Why Does My Puppy Hide During Puppy Class?

That was the question one of my recent puppy class participants asked in frustration and with tears in her eyes.  You see, she was feeling defeated and like her puppy wasn't getting anything out of class as he hid under the benches during group play. This isn't the first time I've had this happen, in fact that happens quite a bit in puppy class!  I've seen puppies who don't want to get out of the car and come inside the building for class; puppies who freak out at the door to class and slam on the brakes; puppies who scream and yelp when another puppy just glances their way; puppies begging their owners to be picked up; puppies hiding in corners, under legs, and under the benches. The follow up questions on every new puppy owner's mind when their canine family members behave this way is, "Should we even be coming to puppy class? Am I harming my pup by bringing her to class?"  Let's talk about that and (hopefully!) ease your mind about your puppy's behavior.

First of all, yes, puppy class is still of value even for the shy or fearful dog, IF the shyness and/or fear doesn't keep them from being able to participate at all. If it's simply that your puppy hides during group play or is reticent to come into the classroom, do keep coming!  Over time, your puppy may explore beyond that bench he's hiding under and socialize a bit, either with the other puppies or with the people in class. Now, if you puppy is so fearful and/or overwhelmed that he can't even participate in the leashed activities away from the other puppies and people and he is so stressed out he can't take treats, then no, class is not valuable for your puppy.  Interestingly enough, the class may still be of value to you, the owner!  If you can, just attend the class without your puppy, prepared to be a good observer and take notes on the exercises so you can practice at home or in your yard where your puppy feels safe.  It may be the case that your training dollars are better spent on a few in-home sessions or attending class without your puppy, than stressing yourself (and them) out by making them attend.

So, how might you encourage your puppy to come out from under the bench?  Walk away from them and keep moving around.  If you keep moving, they can't use you as something to hide under or around. They can't beg you to pick them up.  As you are moving around, engage other people's puppies; pet them, speak kindly to them, encourage them as they play.  Your puppy may come out to investigate the other puppies you are interacting with. Encourage other people in class to say hi to your puppy briefly and then move away; this gives your puppy some support and exposure to new people, without being overwhelming or giving your puppy someone else to hide behind or under. If your puppy comes out from hiding, even briefly, reinforce that with praise and a yummy treat, if they will eat it.  Always have several kinds of treats with you of varying value for just such an opportunity!

Finally, I know we've discussed this before, but it really does bear repeating. Not every dog is a social butterfly who lives to meet lots of new people and new dogs.  Some dogs are introverts just like some people and that's okay.  Dog sociability is a spectrum from dogs who are outright aggressive with new people or new dogs, or both (this is a small group) to dogs who pick and choose who to socialize with (the majority of dogs fall into this group), right up to those dogs who love to socialize with everybody (also a small group). So, if that puppy hiding under the bench is great at playdates in your yard with the neighbor's dog, or plays well at home with your other dog, then he falls into that middle group of dogs who pick and choose who to engage with, and that's perfectly normal and okay.  

I hope this relieves any anxiety the humans in puppy class are feeling about their less than social puppies.  I also hope they are figuring out what works best for them AND for their puppies.  I am happy to support them in whatever decision they make, but I do hate to see anyone not enjoying puppy class for any reason.  Puppy classes are the best place to learn about dogs, work on fun behaviors, meet new people, and sympathize with one another about the pitfalls of puppyhood. And they are, by far, my favorite classes to teach.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

This is Dolores.  She is a French Bulldog puppy who is currently attending her second round of puppy classes with me.  Dolores is actually a social butterfly who will play with any other dog she meets.  Her play is appropriate, she backs off when told, and is good with the shyer puppies as well. It's nice to have puppies like her in class as she sets a good example of what an uber-sociable puppy looks like so that I can discuss that sociability spectrum I mentioned above.  Plus, Dolores loves human attention, so I can scoop her up for love as well!