Skid- ish dog

Question
I have a 1year old Valley Bulldog (english bulldog/boxer mix) named Coco. She was adopted at the Dumb Friends League about 3 months ago.  She is an ANGEL, especially for a "pound puppy".  Naturally we expected some hurdles with a new dog, but what I'm experiencing I don't quite understand. She is potty trained, only a couple accidents because of a slight stomach bug after leaving the shelter. She is very well behaved on a leash, no pulling, sits on cue, doesn't lunge towards dogs or people.  She is also pretty well behaved off leash at the dog park.  No dog aggression and friendly with people, although she is a little shy if someone just reaches for her.  The main concern I have is in the house... She spends most of the day sleeping on the bed, but it is very hard to get her to come to me inside once off leash. I have tried calling her excitedly from the door to go out, used bells, clickers, keys jingling and food to coax her out of her bed, but I normally have to go into the bedroom to leash her then she will come with me easily. She will often runs off even when offered food and treats when her leash is removed.  Sometimes she wont eat her kibbles for hours after they are put down for her until she shyly "sneaks" into the kitchen when she thinks its ok.  Coco will sit every time you ask her while leashed but will duck and run when off leash when asked to sit even when offered rewards such as treats and toys.  I try to stay far away from her bowls in the kitchen when her food is down so she doesn't feel threatened or think I might take her food away.  I just don't understand the timid behavior in the house when she knows she is safe and is very loving and cuddles every chance she gets!  Any ideas on how I can reassure her and make her more eager to come when called for food or going outside? Thank you for any advice!

Answer
Your description sounds as though the dog has been abused prior to your getting it. I would begin a regular obedience/socialization class as soon as possible. The dog is mentally in a protective shell, defensive and unsure. To overcome that, the doig needs a lot of positive experiences and confidence building. Non competitive play games (no tug of war) and agility exercises will build its self confidence, provided lots of praise and reward.

Touch shy usually indicates a dog has been hit. In some instances it will be head shy or body shy depending on where it was hit and once you find out you avoid touching there directly. Pet and massage the dog in "neutral" locations and slowly work toward the sensitive areas. A full body x-ray can reveal if the dog has had any bone damage. Commonly called massage therapy, it helps a critter get over any touching issues such as nail trimming, and also gets the dog accustomed to a loving touch and makes the dog feel good.

Standard operant training (reward for action) works on trust in thinking species. Once the dog trusts you and comes to you, the dog will be easy to train. [refer to the Horse Whisperer for example].  You can't make a critter love you, it has to first feal it can trust you, then it allows that trust to advance to contact, then to obedience - a WILLINGNESS to obey, not a fear of punishment.

regards
Henry Ruhwiedel
www.dogkennel.org