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Thinking is Good!

By |2009-03-26T16:48:51-04:00March 26th, 2009|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Studies have shown that thinking and learning can slow or even reverse the effects of aging on the human brain. Learning new skills, like playing the piano or line dancing, doing crossword puzzles or brushing up on quadratic equations, is important for humans at any age. It seems that the axiom, 'use it or lose it' is true for our minds. I thought about this ...

How To Help A Fearful Dog? Stop Scaring Them!

By |2009-03-19T14:18:37-04:00March 19th, 2009|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In a blog about fearful dogs you wouldn't think that I'd pay so much attention to this whole dominance virus that has infected the health of our relationships with our dogs, but it's major. I run an in-home boarding business for dogs. It's a nice set-up for the dogs and the owners that use my services are conscientious pet owners. It's not a scene that ...

The Gift of the Growl

By |2009-03-13T16:48:10-04:00March 13th, 2009|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , |

I make no pretenses about it, I am obsessed with my fearful dog Sunny. Not only do I think about him, I am always looking for ways to help him, and other scared dogs. Leafing through an old issue of Newsweek I read a quote attributed to Tibet's Karmapa Lama and of course, thought of scared dogs.  "For any living being, when you feel the ...

Play It Again!

By |2009-03-10T17:22:34-04:00March 10th, 2009|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , |

Dogs that are afraid of people find very little about being with us pleasant, even if nothing 'bad' is happening to them. Just being near people is enough to get their hearts racing and adrenalin flowing. In order to change how a dog feels about people (or anything it's afraid of for that matter) you have to provide the dog with some very ...

Energy Wise

By |2009-03-06T20:31:04-05:00March 6th, 2009|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

While I agree that our own energy has an affect on our dogs, I do find the focus on an owner's energy to be at times confusing or just plain useless when it comes to training dogs. In Cesar's Way owners are encouraged to imitate people like Cleopatra, John Wayne and Oprah. Huh? Now while some people out there might think they know what Millan ...

Attitudes About Training

By |2009-02-01T18:05:36-05:00February 1st, 2009|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I found a copy of one of William Koehler's training books in a local used bookstore. He was a trainer that worked in Hollywood, training dogs for films that I watched as a child. Had I known his training techniques then I probably would have cried before the dog got caught in a well or suffered some other fate that was geared to jerking the ...

My last post on Cesar Millan

By |2009-01-15T14:49:24-05:00January 15th, 2009|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I say this is my last post about Cesar Millan because this blog is not about him, regardless of the benefit of the additional hits it may get me from the Dog Whisperer Ambassadors out there. It is not about trying to convince his loyal converts that he is wrong or bad. I agree with him that many dogs in America have less than stellar ...

How Realistic Are Your Goals For Your Scared Dog

By |2009-01-08T19:56:22-05:00January 8th, 2009|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

If you're an owner of a fearful dog you've heard it all before- "He just needs love." "Give her some time." "Lots of dogs are shy at first." But you've probably discovered that it takes more than time and love to help a fearful dog. If your dog is just afraid of some stuff, you may, with the understanding of counter conditioning and ...

Bad Advice

By |2008-12-27T14:06:49-05:00December 27th, 2008|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Advising someone with a fearful or shy dog to expose their dog to whatever induces fear in them, without encouraging owners to have an understanding of thresholds, counter conditioning and desensitization, is IMHO, irresponsible. Every dog is different and just because someone has had success in improving fear based behaviors with their dog or even a number of dogs, using techniques such as flooding or ...

Go Ahead Comfort That Scared Dog!

By |2008-12-20T01:08:06-05:00December 20th, 2008|Categories: Helping fearful dogs|Tags: , , , , , , |

I'm not sure why it is people are so reluctant to accept that you can comfort, or reward a dog when it is afraid and NOT be telling the dog it's ok to be afraid. Doctors give little kids lollipops, we hug people who are nervous, we hold the hand of someone who is afraid and we are not causing them to become ...

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