My dog is afraid of people and hides. How can I build his confidence?

Question

My Bichon poodle mix is shy with strangers and even some known people. He tends to hide from them by going behind me. He isn’t a barker unless he sees a dog across his view but not people. He will quiet down if I tell him to be quiet. I don’t yell or use any negative punitive actions and wonder if he was abused. Bought him from a shelter at appx 6mos old. He got close to me after three days. I expose him to the public scene often and walk him daily up to 3 times. How can I help him not be afraid. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 7 months old | 17 lbs

Dr. Davis · Accepted Answer

Dogs will gradually gain confidence and improve the shyness over time. I've had good luck improving this by taking my dogs to group obedience classes. The dogs become more confident and relaxed learning with other dogs and people present and a trainer there to supervise the interactions. This may take months to years to improve so be patient. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Spunky.

My dog is afraid of people and hides. How can I build his confidence?

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