Dogs may become fearful or have a strong emotional reaction to loud noises such as thunderstorms, fireworks, or garbage trucks. Some dogs fear being alone, while others become reactive when confined.
Different dogs have different temperaments and will react differently to various stimuli. Shy dogs may escape or run away at the first sign of trouble, while more confident dogs may decide to stay and fight. A naturally confident dog will recover from new and fearful experiences much faster than a naturally shy dog.
Young dogs tend to be more open to new experiences, and bounce back more quickly. This is why we want to socialize our dogs to many positive new experiences when they are young, so that they will grow up to be a confident and balanced adult dog.
However, we can train any dog to better handle stress or fear, and become more confident. All it takes is time, patience, and a lot of repetition. One of the best ways to calm a fearful or reactive dog is through the desensitization process.
Dog Desensitization – A Good Way to Calm a Dog
The desensitization process works by initially exposing a dog to very low levels of the problem stimulus. Once the dog becomes accustomed to the low level stimulus, we very slowly increase its intensity. Over time, our dog will learn to tolerate and be calm at even higher levels of the reactive stimulus.
Patience is key because we do not want to raise the stimulus potency too quickly and cause our dogs to lose control. Frequent loss of control (from fear or over-excitement) will not only set back our desensitization work, but also make our dog mistrust us, and become even more reactive.
Dog desensitization exercises are commonly combined with counter-conditioning techniques.
In addition to getting our dog calm and comfortable with the problem stimulus (desensitization), we also help him re-associate a previously negative stimulus with something positive (counter-conditioning).
Counter conditioning is achieved by engaging our dog in focus/eye-contact training and other simple dog obedience commands (e.g. Sit) during the desensitization process. When our dog stays calm and follows our commands we reward him well with affection and his favorite treats. In this way our dog learns to re-associate the ‘bad’ stimulus with calmness, yummy treats, and affection from us.
Note – We only reward good behaviors, i.e. our dog following commands and staying calm. Do not give treats or affection to your dog when he loses control, or when he is showing fear symptoms. If you do this with the wrong energy or technique, it will only encourage his reactivity and fears. Instead, just remove him to a quiet area where he can calm down on his own.
Calm a Dog to Noise
For a dog that is fearful or over-excited of loud noises such as fireworks or thunderstorms, the trigger stimulus is the noise. Therefore, our noise desensitization session would go something like this –
- We get a recording of fireworks or a thunderstorm and then play it (in loop mode) on our stereo at a very low volume. Make sure that the initial volume is low enough that our dog is able to stay calm.
- We engage our dog in focus and obedience exercises while the recording is playing and reward him well for staying calm and following commands.
- If everything is well, we increase the volume of our recording slightly and repeat step 2.
- If our dog stops accepting treats, or is no longer able to focus then we have moved forward too quickly. At this point we want to lower our volume by a few notches. Once our dog is calm again, we can repeat step 2.
- It is important to keep desensitization sessions short, positive, and rewarding. In this way, our dog will start to associate fireworks and thunderstorms with positive experiences rather than something that is threatening and stressful.
Calm a Dog to People
Dogs may also become anxious or over-excited when people come into their space and pet or hug them. Dogs are not humans, and they do not have the same communication cues as we do. When meeting a new dog, especially a shy dog, it is best to first ignore the dog and let him approach us.
We can help our dog become less fearful of people by desensitizing him using distance, focus, and rewards –
- Ask a friend to sit under a tree in our backyard and read a book.
- Meanwhile, we have our dog on-leash and stand far enough away from our friend that our dog is calm and relaxed.
- We get our dog’s focus and do some simple obedience exercises. He gets rewarded for staying calm and working together with us.
- If all is well, we move one step toward our friend and repeat step 3.
- It is important that our friend totally ignores the dog, which means no talking and no eye-contact. Eye-contact can be seen as an invitation to interact, or as a threat, especially by a shy dog. Either way, it can trigger an excited or fearful response.
As always, we want to keep desensitization sessions short, fun, and rewarding. In this way, our dog will learn to re-associate people with calmness and positive experiences.
- After several sessions, we may get close enough to our friend that she can throw some high priority treats to our dog. However, it is still important not to initiate eye-contact.
- If our dog is calm and does not have a bite history, we can let him come over and sniff our friend (still no eye-contact).
- Once our dog is comfortable with the scent of our friend and is calm, then we can bring her back a few paces and repeat the desensitization exercise with brief periods of eye contact.
In later stages we can repeat the desensitization process for –
- A person who is moving slowly.
- A person wearing unusually clothing, big hats, or carrying an umbrella.
- A person on a skateboard or bicycle.
- A person who is talking softly.
- A person who is talking in a high-pitched tone.
- A threatening person who is talking loudly.
The more things we desensitize our dog to, the more confident he will become and the more prepared he will be to handle new experiences.
However, patience is extremely important. The key to the desensitization process is to help dogs re-associate previously stressful or highly emotional situations with something calm and positive. Going too fast can scare our dog and cause him to become even more reactive of people.
Calm a Dog to Confinement
Some dogs may get reactive when they are first confined in a crate. Confinement can be stressful because the dog loses his ability to escape if a threat should arise.
Before confining a dog in a crate for any length of time, it is best to first get the dog calm and desensitized to the crate.
- We start by showing the crate to our dog and letting him smell and examine it.
- Next we put some food near the entrance of the crate and let our dog step in to eat it.
- When he is comfortable with that, we throw some food deeper into the crate.
- We continue until our dog is cheerfully going into the crate on his own. At this point, make sure to leave the crate door open so our dog can move into and out of the crate freely.
- Once our dog is calmly moving into and out of the crate, we can close the door briefly. Wait one second, and then open the door again.
Finally, we slowly lengthen the time that our dog spends in the crate.
Desensitization vs. Flooding
In addition to desensitization, there is another technique called flooding that can also be used to deal with dog anxieties and fears.
With desensitization we expose a dog slowly to low amounts of the fear stimulus. We get the dog comfortable with the low level stimulus, then gradually train him to accept greater levels.
Flooding, on the other hand, exposes a dog to large amounts of the fear stimulus right away. The dog is then forced to experience the fear stimulus until he calms down.
Like us, a dog’s body can only keep pumping adrenalin for a fixed amount of time, i.e. there is a time limit to a dog’s fear response or panic attack. Theoretically, both human and dog will calm down after some time, realize that there is nothing to fear, and start to associate that new feeling of ease with the previously fearful stimulus.
Flooding may be faster than the desensitization process, but it is risky, more traumatic, and may cause the dog to just shut down and stop responding.
Flooding is a psychotherapeutic method for overcoming phobias. This is a faster, yet less efficient and more traumatic, method of ridding fears when compared with systematic desensitization.
~~[Wikipedia]
For this reason, most animal behaviorists recommend using desensitization and counter conditioning methods to treat dog anxieties and fears. Desensitization may take more patience and more time, but it is safer, the results are long-lasting, and it helps to build a strong bond between us and our dog that is based on trust and respect.
The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.
~~[Arnold H. Glasgow]
We have a Bug (Half pug, half bull dog). He is 2 years old, and gets over excited when someone different becomes in his line of view, or opens the front door. He barks constantly and huffs, jumps backwards, and dodges your touches. It’s with people he is familiar with too. It takes some time for him to remember you and calm down. He’s very active and we walk him regularly. He is crate trained as well. Any suggestions?
I did people desensitization exercises with my Shiba Inu to teach him to be more calm around people. I talk more about how I did people desensitization in the article above.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-calm-a-fearful-reactive-dog#people
My dog is also very sensitive to the energy of the people around him. I make sure that the people who visit are calm and that they also follow my instructions.
I have a 21 month old male Caucasian shepherd that won’t mount a dog in heat even when she is receptive. He would sniff and lick but won’t mount. He is also scared and I’ve been working on desensitizing him. Is his inability to mate also a sign of fear?
I am not a breeder so I don’t have experience with breeding related behaviors. Best to consult with an experienced Club registered breeder.
Hello, I have a rescue German Shepard/ Lab Mix, he was beaten by a man for a year or so of his life, then take to a foster home where he was with other Shepards. We bought the dog in March of this year, he is still very fearful of me. I am the male in the house, no other dogs, and my girlfriend who is staying of multiple days in the week. He is very attached to her and excited to see her and be around her. When I come home I approach him, and scratch under his chin and belly and let him know everything is okay, also give him a treat to associate me coming home a good thing. He does listen to basic commands from me as in sit, or lets go for a walk/car ride and bathroom. That is when he is excited with me. Most of them time when we are at home just him and I he sits in the other section of the room in the corner and doesn’t move. When I get up off of the couch or chair to go in another room not even looking at him he darts in the section of the house. I understand that being patience is a huge part in rehabilitation. I just wish he could be relaxed in the house with just me in it, and not always on guard. We have thought about getting another dog, a dominant female that is not a rescue dog, only due to the fact that when we take our dog over to my girlfriend’s house, he plays with the other two dogs and is so excited to see people, he acts like a completely different dog. He follows me, runs up to me, and other people, licking everyone, playing. It is absolutely night and day. Any advice on anything would be very helpful..
Thank you.
Adam
Some things that help with my shy dog-
1. Start small and go slowly.
I make sure to always set my shy dog up for success. The more positive and successful experiences my dog has with me, the more confidence and trust he builds. Similarly, fearful or reactive events will undermine his confidence, set back training, and worsen his fear symptoms. Therefore, I manage my shy dog’s environment carefully so as to minimize fearful events.
2. I talk softly and control my own energy.
My dogs are very sensitive to the energy of the people around them. If I get angry or frustrated, they will pick up on that, get stressed themselves, and their behavior will worsen. I also make sure not to make eye-contact with a shy dog because that can be intimidating.
3. Give my dog space
I give my shy dog enough space to be comfortable and relaxed. From time to time, I may toss him a treat from far away (no eye-contact), while he is calm and relaxed. This helps him to associate me with food and rewards, but from a safe distance. As my dog gets more comfortable with me, then I may *very slowly* decrease my treat throwing distance. I let my shy dog come to me when he is ready, rather than approaching him, which can also be intimidating.
Petting and touching can also be scary for a shy dog, and is a more advanced move. At the start, I only work on distance. This is similar to the people desensitization process described above.
4. Fixed routine and consistent communication.
I set up a fixed routine and communicate with my dogs in a very consistent way. They know exactly what to expect from each other, what to expect from me, and what I expect from them in return. Routine and consistency help to create certainty, which helps to reduce stress and fear.
I waited until I resolved most of my first dog’s behavioral issues, before getting a second dog. I think that getting a second dog before that is risky, because it may make the problems worse, and there may be new issues with the second dog. This can quickly become overwhelming. In addition, a new dog will introduce a fair amount of change and uncertainty, which can be stressful for everyone. If my first dog is already in a good place, then I can focus on helping both dogs get along, and whatever issues my second dog may have. More on my second dog experience.
These articles have more on how to help a shy dog-
http://www.homewardtrails.org/resources/dogs/helping-the-shy-or-fearful-dog#.Vcgy7vlVhBc
http://www.nicolewilde.com/how-to-help-shy-anxious-or-fearful-dogs/
http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_Shy.php
However, dog behavior is very context dependent. When I was having troubles with my Shiba Inu, I visited with several professional trainers who could observe Sephy within his regular environment, read his body language, and help me identify the key things that trigger his problem behaviors. They also helped me come up with an effective plan for desensitization and counter-conditioning.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
I need some advise for my 11 year old male shiba inu.
I took Oskar to the vet last week to get his leg examined. Oskar was traumatized as they tried to obtain the xray they needed by trying to straighten his leg. They were not successful because of the pain and trying to force him and a nearby the machine was beeping. They eventually sedated him to get the xray. They determined that he has pretty bad arthritis. A pain killer with an anti-inflammatory was prescribed which has reduced the swelling. We finished the meds two days ago.
Ever since the incident Oskar has been scared and paranoid. Although always sensitive to loud beeps, he has always been very active, playful, solidly confident dog. He loves outside and spends hours looking and watching.
I now have to pick him up and take him outside. His tail is down and he retreats to a corner of the deck and stays there. I have to pick him up and put him the grass so he can do his business. He walks around a bit lays down and stays there until I go and get him. I understand the trauma he experienced and have been spending time with him trying to coax him. I am sometimes successful in the house getting him to the back door and then he retreats. He is not shaking just tail and ears down. He is eating and drinking, sleeping. He seems depressed.
I want to know if I am on the right track. Any suggestions will be very much appreciated
How was he acting before the vet visit – i.e. when he was in some pain from the arthritis but before the x-ray? I would first try to determine the source of his stress, whether it is from the pain in his joints or whether it is from the vet visit. How is his behavior inside the house? Does he only get stressed about going outside? Is it noisy outside? What kinds of noises are there?
Sephy is usually pretty depressed when we get back from vet. Part of it is from the sedation, and the other part, I think, is some loss of trust. With Sephy, I leave him be and let him make the decision of when he is ready to do stuff again. I *do* try to create many many opportunities to get him interested in doing stuff, but I do not directly coax him. He usually does better when he makes up his own mind.
For example, Sephy is very curious and really loves new things, so I may start opening boxes and act excited about the things I find in there. If he comes over, I’ll put some really good stuff in the boxes for him to find. I do things inside the house first, where he is more comfortable. I also do fun stuff with my other dogs, and that usually catches his interest as well. He loves smelly fish, so I may also try using that to engage his nose. What are the things that Oskar likes to do best?
After Sephy gets back to more of his usual self, then I can start desensitizing him to scary beep sounds and to the outdoors. I talk more about how I do noise desensitization exercises with my dogs in the article above.
My schnauzer Russell cross has been with me since 9 weeks old. Shes now 3. We have relocated alot but we’ve been here a year. We try to keep as much routine as possible but we work shifts and gets left alone quite often for 8 hours sometimes and she doesn’t like being alone. But she is a happy healthy affectionate pup. Recently my partner and I went on holiday for a week and left her with my parents who are retired and she adores them. Upon her returning home she was fine until they left and after a few hours turned really jumpy and nervous and wont come near us. She wont make eye contact and is growling quietly if we get too close to her. I’m worried about her and think she may be anxious over the change in circumstances.
What can I do to ease her back Into her home?
Yeah, my dogs really need a fixed routine and consistency. Changes in schedule, environment, and more, causes stress and anxiety. However, consistency helps to create certainty and certainty helps to reduce stress.
After our last move, I set up a fixed schedule right away and a very consistent set of house rules. If I am unable to provide a consistent schedule on my own, then I look for help, for example from a good positive-based dog-daycare center or a good sitter. Since you have parents living nearby, perhaps she can visit your parents on a more consistent basis. This would make her schedule more consistent, she would not have to be alone for as long, and having stay-overs at your parent’s place would become regular/normal.
I did notice that my Husky would sometimes act a bit distant after a multi-day stay at the hospital (when she was young). I just give her space to get comfortable again, and I let her come to me. I encourage her to come to me by having her favorite food in my pocket, and perhaps scattering some around me, while I sit and read a book. I let her come to get the food on her own. I make it as low stress as possible by not looking at her, and not trying to physically interact with her until she is ready, and lets me know that she is ready by making the first move.
After my dog is comfortable again with me, I make sure to give her an outlet for her anxiety. For example, my Husky loves taking hikes outside, so we would go on longer walks, in quiet areas, during off-hours. I want to make the experience fun, positive, and low-stress, so she can relax and release her stressful energy by doing something that she enjoys and loves.
However, it is most important with my dog to try to break large changes up into smaller changes, and introduce those changes one step at a time so that consistency and certainty can be maintained. Frequent and constant changes can cause a lot of stress and can cause fear and anxiety symptoms to worsen.
Dog behavior is very context dependent so the temperament of the dog, daily routine, past experiences, and more will all play a role. This makes each dog and situation a bit different. Therefore, when in doubt, I get help from a good professional trainer/behaviorist.
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
http://www.apdt.co.uk/dog-owners/choosing-a-trainer
So I have a 5 year old Husky. She’s been with me for almost 2 years now. I adopted her from the rescue kennel. Lately, there have been repeated fireworks in our neighborhood on account of a festival celebrations. Lasting for a week of so. On one of the nights they went on for late into the night. I know that she used get anxious due to firework sounds / loud noises, but used to bounce back in a couple of hours from her safe zone i.e. the kitchen. However, for the last 3 days, ever since the fireworks, she is reluctant to come out of the kitchen or eat her meals or go out for a walk in the morning. She absolutely refuses to come out in the evening and night. Whenever I manage to drive her out in the morning to the usual walk trail, she almost violently pulls back or refuses to come out of the car to go to the trail. While, I understand that fire works caused the anxiety / nervousness, but I have never seen her so nervous. So her usual signs are – panting, nervous body language, refusal to come out of the kitchen, not accept the usual commands, reluctance in eating her normal meals sometimes even her favorite treats. She lies on the kitchen floor like a lifeless body not responding to any commands. I have tried giving her treats, peanut butter, her meal, yogurt. Except for peanut butter, she does not accept any other treat. I almost have to feed her with my hand at times. I have tried keeping a loud exhaust switched on to cover the firework noises, exposing her to some noises within the confines of our apartment. But she has not yet responded. I live in a highly populated area in the city. For our walks, we used to go early every morning to a Forest trail, which she now refuses to go on.
Eagerly awaiting a way out of this for my child. Please advise.
Dips.
So she hasn’t eaten anything for 3 days except peanut butter? Has she been drinking? Has she been eliminating? Does she show nervous behavior all day? Is the fireworks still going on? Is it only fireworks sounds that she is anxious about, or other loud sounds as well? What was her behavior like before the fireworks? Did she enjoy her walks? Did she get anxious during walks in the past? Were the fireworks less intense in the previous 2 years? How was she affected in the previous two years?
The first thing that I would do is make sure that she is physically ok.
To help my dog with noise anxiety, I do desensitization exercises. I talk more about how I do noise desensitization exercises with my dog in the article above. However, the key thing with desensitization is that we MUST start small and *very slowly* build-up our dog’s confidence and tolerance. I.e. I need to start desensitization in an environment that is quiet and calm enough that my dog is comfortable and able to relax.
ASPCA article on noise anxiety-
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/fear-noises
This article is on thunder phobia, but many of the ideas are also relevant for other noises-
http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/thunder-phobia-in-dogs
More on dog anxiety.
If my dog is totally unresponsive, and not eating or drinking, I would first get help from a vet. Then, I would get help from a good dog trainer/behaviorist, one who uses positive based training. This is because dog behavior is very context dependent, so a dog’s temperament, past experiences, routine, environment, and more, all matter.
Hi–I was curious if you have had any success with your situation? I have recently had very similar experience with my Greyhound. We had a wonderful routine in past 7 months and no serious fright issues. Two weeks ago she had a fright in early morning from a flock of gulls across the street. It was the noise they were making. Since then, she has basically shut down our normal routine. We used to drive to the park for first walk of day. Now she shakes in the car and will not get out. She eats and then retreats to her bed in the bedroom. She is not motivated to come out of her safe spot. We shut the bedroom door last evening to keep her from retreating. If she hears a gull squak outside–she leaves the living room pad to go to her bed.
Any advise would be wonderful!
Hello there. I have a problem I’m hoping you can help me with. My wife and I have had a pit bull named Dexter for quite some time. He is a wonderful dog. no problems. About a year ago my wife learned of some dogs that were rescued by the police from a dog fighting ring near us. After several months at the pound a judge ruled they could be adopted out. We adopted a sweet female and named her Lily. We were told she was a puppy when she was rescued. Later we saw a picture of a dog that looked suspiciously like our Lily all scratched up. This dog looked about the same size as our dog. despite this she has been a good dog 90% of the time. we have grown to love her. we keep her and Dexter in a fence in the back yard when we’re at work and in the house most of the evening after we get home.
Our problem is that when another dog is if Lily sees another dog or some one walking on the street or the neighbors out in their yard, she gets all worked up and occasionally she attacks Dexter. Dexter is a very calm, gentle dog despite looking big and tuff. When these attacks occur, Dexter and Lily fight and although it is usually only for a few seconds often Dexter comes out of it with an injury. Lily is great with people and usually with Dexter. They often play together and get along fine.
We met with a certified trainer and she said we should crate train both dogs. My wife and I both work long hours. I’m gone from 4:00 am until about 6:00 pm. We usually turn in at about 9:00 pm. If we do this, the dogs would only be out of the crate 3 hours a day. That seems abusive to my wife and I. We don’t want to rehome Lily and certainly don’t want to take her back to the pound to be euthanized. She’s too good a dog for that. If we could be sure she’d be in a good home we’d be willing to rehome her with good people. she’d be great if she was the only dog in the home. As I said, she is great with Dexter most of the time but we hate for Dexter to be hurt like he is. Can you give us some advice in this matter.
How is Lily during walks? Is she reactive towards other dogs?
What you describe sounds like barrier frustration combined with redirected aggression.
http://www.scafshelter.org/education/tips-from-the-trainer/1196/tips-from-the-trainer-barrier-frustation
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/how-do-i-manage-my-dogs-barrier-frustration
http://www.dogforum.com/training-behavior-stickies/reactivity-leash-aggression-barrier-frustration-12538/
Hi there, I’m wondering if you have any advice for us. We have a 9 month old Siberian Husky and our problems are mainly outside on walks. Our trainer says he’s just socially awkward but I’m not sure about that as a response to his behavior.
When he sees a person or someone walking a dog, he zeros in on them and gets focused. Granted, I see the person/dog first so I already have him pulled off to the side, sitting or laying down… Trying to get him to be calm, ignore it, distract him or not look. Well, when the person/dog gets closer, he literally loses his mind no matter what I do. Jumping, barking, growling (more because I’m holding him back and he wants to go play) and throwing a doggie tantrum. It’s not aggressive, no hair standing or anything, he just gets overly excited and wants to meet everyone, jump on them and play. Well, I can’t get his focus on me, I’ve tried the spray bottle, the compressed air “Quit It”, his commands don’t work (leave it, sit, stay, down) nothing. All he wants is to go to that person/dog. This behavior scares people which I think feeds his reaction even more.
At home, he’s perfect minus chasing the cat at times and jumping – which my husband and I are stern about not allowing, he’s just stubborn and not getting the hint yet.
Yeah, my Shiba Inu was also reactive to other dogs when he was young. The closer the other dog comes to him, the stronger the stimulus, so he is less able to keep control of himself.
I did a lot of dog-to-dog desensitization exercises with Sephy to help raise his reactivity threshold, and that was helpful for us.
The key with Sephy is to always manage him properly, so that I do not expose him to more than he can handle. In this way, he stays in control and can learn from the experiences. When the “other dog” stimulus is too strong (e.g. too close), he just goes into rear-brain mode and is no longer capable of listening or learning.
During our walks, I try to maximize success by using distance, visual blocks, and more to weaken the “other dog” stimulus. The more I prevent Sephy from going rear-brained, the more his behavior improves. Similarly, reactive encounters will worsen his behavior and set back our desensitization training.
Thanks! We’re working on that now, he was completely unmanageable outside because he was just so excited about everything, people and dogs. I purchased a gentle leader collar to see if it would help and he’s an ANGEL! I’m hoping it helps teach him how to behave and we eventually won’t need it. So we’re going to be trying the desensitization training from here on out that he’s not going wild.
He even got to meet and greet other dogs and people calmly when we went to PetSmart for puppy class. He’s been having issues with other dogs, especially pitbulls, and when one came into our aisle he just sat nicely and watched… Whined a little but did 1000% better than before!
Glad to hear that things have worked out so well. Big hugs to your fur angel! 😀
Wondering if you might have some advice for us. We have had a shepherd/lab mix for a few weeks. She is about 6 months old and a rescue. From day 1, she bonded well with my wife, and is very fearful of me. Whenever I enter a room, she growls and barks. After she calms down, I can pet her but she is still wary. She is fine with most people, but has had the same negative reaction to several other men, who look kind of like me, gray haired men. I suspect that she was at one time abused by someone who looks like me.
I have tried rewarding her when she is calm, and ignoring her when she carries on, but we seem to be getting nowhere.
Any help would appreciated.
What has worked well for me with my shy dog is to let her approach me.
I always start small and then very slowly increase the challenge. For example, if my dog is fearful of me, I would sit down, a ways away from her and maybe read a book. In this way, I am not staring at her, as eye contact can be threatening especially for a shy fearful dog.
I make sure my energy is good (calm), and I have some of my shy dog’s favorite treats. Smelly treats usually work well for me. I then place a bunch of treats around me. Initially, I place the food farther away from me so that my dog can get at it without coming too close. I just keep repeating this several times a day and let me dog come on her own to get at the stuff. I don’t say anything, don’t look at her, don’t touch her. The more successful she is, the more confidence she will build, so I want to always keep things positive.
Once my dog is totally comfortable with this, I start placing the food a bit closer to me, and so on. It is similar to the people desensitization exercises in the article above, except that I can do the training myself. This is of course assuming that the dog is not aggressive towards me or people.
In general, I try to maximize successes. The more successful positive experiences my shy dog has, the more confidence she will build. The opposite is also true, so I also want to minimize any negative encounters. Therefore, I start small, go slow, and try to be very patient. It takes time to build trust and confidence.
This ASPCA article on how to care for puppy mill dogs is a more extreme case, but it has some good information on shy dog techniques.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/adopting-puppy-mill-dog
Another ASPCA article on how to deal with fear of people.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/fear-people
Hi, stumbled across your website through google and am wondering whether you can offer any advice on a problem we have with our GSD. Mostly she is perfect. Things start to go wrong, however when she’s in the garden. She pays no attention to is whatso ever, takes a long time to settle down and relax (sometimes she’ll be bounding round the garden for hour+ before laying down), she barks at any bird flying over head, our neighbours dog when he barks, neighbours fence even when they are not there. I know its due to her own fear when she’s outside (on walks,etc she is calmer than when in the garden). I don’t really know how to try and combat the fear so that she can become calm in the garden and we can leave the doors open for her to come in and out at will. We try as much as possible but sometimes we have to just bring her in and shut the doors. Trying to distract her with sit, stay, etc doesn’t work as she doesn’t pay any attention and is more interested in the garden and reacting to all the stimuli. In friends gardens she is still on the go a lot but appears to be less stressed.
I’m just after some advice on things we could try to help but don’t really know where to start.
Thanks
How old is she? When did this behavior start? Did it start gradually or suddenly? What is her body posture like while in the garden – is her tail up or down, head up or down, posture hunched or leaning forward? Are that cats that get into the garden? Are there other animals that get into the garden? What is different about your garden vs. friend’s garden? When you open the door to let her back in, does she rush back into the house or does she still want to explore in the garden? Does she show this behavior all the time or more so at certain times of the day? What is her daily routine like?
With my dog’s reactive behavior, I first try to identify exactly what triggers the behavior. I try to observe closely, get as much detail as possible, and be as specific as possible. For example, is my dog reacting to a certain smell – if so is it the smell of cats, raccoons, other dogs, smoke, perfume, or something else. Or perhaps my dog is reacting to moving things, people, noises, etc. Is my dog’s behavior the result of over-excitement, fear, or something else?
Once I identify the trigger stimulus or stimuli, I can take steps to manage my dog’s environment, and slowly desensitize him towards those problem stimuli in a positive and structured way. The key is to start small and go slowly. In this way, I only expose my dog to situations that he can handle, so that he learns to stay calm and in-control of himself. The more calm and positive experiences he has in the presence of the trigger, the more tolerant he becomes of it. The opposite is also true, so I try to always keep things structured and positive.