Fearful shelter dog

[Beegirl]

This past Monday we adopted a 1&1/2 year old Chesapeake Bay Retriever mix from a dog shelter. She was picked up as a stray, but she has obviously had some basic training.
She has a few problems that I have no idea how to proceed with (none of my previous dogs presented with these problems).

The most troubling is that when she meets new people she seems very fearful. So far we've only introduced her to two pairs of people. Both times she gets a very crouching, submissive posture, and hides behind us or tries to slink away. One time a person startled her because they came out from behind a car-she did bark at them and then growled a little (all from a submissive posture). After about 10 minutes she wants to check the people out, and once she does, or they give her a treat, she is fine with them.

I know this might not sound like the worst problem in the world, but I don't want her to become fearful or overly protective to the point where she might bite someone who comes over.

Any advice on how to proceed? Or, does anyone know of any good dog behaviorists/trainers in the Albany, NY area?

Thanks so much!
Jennifer

[Karen]

Slowly take her out, and socialize her more and more, just time will help this. She may never be outgoing, but you can help her feel more comfortable with others just with practice and practice. I would sign her yup for an obedience class, that will help build her confidence, and her trust in you. Even if she already knows some commands, the point with her is more experience with the world!

Don;t over react or scold her, or coddle her when she is acting fearful, ignore her and encourage visitors to ignore her at first, and let her make acquaintance at her own speed for now. And I'd be very careful if small children are visiting, and explain to them that she is a scaredy dog, so they should pretend she's not there. I have a scar on my lip from an incident when I was little, and a neighbor dog, Reggie, came to visit who was usually not allowed out of his yard - for a reason. I hugged him, and he bit me, right on the lip, and I was stunned! I remember my mother explaining "Not every dog is a hugging dog," and cleaning me up. In retrospect, I am sure Reggie was terrified!