Helping Fearful Dogs

It is very important that all dogs have constant interaction with people, other animals and different places and things in their daily environment. If they don't get it, they become introverted and as a result, they can become shy or even fearful when they are exposed to new people, dogs or situations.

The root of shyness or fearfulness in a dog can usually be traced back to several things. In adult dogs it can be due to the lack of trust, a stressful environment, prolonged isolation from outside stimulus or even physical abuse or trauma. 

With puppies and younger dogs it can be due to the same things during the prime socialization period from 6 weeks to 6 months of age. Other causes can be emotional trauma or physical abuse. If left untreated, shyness can develop into fear and then ultimately into aggression.

Owners who have a timid or fearful dog can help these dogs develop into a confident, happy dogs by carefully introducing them to other people, other calm and friendly dogs and new environments outside of the home. Daily "on leash" walks in familiar surroundings can often be the most practical way to do this, but remember to take it slow and go at the dog's pace. 

Another great way to build confidence is to do frequent but short obedience training sessions using tasty treats and large amounts of lavish praise. Play sessions can also be a great way to quickly bolster the self esteem of a shy or fearful dog. Just offer tons of lavish praise while you are playing fetch, tug-o-war or other games. Make sure you let the dog win these games. This will help build confidence. When you want to end the play session, simply pick up the toy and say "That's All". Then praise the dog for ending the session.

Once your dog has become comfortable and confident with an area or group of people, you can start to slowly introduce new people, places and things. The key here, is to make it fun for the dog and to do it very slowly ... at the dog's pace. 

Set Your Dog Up for Success
If your dog is shy or fearful, help him gradually gain his confidence. It is important to have control of any situation you introduce him to. Begin by working in a controlled environment and find people you can trust to follow your instructions to the letter. 

Here's one approach I have used several times:
If your dog is afraid of people, have a trusted friend enter the area very slowly with his back turned to the dog. It is very important that the person entering the room or area does NOT make eye contact, touch or talk to your dog. In fact, it would actually be better if no one even makes a sound during this period of time. 

Once the dog realizes that the person is in the area, gauge the dog's response. If the dog is calm, reward it with quiet praise (such as a very soft "Good Dog"). Once the person has gotten to within 10 feet of your dog, have the person drop several of your dog's favorite treats (one at a time) in front of the dog so that the dog sees that the person is a good thing. If the dog reacts poorly, (depending on the severity), adjust the position of the person and the dog (moving them away from each other) until the dog is able to relax. Once relaxed, reward with quiet praise and a few small treats. Repeat as needed until the dog is able to approach your friend without fear. The final goal is to have your dog take treats from the person's hand. But this can take weeks to do. Don't get in a hurry. (The progression should be: take treats from ground, then from the ground in front of the person, then from the ground with person kneeling, then sitting, then from the persons lap, then from the persons hand.) 

During this desensitization period, If your dog tries to hide behind you or looks for you to comfort it, you must ignore it. The dog must have time to work out the problem and find out that there is nothing to fear and that the person is a source of good things. The more times that your dog is exposed to desensitization, the faster this will happen. But be careful NOT to flood the dog with this stressful situation. "Flooding" can make the problem worse. After a period of time, your dog will gain more and more confidence and begin to loose it's fears. As the dog become less fearful you can phase out the treats. Keep in mind that this may takes several weeks or even months to do. It will probably not happen in one or two sessions. Just be patient. The results will be worth the time you invest.

The same methods can be used for desensitizing the dog to anything it has a fear of. The key here is to reward the dog for staying calm and excepting any situation you introduce. The role of the owner is to project a feeling of relaxation, confidence, and complete control. It is crucial to show your dog that there is nothing to fear.

Important Training Tips:

Shy and fearful dogs can be more frightened or traumatized by using any kind of forceful or heavy handed training. Your first job is to gain the dog's trust. Therefore, it is very important that you use ONLY positive, reward-based training. It is also recommended with pups and young dogs. 

Once trust is achieved, building the dog's confidence will be easier. A trusting and confident dog can be easily encouraged  to do any desired behaviors. For any behavior you want to eliminate, a clear but gentle "no" or "ah-ah." can usually get your point across to the dog.

NEVER coddle or reassure your dog in any way when it is fearful or unsure. (That's not to say you can't pat it on the head or ask it to lay down next to you). It's best if you don't speak at all. But if you feel the need to, speak ONLY in a calm, quiet tone. Use words like: "enough, no, stop or hey" ... Reassuring with words like: "Its OK, or You're fine" or physically coddling the dog when it is in a fearful state of mind will only make the dog think that it's OK for it feel and behave fearfully. You need to ignore the fear and move forward with positive, upbeat training as if nothing scary has happened. This will get the dog's mind off of what has caused the fear and back on you. 

Possible suggestions would be to ask the dog turn around and sit, and then reward it for doing so. Your calm, confident, relaxed verbal praise (in an upbeat voice) should relieve the fear or stress your dog is feeling. You can also start up a play session with your dog's favorite toys. If you do these kinds of things, your dog will soon figure out that there is nothing to fear.