BehavioRx Case of the Month
for December 2004

The Shy Irish Setter

A couple bought a seven month old, male Irish Setter from a breeding "mill" kennel when he was seven months old. The dog , named "Hank" took to "Fran," the wife, immediately, but was shy to the point of showing fear of her husband, "Jim," and everyone else. To start gaining closer contact with Jim, Fran had tried allowing Hank to get up on the furniture beside her. When Jim approached them, Hank would get down, run into the bedroom closet and hide in a dark corner. Lately he had started growling when anyone approached the closet. Fran's set-ups were unwittingly making things worse.

Hank's condition is kennelosis, which is common in dogs left in kennels beyond 14 weeks of age. Adapting the set-up behavioral principles for correction, Fran sat on an patio couch while Jim sat on a chair beside her. Hank got up on Fran's couch and lay down. Then, Fran and Jim got up and walked, side by side, toward a gate that led to their car. The dog came along, but stayed at the Fran's heels. They then turned around, returned to the seating area, and Fran and Jim sat on two chairs, located at opposite ends of the couch, leaving the couch unoccupied. Hank appeared confused by this switch, whined a little, and then tried to climb into Fran's lap. She stood up each time he started to get up.

After about ten attempts to get on her lap Hank jumped onto the patio couch, putting his head over as close as possible to Fran. After about a minute, Fran and Jim
repeated the walk to the gate and came back and sat on the couch. They were amazed when Hank got onto the end of the couch next to Fran.

Again they got up, went to the gate and returned, but this time they sat on the couch and only left enough space between them for Hank. They were delighted when Hank jumped up and actually licked Jim's hand before lying down. The ice was broken and they were on their way to success.

It is important to note, during this entire procedure, neither owner paid any attention to Hank. No one said his name, made eye contact, or faced him. Hank was
allowed the opportunity to make his own adjustments at his own pace to the situation . The complete exercise took one hour. They repeated the same exercise, in principle, in the house. Jim started feeding Hank, twice a day. In less than a week they were conducting socialization exercises which included their friends, then children.

Another example was a shy dog that loved to chase and fetch a ball. The same principles were applied, but the bridge between trusted people and was the ball. It
takes patience, but if the   principles are applied, letting the dog make the approaches, nearly anyone can design a plan.

A Really Extreme Case

When the dog is shy of everyone, extreme measures may be required. Here are some helpful initial steps to apply. When you feed the dog, place the food dish between you and the dog. Then, sit down about five feet from the dish with your back turned toward the food and the dog.

When you are home, take up the water dish. When the dog is good and thirsty, fill the bowl and use this sit-down technique. If he will not approach food or water, lie face down about six feet from the dish. This 'prone' approach is usually highly successful with abused dogs who have been highly traumatized.

PATIENCE PAYS

Allow  up to six weeks to reach a point where your dog begins enjoying life with confidence and trust.

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