Kirby is a very sweet dog. He is a very smart dog.
He gets along beautifully with my older dog and never vies for dominance in the household.
He is happy playing or resting on his own. He is happy going for walks and laying at my feet.
But like many dogs much younger than his biological years, he has a lot to learn and he is very slow in showing unbridled affection.
A shy dog needs to be given a great deal of patience to build trust before you can show the dog affection. He is just not ready to accept it.
Knowing very little about Kirby’s background before seven months ago, I decided to go at his pace with all training. And that meant also waiting for him to come to me for any show of affection. Having his favorite toy brought to us from Pups on Parole made a huge difference in his confidence as well. 
This strategy has started to pay off and it is one I recommend for anyone bringing a new dog into your home, whether it is a puppy or newly adopted dog of any age.
I cannot use treats to train Kirby because of health restrictions, so I wondered if rewarding with affection would really work with him. But he loves the sound of my “happy” voice. Every time he does something I like, I am very joyful and he will wag his little tail vigorously. And I give him a quick pat under his chin.
I do not raise my hand above his head – he does not like that. He never shows his teeth or growls or stares but backs away.
He did not volunteer to be cuddled or tickled for the first few weeks. But he accepted gentle petting in spots he liked!
If he does something I do not approve of, I turn away and ignore the little guy.
Ignore bad, Reward good.
We are now on our fourth week together and last night we had a breakthrough. For the first time Kirby came over to me and put his little feet up in the air for me to pick him up. I lifted him up to the sofa and he came right up next to me and put his head on my lap.
And he turned to me, lifted his head and looked right into my eyes.
Kirby has the saddest eyes I have ever seen. But last night they spoke volumes and trust was cemented.
If you enjoyed this article helpful, please read our other columns
For more information about Heaven Can Wait and Pups on Parole
Comments