Dutch Shepherd Forum

Hi We brought home a 5 month old Dutchie 3 days ago and he is afraid of everything. He wasn't timid at all when we met him and spent time with him at his house. Had a big pack of dogs he interacted with and seemed very well socialized. Now that we have him home, he doesn't even want to leave the living room. I usually enjoy the training process, but I cant find anything that motivates him. He doesn't care about treats, toys, praise, play....nothing. How can I tell if this is just a period of adjustment, or a personality issue? Any help and advice?? Thanks so much!

Welcome. Hopefully it is just an adjustment period. Please take a moment to introduce yourself in the New Member Announcement section. And, don't forget to show us some pictures.

My speculation would be when he was with his pack, he felt safe, now he does not have his pack he feels unsafe. We cannot really tell yet, if this is him or just an adjustment. he very well can be timid. My Sadie, after 5.5 years is still insecure and afraid of life. She is better but it is who she is.

For now, see if there is something that motivates him, tug toy, something . Just go about your life and let him watch you and figure things out. I would also find a trainer that knows this breed.

I sure am trying to motivate him. He doesnt tug, or chase, isnt food motivated and wont even leave the living room when called from 3 feet away. He was an outside dog at the breeder, and now he has to be drug outside and then just tries to run back inside. We havent struck him or even yelled at him, but he cowers and hides when we call him. He didnt act like this when we picked him up and Im really heartbroken. Im looking for a trainer, but they are proving hard to find.

have you ever met a shy person who is just shy? A being does not have to be hit or beat to be shy or timid. I can be very shy and I was never hit. It is just who we are. My sadie is insecure, its just who she is and she will always be that way and I must respect that. He may just be that way. he came into this world shy.

Is there a specific job you had in mind that he must be higher drive?

You may be right, I just didnt expect it since he was so playful and seemed outgoing. I know he is in a totally unfamiliar environment, and I knew it would be an adjustment for the little guy, but I foresee him just shutting down. My husband has been considering a job out of town and we wanted a protective dog. Aside from that, we really enjoy the training and interaction of a high energy, driven dog. He doesnt care enough about any rewards to do any work for them. Im being careful to keep training sessions short and basic, using lots of praise, but he just lays down or tries to get back to the living room to hide. Maybe he is depressed. I dont know what to do to help him.

Yes, keep training short and sweet. My guess at this point is he misses his pack. he is 5 months and he was with his pack for a while and now he is alone, he dosnt know you or his surroundings. He may just need time to get used to his new life.

I really hope thats the case. Thank you

I hope so too. Thats the only thing I can think of for now. he may be shy and never fully grow out of that but lets see after a while what he does.

Thanks for your time, let me know if you have an epiphany, lol. Ill update in a few weeks!

Both Radar and Leela were different dogs from what we saw when we first met them and when we brought them home. Leela was also extremely ill when we brought her home. Hopefully, you have had a chance to have him checked out by a vet to rule out any health problems. If you haven't that would be my first move.

Second would be to have an experienced trainer (better yet behaviorist - yes they exist for dogs) come evaluate the signals your dog is giving. Are there signs like whale eye, tucked tail, shaking, or ears back? An experienced person can help associate these signals to specific things and provide guidance on dealing with them. As beneficial as the information on this site can be, it cannot match hands-on experience.

im no expert here so just throwing out some opinions and suggestions:)

if the first time you saw the pup with its littermates it seemed outgoing and not naturally timid it could just be that hasnt bonded to you yet (for DS this isnt overnight, it can take weeks or months for the relationship to really click) so he just doesnt feel safe yet and needs to learn to trust you.
demons not a nervous dog, his go-to is what id consider pretty intense aggression when hes unsure of something or doesnt feel safe in his environment. the first few months (as a small puppy) i had him he would latch onto a body part snarling if you tried to touch him and would attempt to go for my throat anytime i picked him up, your pups go-to is likely just fear and anxiety so i wouldnt worry.
if demon can become a cuddle bug anything is possible:) patience is key try to focus on becoming your pups friend rather than a "master" to build trust

We got the information from his vet and are headed to ours ASAP. I found a trainer that will make a house call and Im going to get in touch with her today. He is definitely coming out of his shell. He is much more active and playful at night (not great for my schedule, but now that he is showing interest in play, Ill try to tire him out earlier in the day). Last night he discovered that he really likes to tug and seems to LOVE the squeaky. I am more and more convinced he didnt get any formal work or training. He was very well taken care of health-wise, but he did not get the proper attention and socialization. As he is coming out of his shell, he is proving his lack of training more and more, but he is also showing that he is, indeed, very smart. Sigh, the breeders laziness is going to translate to a LOT more work for me, but hes going to be worth it. Thank you for your advice!

good, it sounds like he just needed to adjust. Make sure he is on a leash and attached to you at all times.