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130 Posts
Monroe was a bit shy as a puppy as well. He used to urinate when he was scared or shy or overly excited. I ignored it and tried to keep things as calm as possible when greeting etc. He did grow out of it.
Also in the beginning when I was brushing him and holding his leg he went into this whole crazy screaming thing, even peed a bit, but I held on, comforting him and supporting the hold so he wouldn't be hurt. He didn't do it again after that.
Being good for grooming is definitely a progression. Be kind, be fair, but don't back down. And yes, lap grooming is a good way to introduce. As is repeated handling of paws etc.
Monroe is a happy, confident and bold dog at 16 months old. I too was afraid he would be too soft. My breeder told me they go through different fear phases through their development. Don't make a big deal of the fear, be reassuring but not overly so, and definitely continue to expose him to as much as possible as often as possible. Lots of positive reinforcement for being even just a little brave
Also in the beginning when I was brushing him and holding his leg he went into this whole crazy screaming thing, even peed a bit, but I held on, comforting him and supporting the hold so he wouldn't be hurt. He didn't do it again after that.
Being good for grooming is definitely a progression. Be kind, be fair, but don't back down. And yes, lap grooming is a good way to introduce. As is repeated handling of paws etc.
Monroe is a happy, confident and bold dog at 16 months old. I too was afraid he would be too soft. My breeder told me they go through different fear phases through their development. Don't make a big deal of the fear, be reassuring but not overly so, and definitely continue to expose him to as much as possible as often as possible. Lots of positive reinforcement for being even just a little brave
