Helping fearful dogs

My contention has always been that if we can change the way that we think about fear based behaviors in dogs, the way we handle them will change as well. A trainer friend shared with me her experience with an owner who did not believe that dogs experienced emotions and was reluctant to use food rewards to help train and modify the dog's behavior. We ...

In any population of dogs there are going to be some, who for whatever reason; a genetic predisposition, prior experience, health and vitality, will be tolerant of and successful with whatever we or the environment throw at them. Some animals seem to thrive despite what happens to them, life gives them lemons and they make lemonade. My border collie Finn, is an example of this. ...

Dogs try. You have to give them at least that much. They try to figure us out, try to do what we want them to do, and most do a darn good job of it even when we don't make it easy for them. It's harder for fearful, shy or anxious dogs to sort us out. It's not easy to be at your thinking best ...

In my 'other' life I organize active, outdoor & cultural adventures. Years ago a teacher approached me and asked about organizing a trip for her students to Puerto Rico where they could be immersed in a Spanish speaking culture. My partner and I decided to visit the islands of Puerto Rico, Culebra and Vieques to see what sort of itinerary we could put together. The ...

A common misconception among dog handlers and pet owners is that simply exposing a dog to something they don't like or fear, and having nothing bad happen, the dog will learn that it's 'ok'. If we can just lure the dog over to us with a piece of cheese the dog is going to realize that they can approach us safely. Makes sense, and in ...

Every dog is different. There is no way anyone can know the progress their fearful dog can make. There may be indications that point to the star they're following; A dog that slithers over, meekly wagging after a few minutes of baby talk and an offer of cheese, is likely to progress faster or further than the dog who sits, eyes half closed, pressed against ...

In the fall I met with a couple from the Boston area to talk about their fearful dog, a young Shiba Inu named Kaiju. Friends of mine have a Shiba, an engaging and attentive little dog, so I had an image of the potential that existed for their dog. I realize this doesn't make sense. A dog's breed is not necessarily an indicator ...

If you've ever gone for a walk in the woods or in the mountains and followed a well-used trail, getting from point A to point B is just a question of glancing down now and then to make sure you're still on the path. In some areas there are blazes on trees, stripes of paint or slashes in the bark, which highlight the correct route. ...