hello again as you may know my puppy was attacked on saturday bitten on the leg, it was been checked out and all seems fine i have an antibiotic and pain killer to help him, my question is rex has been very shy and not at himself even with me... should this go away once the pain is gone and the shock?
how long do you think i dont want to put him under any pressure just time to recover etc.
I am so sorry your pup was attacked, he must have been terrified alongside you I do not doubt.
When my Terrier had a fight with my Dobe he was very nervous and subdued for a few days mostly I think because of the pain he was in and because, well, he had, had the stuffing knocked out of him.
My advice would be to ....
Not rush him.
Be patient.
Be gentle.
Be calm around him, no loud noises, unusual goings on, just normal living.
Be consistent.
Reward any positive response.
If you constantly react to his negative responses then that is likely all you will see.
If he comes to you, praise him, make him feel special for being so big and brave. If he is reacting negatively to something then you can either ignore it (I find this bit a shade too difficult, mainly because I am a big softie and because I know if I was fearful I would want someone to be there for me, so I always try to get him to respond to me positively) or use the old distraction technique, offer a toy or treat to get him to respond positively.
You are the only one who can truly gauge how your pup is, it is so hard for anyone removed to tell you how to react.
Most of all, give him your love and lots of it, when he is healed you can start his socialisation once more but avoid the dog that had hold of him at all costs.
:kiss: Get well soon little one