adopted poodle

Question
Kim,
You never got a chance to answer my question: We adopted a 1 1/2 old standard poodle in April. He joined a 7 year old one we have had since he was a baby. Aslan is very timid and is afraid of everyone and everything. One minute he is fine, the next minute he runs for his life and starts shaking somewhere in the corner.  He is doing fine with the other dog. He also keeps scratching himself until he bleeds. We have the medicine for that, and it seemed to work, but today he did it again. We have a big family and I am looking for help and advice on how to normalize him.Thank you in advance. Anna

Answer
Hello again Anna,
Well, like I said last night, you are going to have to go slow.  His shyness didn't happen overnight, and his getting over it won't happen that quickly either.  
Since you said that you have a large family, it might be better if just one of you bonds with Aslan to begin with.  This means have one person feed him, walk him, play with him, etc.  This way, you don't overwhelm him to fast.
Once he starts reacting well to one person, let someone else start to help work with him.  Lets say that you are his primary person, and once he is responding good to you, maybe one of the older kids can start taking care of him also.  You still feed him and do the Puppy Exam with him, but the older child can maybe walk him and play fetch with him.  

Like I said last evening, even basic Obedience is great for the timid dog because it gives them something to make them feel good about.  It also gives them something to do where they can please their owner, and that makes them happy and builds the bond between you and him.  
Start with a simple command like Sit.  Have Aslan on your Left side, and tell him "Sit".  Gently ease his rump into a sitting position, then give him quiet praise.  Rub his face (most Poodles love this) and tell him he is a good boy.  
Have him do it a couple more times, then let him R.R.R. (Rest, Relax and Reflect).
You can also work on Down, and getting him to heel.
To do heel, you will again want him on your Left side.  From the sitting position, tell him "Heel" and move off with your Left foot.  Use a piece of good treat or gentle encouragement to get him to get up and move with you.  Praise him when he takes about 5 steps with you.  When you stop, have him sit by your side.  

Once he is doing these well, you can have him do them while on a walk.  
When he is doing these with confidence, let me know and I will show you how to work Stay and Come with him.

Well, you have some "homework" to do with him, but by taking it S.L.O.W. and having alot of patence with Aslan, he can become a sociable member of your family.

If you have other questions or comments, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Kim