Helping fearful dogs
When working with any dog, developing a positive, trusting relationship is important, but when working with a fearful dog it becomes paramount for the success of training and rehabilitation. There are trainers who have come up with theories as to why dogs behave they way they do and therefore why 'their' method of training works best, this includes focusing on things like 'prey ...
It would seem that many of us put more thought into what color we're going to paint a wall than we do into thinking about what dog to live with for the next 15 years. I'm not pointing fingers, I am right in there with the best/worst of them. When trainers want a dog to work as a service dog, or search & ...
I was having a conversation with someone who complained that the activities that were the most rewarding and motivating for her dog were behaviors she didn't like, barking at, and becoming aroused by strangers the main bones of contention. Her frustration was easy to understand since it was impossible for her to interrupt and distract her dog once this behavior got started. It ...
Sunny is one of the lucky fearful dogs that landed in his forever home straight out of the rescue after the hoarder that had him and 476 other dogs got busted for operating what was most definitely not an 'animal sanctuary'. It was not the plan and like many other foster caregivers for a fearful dog I could not part with him. Not ...
Early during my search for information about how to help my fearful dog Sunny, one rescuer of border collies told me that she 'didn't have the time that I had to work with her dogs'. Her point was that all the DS/CC I was doing might be nice but just making dogs deal with things worked for her, and was faster. I never ...
When Sunny first came to live with me I figured it was just a matter of short time before he'd realize that he had landed in paradise. Surely it wouldn't be long before he'd be a happy normal dog. Apparently I had set my sights a bit high at that point. I have always had goals for Sunny and while the big picture goal, comfort ...
It has been years since I have made Sunny hit the dirt and go into panic mode, but that record is over today. We all were having a nice lie down, it's close to 90 degrees here. Sunny was with me, calm as could be. I got up and decided to carry an armload of wooden parquet tiles down the stairs, Sunny was next to ...
A friend recently contacted me to get information for her father who was soon to be acquiring a puppy. I sent her Ian Dunbar's resources and wished him well. Last night I received an email from my friend, this time informing me that the puppy was timid and afraid, did I have any information about that? It just so happened I did. I directed them ...
It often happens that the dogs most adversely affected by punishment are the ones that end up dealing with it the most. Young dogs, inexperienced dogs, immature dogs, sensitive dogs, fearful dogs, aggressive dogs, all of which can be unclear on the rules of the games their humans are expecting them to play. All dogs can be adversely affected by punishment improperly applied but we've ...
I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. If you are working with a fearful dog you must at the very least understand the concepts of counter conditioning and desensitization. Desensitization is the gradual introduction and increase in exposure to the things your dog is afraid of. The exposure is only increased when the dog exhibits comfort with the situation or object. Go too ...
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