my shy Rottweiler

Question
Hi, my female rottweiler is 1 year old and she is very shy
whenever i take her for walks outside of my yard. She often
drops her hind quaters low to the ground when someone is
approaching and tries to dart off at any sudden movement or
noise. How do i solve this problem?

Answer
Hi Jon,

Thank you for writing to me about your Rottie girl.  

Whenever I hear a description like the one you have given, I immediately fall madly in love with the dog, sight unseen.  What you have here is a submissive, polite and lovely dog.  Be extremely happy about this because most of the emails I receive are about aggressive behavior, and that is a big problem.

The only part that I would be concerned about is the fear of sudden movements or noise.  For this, you would have to envoke a desensitization program, playing recordings for her with increasing volumn.  However, before going into that, you can try putting 12 drops of rescue remedy in her water bowl and rubbing some on her gums before a walk.

Agility classes are extremely helpful in developing confidence.  It also strengthens the human/canine bond.

If you can anticipate when a noise is going to happen (or set it up to happen) you can start using a delicious treat just before and during the episode so that she starts to associate those particular sounds with something positive.

You can also use a special treat when approaching a person on the street and even stop to ask the person to give her the treat so that she starts to see strangers as friends.

Give these suggestions a try and I think you will start to see some positive changes in her behavior.

Additionally, being a strong and confident pack leader will trickle down to your dog.

Best Regards,
Shelley Davis