Of all of the silly things I hear in regard to dog behavior the proclamation that 'dogs live in the moment' perhaps takes the cake. It is usually used to criticize owners for being understanding of their dog's past and that unlike humans, that past doesn't effect them. They are furry zen masters of 'be here now'. The idea that it is the owner's response ...
Scientists who have studied fear in animals have come up with four responses, one or more of which are common, in one form or another, to organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. 1. Withdrawal, avoidance, flee 2. Immobilization, freeze-up 3. Submission, appeasement 4. Aggression When working with our fearful dogs it's important to keep in mind that these responses do not necessarily indicate the 'level' ...
Years ago a friend decided he was ready to adopt a dog. As a young man he had traveled cross country with his beloved chihuahua and he was hoping to find a small dog to add to his and his children's lives. Small dogs were not easy to find at nearby shelters so he looked online and found what seemed to be a good match, ...
Behavioral medications can help fearful dogs. So why the reluctance on the part of pet owners to use them? I will share what mine was. 1. Medications can have side effects that will affect the health of my dog. 2. Medications are a cop-out. 3. I didn't want to 'medicate' my dog. While there are shy or fearful dogs that can learn new ...
If you are living with a fearful dog who has inappropriate responses to the things it's afraid of, cowering, lunging, barking, growling, fleeing, etc., it is important to understand something about how animals (including humans) behave when stressed. When your dog is afraid, it is experiencing stress. When an animal is stressed and needs to respond it is more likely to perform whatever behavior it ...
Imagine you have to study for a big exam or are trying to learn to use a new computer program or figure out your taxes. Do you pack up your supplies and go sit in the middle of a busy city intersection? Or perhaps more realistically do you invite the neighbor kids over to play video games in your living room while you replay in ...
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 ...
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 ...
Fearfuldogs: Tell me about your dog Lilly. Roxanne: Lilly is a nearly 5-year-old smooth coat border collie, adopted at 6 months old from a progressive humane society in Boulder, CO. She came in as a transfer. So, she lived in two shelters and a foster home before we adopted her. She passed all temperament testing with better-than-average scores even though she did show some shyness/fear. ...
Learn more about Debbie’s seminal book that has brought hope to thousands of fearful dog owners worldwide.
Copyright Fearfuldogs.com 2022.
