[Dailydrool] Merta Lou and shyness

[lois.leader lois.leader]

Merta Lou sounds a lot like our Emma, the ACD/Basset mix who is the latest addition to our pack. Emma is so shy! When she first arrived, she crept behind our old wood stove and refused to come out for the longest time. We worried that she'd become a permanent fixture there. She has gradually come to feel safe in the house, but walks are problematic. Sometimes she will go, but if anything unexpected crosses our path she hunkers down and does a belly crawl toward home. I tried taking her to a training class, hoping to get some tips on building her confidence. She was the picture of abject terror through the whole thing. I didn't have the heart to put her through it again. We've never dealt with a very shy dog before. We wonder how much we should press her to engage with the world and how much we should just let her be. It sounds like Bev and Merta Lou have come to a good understanding. 

Lois Leader with Emma the Aussie Basset Dog and Dobby the House Elf (half her size, but still her protector.)

lois.leader at cox.net
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