My puppy is timid, scared of everything, and won't play. How to help?

Question

I have about a 4 month old huskey, he’s very timid and scared of everything. Can’t get him out of the kennel and when I do all he does is use the bathroom and run straight back to the kennel. He is afraid of toys and doesn’t eat much. He doesn’t like to play either. This has been going on for about 3 weeks now. He is and always has been inside. Any help is greatly appriciated, thank you for your time and consideration. Pet's info: Dog | Husky | Male | unneutered | 4 months and 5 days old | 50 lbs

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

Poor Oakley! It sounds like he needs a little help with socialization and would benefit from seeing a trainer or veterinary behaviorist in person. You can have a trainer come to your house to observe the situation, and help provide some more tailored advice to help get him feeling more comfortable, especially since he is still so terrified after several weeks. In the meantime, continuing to try and get him adjusted to things may help. Try tossing a favorite treat to him every time you go near him, or placing a favorite treat or chew toy outside of his kennel to encourage him to go out and explore a little. If he does come out, gentle praise and even more special treats can help teach him that what he is doing is OK! If he's startled by loud noises or objects, soothing music can help drown out scary sounds, while letting him sniff and approach new items on his own (and then rewarding him when he does) can help encourage him to explore some. You can find a local behaviorist in your area, and learn more about them as well, by checking out this link: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/

My puppy is timid, scared of everything, and won't play. How to help?

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