My Havanese puppy is very timid. What can I do to build confidence?

Behavior training would be a great way to help her gain confidence. You can look into puppy socialization and obedience classes in your area. I'd also recommend asking any strangers to allow her to approach them, and to offer a treat. Sophia Yin's website is a great resource for behavior questions - this link has good information on socialization in general: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/puppy-socialization-stop-fear-before-it-starts/

Dogs will gradually gain confidence and improve the shyness over time. I've had good luck improving this by taking my dogs to group obedience classes. The dogs become more confident and relaxed learning with other dogs and people present and a trainer there to supervise the interactions. This may take months to years to improve so be patient. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Spunky.

Poor Oakley! It sounds like he needs a little help with socialization and would benefit from seeing a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person. You can have a trainer come to your house to observe the situation, and help provide some more tailored advice to help get him feeling more comfortable, especially since he is still so terrified after several weeks. In the meantime, continuing to try and get him adjusted to things may help. Try tossing a favorite treat to him every time you go near him, or placing a favorite treat or chew toy outside of his kennel to encourage him to go out and explore a little. If he does come out, gentle praise and even more special treats can help teach him that what he is doing is OK! If he's startled by loud noises or objects, soothing music can help drown out scary sounds, while letting him sniff and approach new items on his own (and then rewarding him when he does) can help encourage him to explore some. You can find a local behaviorist in your area, and learn more about them as well, by checking out this link: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

I recommend to do a lot of reading about owning a submissive dog, positive reinforcement training techniques and REALLY focus on socialization. Grizzley is in a crucial socialization time period and if since he is so timid, he REALLY needs to build his confidence. Without proper socialization, puppies can grow into fear biters and other negative behaviors. https://www.petcoach.co/article/socialization-of-your-puppy/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/dog-behavior-tips-for-social-situations/ Due to his age and his breed (A fear biting Akita would be much more damaging than a fear biting Chihuahua), I strongly recommend to work with a canine behaviorist (not just a trainer). You need to learn ways to build his confidence and work on positive training techniques. There is a well known dog trainer named Victoria Stilwell who has written several books and I recommend to pick some up and do some reading. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Socialization and more socialization! The more that Lucky is exposed to in a positive manner, with treats and praise, the more courageous he will become. You will want to start slow and increase the amount of time for socialization periods so that it is not overwhelming. Here is a great article on socialization in puppies. https://www.petcoach.co/article/socialization-of-your-puppy/ Thanks for using PetCoach.

Gradually introduce her to one person at a time. Do this in a neutral location such as a park. Begin with a short intro from a distance and gradually increase the time while closing the distance. Correct any negative behavior immediately and praise good behavior. End each session with a small reward. As she acclimates to one person, add another then another. Take her to as many public places as possible as well. This will acclimate her further to people and crowds. The use of a pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar, may help decrease any anxiety. This will take time and patience. Do not rush or force her to meet people, especially if she is trying to run away. Give her a break when this happens and try again once she settles down.

I certainly sympathize with your situation. My own 2 year old dog is the same way. The key to training him is to expose him to situations that are not too scary for him, but improve his confidence. This is not a quick or easy process, and will need to be continued long term. I have found the best method to be a desensitization and counter-conditioning system. When Max encounters something that is slightly scary for him (not too overhelming at first), ask him to sit or lie down for a treat. The goal is to get him to do something that he is comfortable with and receive a treat (positive reinforcement) for doing that behavior instead of being afraid. Do not give him any reinforcement (verbal or otherwise) for fearful behavior, but try to ignore it. Instead reward the behavior you want to see. It would be a great idea to have a trainer try to help you start this type of training program, so you might ask your vet for a recommendation on a trainer. I have been using this on my dog, and it works well, but requires a lot of work. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.