Thread: Advice needed for a timid/shy huntaway pup

Cheers, he is a good looking fella

Yeah ive done a lot of research and from what i can see the hardest part is getting people to do the right thing around him more so than trying to get him to accept people. Its a bit hard if i take him to town and ask people "excuse me do you mind bending over on the ground and not look at my dog while he sniffs you" haha some how i dont know if a lot of people will mind that
Its a tough one, put it this way. He is fine around people as long as the attention is not on him, i.e if we are at the yards putting a mob of cows through there could be 10 or so people there he wont bat an eyelid, or if we are standing around having a discussion he will happily hang around and sniff people. But as soon as the attention is on him, someone looking at him or talking about him he goes all shy and weird.
My idea was to take him into town with me on a lead and just walking the streets so he can get used to people, but thats not really his issue it when they want to pat him ect, how do i go about that.
We have our vizsla on the other hand that is the complete opposite he just wont leave people alone, thinks everyone is his best friend. The vet told us it could be a good idea to take them out together and Gus may realize looking at buck the vizsla that people arn't so scary?

Sounds like a good idea.

Just tell people not to touch your dog...

To be honest he is never really going to be out in public as he is a working dog, I just dont wont it to get worse as he gets older so trying to nip it in the butt now.

Things like that should be an easy fix, so fix it now before it ever becomes a problem.
Missus needs to take the dog to the vet, it needs to stay at a mates for a bit. A long list could be added here...

Originally Posted by DXROLLA

Bit of a set back, 3 broken toes (ouch, and expensive) Got his foot caught on the step of the tractor

And a pic of him on the bike.


With all the trips to the vets he seems to be getting used to people a bit better. He was quite aggressive towards the vet when we first took him in but we think that was down to him being in a lot of pain. He seems to be more accepting of them now after about the 4th visit $$$$.
Now he is off work for a bit it will be a good chance for me to try and socialize him some more once he gets his cast off.

the vet trips arent good but him coolin down is
i had a big tri coloured beardie huntaway bill who was the boss of my team and he was a bit the same but never to kids or woman.
probably could smell the testosterone a? but when he jumped a fence one time and got caught in the top barbwire his attitude changed. He loved the vet he loved my sidekick who helped me get him out did i mention he was a big bastard.
throwing my swannee over his biting end and lifting him while the helper untangled his back leg was a fuckin nightmare id not wish to repeat.
fortunitly no lasting damage except he got a bit stand offish with me for a while somehow figuring it was my fault i guess.
he was the only dog ive ever seen physiclly drop a running 3 year old bull or bullock on his own. But when he killed one [2 year old bull] while we were trying to make some extra dough out of catching wild cattle that really took the biscuit.he grabbed it by the nose as it bolted back for the heavy stuff its head went left and its body carried on straight, arse over bollocks,snap broken neck.
tasted alright tho which surprised me after how het up it got.bill certainly ate his share.

Love the pic of pooch with the ol bucket head and swandri. The 'look' from him says it all. Classic.

On the behavioural thing, i'm surprised it hasnt been mentioned by someone yet, but is there any chance the dog was abused before you got it? Or traumatised in some way while still at previous owners place in a way this it associates humans with 'bad' things happening? There are unfortunately still some people out there who think that beating the shit out of their dogs is an acceptable 'training' method, which from a young age may create problems like what you are having with your dog.

Seems the logical reason to me. Or maybe he got a complex because he was the runt, strange humans turned up and studied him then took his siblings all away? Maybe like the last kid left at the orphanage....?

I don't know what the solution is, but i guess time and getting him accustomed to other people and dogs, who will be kind to him, and eventually he will hopefully realise that all humans are not bastards that want to hurt him. Kind of like trying to heal abused kids i guess..... Some make it through the other side ok, some don't. I have a Vizsla that was VERY timid when i got her, as a re-home at 2.5 years. Was very cautious of other people and dogs. Still has a bit of a gay bark when startled though. But now she is always keen to meet new people and other dogs and see if she can add them to her fan-club list. she is just over 10 yrs now. Has been a real character of a dog to have around, but then most vizslas are like that. Almost half-human in some ways......

Originally Posted by gsp follower

the vet trips arent good but him coolin down is
i had a big tri coloured beardie huntaway bill who was the boss of my team and he was a bit the same but never to kids or woman.
probably could smell the testosterone a? but when he jumped a fence one time and got caught in the top barbwire his attitude changed. He loved the vet he loved my sidekick who helped me get him out did i mention he was a big bastard.
throwing my swannee over his biting end and lifting him while the helper untangled his back leg was a fuckin nightmare id not wish to repeat.
fortunitly no lasting damage except he got a bit stand offish with me for a while somehow figuring it was my fault i guess.
he was the only dog ive ever seen physiclly drop a running 3 year old bull or bullock on his own. But when he killed one [2 year old bull] while we were trying to make some extra dough out of catching wild cattle that really took the biscuit.he grabbed it by the nose as it bolted back for the heavy stuff its head went left and its body carried on straight, arse over bollocks,snap broken neck.
tasted alright tho which surprised me after how het up it got.bill certainly ate his share.

Gus is much the same, wont back down for anything, has a lot of go. Hopefully he might learn with age not to get to close to the back end, hes had a couple of good boots which seems to fire him up even more.

Nice we cut he got a month or so ago, hopefully he learns

Originally Posted by dfmaisey

Love the pic of pooch with the ol bucket head and swandri. The 'look' from him says it all. Classic.

On the behavioural thing, i'm surprised it hasnt been mentioned by someone yet, but is there any chance the dog was abused before you got it? Or traumatised in some way while still at previous owners place in a way this it associates humans with 'bad' things happening? There are unfortunately still some people out there who think that beating the shit out of their dogs is an acceptable 'training' method, which from a young age may create problems like what you are having with your dog.

Seems the logical reason to me. Or maybe he got a complex because he was the runt, strange humans turned up and studied him then took his siblings all away? Maybe like the last kid left at the orphanage....?

I don't know what the solution is, but i guess time and getting him accustomed to other people and dogs, who will be kind to him, and eventually he will hopefully realise that all humans are not bastards that want to hurt him. Kind of like trying to heal abused kids i guess..... Some make it through the other side ok, some don't. I have a Vizsla that was VERY timid when i got her, as a re-home at 2.5 years. Was very cautious of other people and dogs. Still has a bit of a gay bark when startled though. But now she is always keen to meet new people and other dogs and see if she can add them to her fan-club list. she is just over 10 yrs now. Has been a real character of a dog to have around, but then most vizslas are like that. Almost half-human in some ways......

This was my thought aswell, he was one of about 12 in the litter, they keeped 4 Gus being one, and by the sounds of it he was just left with mum while the other 3 obviously more outgoing were handled and taken out on the farm ect. Bit of a shame really, the farmer is a "old school" kind of guy so my guess is the only contact he had with humans was getting dragged out of the kennel by the scruff of the neck and who knows what else

Originally Posted by DXROLLA

Gus is much the same, wont back down for anything, has a lot of go. Hopefully he might learn with age not to get to close to the back end, hes had a couple of good boots which seems to fire him up even more.

Nice we cut he got a month or so ago, hopefully he learns

the good ones learn the others either get dead or badly injured unfortunatly.'my hardest case cattle stopper was a little bob tailed prick eared heading dog.
he used bite them on the snout to stop them another to head them back then a swing on the tail to enforce his message.