Does anyone else have a camera shy dog?

[wildeyed]

I keep trying to get some snaps of my new dog, but he is so nervous about the camera. Even liver treat bribes don't convince him to sit still for a pic. And he would do nearly anything for a liver treat.

So why is he so scared? Is it an abuse thing? He is rescue, so I don't know much about his previous life. Or is he just scared of an unfamiliar object?

[Beaverhausen]

1. not sure

did you trying getting down on the floor with him?

please do share pics when you can finally get them.

[wildeyed]

4. Here is the one and only from last night.

Not a happy dog.

Here is my other dog. He likes his picture taken. Too bad about the devil eyes.



I want a pic of them together, or myabe even with the kids. But so far, not even close.

[IndyOp]

5. Pretty babies -- Lucky Dogs!

Your camera shy dog looks Border Collie? Cattle Dog?

:bounce:

[wildeyed]

6. You are exactly right.

Sam (the camera shy dog) is a Border Collie/Cattle Dog mix. He is a sweet, sweet boy, but still a nervous from the ordeal of being abandoned and then rescued. Also, I think his past owner used to hit him :mad:

[IndyOp]

2. My Golden Retriever is afraid of people in sunglasses -

I think it is because he can't see the person's eyes and because of the reflection off of the lenses.

I would suggest that you hold the camera away from your face - like at hip level -- smile and talk and dangle a liver treat -- and click the pic. If you have an E-camera you can take lots of shots -- and should eventually get something good.

Good luck - and do post a pic when you get one!

[wildeyed]

3. It's true, he only gets nervous about the camera when I hold it up

to my face.

[ernstbass]

7. Mine aren't afraid but they

don't cooperate at all. they always run up to me to sniff the camera or lick it. Your dog may just be freaked out by an unfamiliar object. Have you tried letting him sniff it and check it out before raising it to your face? My father had a rescue dog that freaked whenever anyone put on a hat or tied a hair bow in their hair - anyting in the air scared him and it never changed. I've been fostering a dog now for 4 months and he's still very skittish to come through doors - acts like I'm gonna close it on him as he's going through it.

[IndyOp]

8. The door issue was HUGE when I first got my Golden --

I had to prop open the front door and walk about 12-16 feet beyond it. When he could see I was nowhere near the door and that it was not moving (wasn't going to slam on him) then he would slooooooowly edge up toward the threshold and put one paw out, then pull it in, then put it out, then two paws out, then both in, then all 4 were out and he would run around the house to the backyard (where I had already propped the back gate open). He was fine walking & running around the backyard and okay walking around the house -- but doors were bad -- very, very bad. It was many, many weeks until I could hold the door open for him and many, many more until he got comfortable following me in and out of doors.

This is Ben (back when he was a skinny puppy):

[wildeyed]

9. Why are they all afraid to walk through doors?

My last (rescue) dog was deathly afraid of doors. It was the only neurosis that never completely left her. My new dog is also somewhat leary of the door thing. Do abusive pet owners routinely slam doors on their dogs?

I accidentally shut a door on my small dog's paw once, but he never was scared of doors. :shrug:

Ben is a cutie. I see he has a yummy stick!

[IndyOp]

10. Thanks for noting Ben's cuteness -

he gets a *lot* of attention in our neighborhood.

In Ben's case, his fear of doors started because he was in a puppy-mill and was housed in an outside wire-mesh cage for his entire 8-9 month puppyhood (until he was dumped at the local kill shelter by the puppymill owner). I think they must have slammed the crate door to keep the dogs afraid of trying to run out when they had to go in and out.

I think Ben was dumped at the mill because he had become too neurotic to sell. He was also terrified of being 'grabbed' from behind - walked 5-10 steps behind me for many months. He was afraid of everybody...

As you can see from the pic he has settled in!

I love both of my dogs - but Ben has a special lock on my heart.

:loveya:

[wildeyed]

11. Ah, my BC was housed outside in a run, too.

She had been bred as a working dog, but didn't have the aptitude, so she was abandoned in a run until the rescue picked her up.

The original owners used very harsh correction with her. A no-no with almost any BC, they are so sensitive. But particularly with this one. She was completely shut down, as in wouldn't come out of her crate or look at anyone, when she was first rescued. She blossomed with a little good care though. She loved being a suburban pet, being part of a family. It is amazing how resilient some of these dogs are. God, I miss her. :cry: