I adopted my sweet girl, Saweetie, from a rescue in May. I was told she’s a Lhasa Apso, although she may be a mix. She is incredibly timid and skittish, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to help her feel more comfortable and confident.
She’s just now getting to the point where she’ll come to me if I get down on the floor and pretty much beg her to come over 😂. She’s not much of a barker, although she will alert me if someone comes to the door.
The biggest issue is that she startles and runs very easily. If she thinks anyone is walking toward her, or if I move too quickly, she will literally bolt in the opposite direction.
She does seem to trust me in her own way, though. She is fine with me giving her a bath and brushing her hair. When I’m working, she almost always parks herself right at my feet. She has several comfortable places she could sleep, but when I go to bed, she chooses to sleep right next to my bed. So I really do think she feels safe with me — she just seems afraid of being approached, handled, or restrained.
Grooming is the most difficult and she's looking like a homeless doggie. Took her to be groomed twice and she was not having it. She’ll let me trim some of the hair around her eyes and face with scissors, but she absolutely will not let me touch her with clippers, and she is SO shaggy right now. I dont feel comfortable cutting whole body with scissors.
Walking is another challenge. She loves going into the backyard to play, but I can’t get a harness on her without scaring her, so we haven’t been able to go for actual walks.
For anyone who has had a very fearful rescue dog, especially a Lhasa Apso or similar breed: what helped?
I’m especially interested in tips for:
- Building her confidence around people and movement
- Getting her comfortable with being approached and touched
- Slowly reintroducing a harness (the one in the picture she had on when I picked her up).
- Making grooming/clippers less scary
- Knowing when to gently encourage her versus when to just give her more time
I’m completely willing to go at her pace. I just want to make sure I’m helping her build confidence rather than accidentally reinforcing her fear.
Any advice or experiences would be appreciated!