can be done through gentle introductions, using treats and positive reinforcement, and allowing the puppy to approach people at their own pace. It is also essential to be patient and to understand with your puppy and to provide them with the support and guidance they need to become well-adjusted adults.
From 8 weeks onwards the puppy's fear of new things overrides her disposition to explore the world-in the case of Labradors the so-called fear period starts at 9 weeks. You should be giving your dog a treat as soon as she notices a person in the distance. If he is showing signs of distress, then increase your distance between you and the stranger. When the puppy is aware of the person but calm, then give him a treat or two. From your description you classify a meeting as the human eventually petting the dog. Socialisation definitely does not mean that the dog has to be petted or touched. Do not force the puppy to be approached. Let the puppy decide what is the appropriate distance. Read his body language. Give him plenty of treats when he first notices the stranger, and as the stranger approaches. But as I said, be prepared to increase the distance should your puppy indicate that he wants to avoid the human.
He's 12 week old now. I'm taking him out. Distracting him from anything he finds scarey which is most things outside. If people talk he sits beside and watches. I'm taking him two short walks per day. Ironically cars and traffic don't bother him.
As I indicated, you should be giving him a valuable treat--a piece of, say, cooked chicken--when he sees something that has made him anxious in the past. The scary thing is a predictor of something good. I would drop the distraction training--I cannot see how that is going to change his fearful emotional response to scary things. For counterconditioning to work he has to be aware of the fear-inducing stimulus.
