Skittesh dog

Question
My husband and i 6 months ago bought a boerboel mastiff female her name is asia and she is now 14 months old. I think the person we got her from used to hurt. She is very skiittesh at times, especially with my husband. But then she is so loving towards us him.(more loving then skittesh But every now and then(at least twice a day)she will coward into her crate when we come upstairs from down stairs. She acts as if someone is going to hurt her.
My question is how can we assure her that everything is ok and how can we make her more confident. She is a good protector of the home, but skittesh at times with us. What can we do to make her more confident around us. IS there any special techniques we can try?
We have stared leaving the crate closed during the day, so she cant run in there. Is this a good start or bad.
SHe has also started whinning alot.
PLEASE HELP!


Answer
Have you had her spayed yet? If not, do you know when she's due to come into heat again? Sometimes, female dogs can start acting really weird around the time that they are coming into heat.

Have you had her out of the house/off your property much? It sounds like she needs some socialization to help build her confidence. Has she gone through any obedience courses? If not, that would definitely be a good start, as far as the socialization goes, and it will also help the bond between you and the dog as well. I recommend against the classes offered in pet stores, for several reasons, including the fact that the environment in a pet store is extremely distracting, and can be overly stressful for a timid dog.

Taking her for daily walks around the neighborhood is another good way to get her better used to strange noises and sights. If she is friendly with people, encourage them to pet her while you're out on your walks. Don't worry; this will not affect her ability to protect your home.

You might also consider hiring a behaviorist to come in and observe her skittishness in your home. I cannot say without seeing her why she would cower to her crate when you come up the stairs, unless it has to do with her treatment before you got her.