[Travis B]

My family just got a 2 yr old female shepherd named Spice. My wife and I have 2 kids ages 11 and 7. Spice runs away from my 7yr old even though he is very calm around her. She also backs away when we try to pet her? She never barks, even when in the presence of other dogs. I've tried to play fetch with her but she seems very uniterested. Are these normal?

 

[ZAYDA]

Let the 2 year old come to them.. Give your kids treats if you want but let her sniff them but do not pet her wait until she is done smelling and looks at your kids and then give her a treat and nothing else.

Do you know anything about her past. How long have you had her.

Let her hang around and do what she wants on her time .

 

[Stosh]

She sounds a little fearful which is to be expected with a new dog. I would suggest that you pretty much ignore her and not try to pet her until she settles down and gets comfortable. I would get a pocket full of treats, walk past her and drop a treat without even looking at her and she'll soon learn that good things come from her new people. You might also try hand feeding part of her meal. Do you have a crate? I would put it next to your bed and have here sleep there for a few weeks. I know it's hard when you want to love and cuddle your new dog but she needs some time to adjust.

 

[Travis B]

Thank you both for the advice! She came from a breeder but was with a different family before us. Not so sure about the home life with them but the trainer has an excellent record. We just got her last Saturday and my wife is fearful that Spice doesn't like us. I told her that we should just give her some time to adjust and it sounds like that theory is being confirmed. We do have a crate and it is at the foot of our bed. She listens and responds pretty well to commands. The wife and kids just wish she would be a little more social. Hopefully that will come with time. Wish us luck!