My advice to dog owners with fearful dogs is always the same…
Dog and Puppy Training
Hi ,
I had a friend chased by a UFO.
I’m serious. She was in the car and her mother was driving. When they looked out the rear window, they saw a UFO chasing them.
There was a large light in the sky following them. They turned down side streets, drove faster, but the light chased them.
They panicked. My friend was crying and did not know what was going to happen to her.
The UFO…
…was a search light for a sale at a used car lot.
The UFO was real to them but there was no danger, no threat, it was all in their mind, and it was real. The fear created panic.
I deal with a lot of fearful dogs.
Dogs who are afraid of people, other dogs, the wind, cars, walking into a strange room, sounds, etc.
Here is the interesting part. The fear is all in the dog’s head. A dog afraid of walking up stairs thinks somehow the stairs are going to harm him.
A dog looks at a man and is afraid the man is going to harm or even kill him. I work with a lot of dogs that won’t come close to me and think I am going to harm them.
In reality, there is nothing to fear.
But the dog thinks it is real.
My advice to dog owners with fearful dogs is always the same.
“Don’t treat a fearful dog like a fearful dog. Treat your dog the same way you would treat any other dog.”
Because the fear is all made up. It is NOT real.
You see, the dog owner tends to focus on the fear and the fear gets worse. Anything we focus on is going to get stronger.
You have to move on and act like all is well with a fearful dog. A few months back I had a puppy come in scared and the owner focused on the fear and reinforced it.
When his puppy was nervous, he would scoop him up, hug him, kiss him, and stand in a corner far away from everyone else.
I knew this guy since childhood. I took him aside and told him the way to help his pup was to let the pup deal with the situations that scare him.
If he kept “saving” the puppy, it would get worse. It will get so bad the puppy will be fear aggressive as an adult dog.
He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t put the puppy down. He never came back to class.
He didn’t do his pup any favors because living day to day in a world of fear is terrible. Especially when there is nothing to fear. It is all made up in the dog’s head.
The good news? There is hope for the fearful dog.
If you STOP treating her as a “fearful” dog, if you STOP focusing on the fear and focus on the outcome, you can help the dog.
Life seems to work this way. We often focus on the problem which in turn makes the problem worse. It seems to multiply, gain momentum, and get out of control.
When we STOP focusing on the fear and focus on the outcome we want, we can make big changes.
The advice I always give for dogs afraid of loud noises or anything else is to get them moving. Think about a dog terrified of a loud noise. The dog owner often swoops in, hugs and kisses the dog, telling the dog it’s going to be okay.
The dog is thinking he is going to die because the dog owner is reinforcing the fear.
The more intense the fear, the more the brain shuts off.
Think about a terrified dog. Offering a treat is NOT going to help.
The dog does NOT want to eat. No one eats when they are afraid. If Pennywise the clown was in my house, I would not be sitting down for a steak dinner.
If I saw Pennywise I would be thinking about one thing….
….escape.
A dog’s brain shuts off and they want to escape. The dog will run wild until they run out of steam. Once they think the fear has passed, they will come back to their senses.
I have always helped scared dogs by putting them on leash to keep them moving. One of the best ways to deal with fear is to MOVE!
Remember, when a dog is afraid their brain shuts off. Same with humans, rational thinking stops and the fear starts to take over.
MOVE!
I walk the dog around in circles if I have to until their brains turn back on. I don’t talk to the dog, I don’t touch the dog, I move until the dog’s brain starts working.
I know the dog’s brain has turned back on once I ask for a simple command like “Sit” and they do it or even attempt to do it. Once the dog’s brain turns back on I can give the dog attention.
It’s important to remember fear turns off thinking. Fear can consume a person or dog. Focus on the fear and I can guarantee it will get worse. Movement is one of the best ways to help the brain switch from fear back to rational thinking.
I started training with a nervous and fearful German Short Haired Pointer.
Here is the testimonial the owner wrote and shared on Google reviews:
“I have a German Short Haired Pointer puppy (very nervous Nelly) named Gus Gus. Before we started working with Eric, Gus would NOT let ANY ONE touch him besides myself and my husband. Also, Gus was severely afraid of walking in and out of doorways and sliding doors. Needless to say he was an extremely people shy boy.
By the end of Gus’ first private lesson Eric and his wife were actually able to pet the dog! Here we are finishing up his second group lesson and Gus Gus not only loves Eric BUT has let other family members of mine FINALLY pet him. We are finally able to get him to walk calmly into new places and not try and run and hide!
Eric has given our family the patience, training, hope, and thrill that Gus Gus is able to overcome his anxiousness and be the amazing smart boy we know he can be. I would HIGHLY recommend Eric and his training methods to any dog owner that has anxious/nervous pups. There is something to be said here about his training. Two weeks training and Gus let’s people pet him … Yep! This guy is the dog guru!”
Cathrine Monty
If you or your dog are dealing with fear, start moving. Walk and keep walking until you come back to your senses.
Hope this helps!
Eric
Eric Letendre’s Dog Training School
1180 STATE ROAD, WESTPORT MA
774.319.6351