Dog training

Training the shy or fearful

puppy or dog

With dogs as with people, some dogs and

puppies are naturally more

bold and daring than others. When you watch a

group of puppies

play, it will quickly become apparent which ones

are bold and which

ones are shy. Some of the puppies will hang back

at the edge of the

pack, perhaps fearful of angering the stronger

dogs, while others will

jump right into the fray and start jostling for control.

Working with a shy puppy or dog, or one that

is fearful, presents its

own special challenges. Of course bold, forceful

dogs present

challenges of their own, especially with control

and leadership issues.

Every type of puppy or dog has its own unique

personality, and its own

unique training challenges as a result.

One important reason to build confidence in a fearful

dog is to prevent

biting. High fear dogs often become biters to

deal with their fear of

new situations, and this type of fear response

can be dangerous for

you and your dog. It is important to teach the puppy

or dog that new

situations and new people are nothing to fear,

and that they are not

out to hurt him.

Signs of fear in both puppies and dogs include

being afraid of

strangers, being leery of new situations, and

avoiding certain people or

objects. A fearful puppy or dog may also snap or

bite, especially when

cornered.

If you recognize signs of fear in your dog or puppy, it is important to

act quickly. Fear responses can quickly become ingrained in a dog,

and once those fear memories are planted they can be difficult to

erase. Properly socializing a young puppy is essential to making sure

your dog is not fearful, and will not become a fear biter. Many puppies

are raised as only dogs, but even these puppies should be given the

opportunity to play with other puppies, and with well socialized older

dogs and friendly cats as well. The more novel situations the puppy

encounters when he is young, the better he will be able to adapt to

new situations as an adult dog.

Adapting to new and changing situations is a

vital life skill that every

puppy must learn. As you know, the world is

constantly changing and

adapting, and it is vital that both you and your four

legged companion

learn to take these changes in stride.

It is important for owners to not inadvertently

reinforce or reward shy

or fearful behaviors. For instance, when a puppy

or dog shows fear,

by whining, crying or hiding, it is only natural for the

owner to go over

and reassure the dog. This type of reassurance,

however, can be

misinterpreted by the animal as a sign of

approval from the pack

leader.

When the dog or puppy displays fearful or shy

behavior, the best

strategy is simply to ignore him. The dog must be

able to learn on his

own that there is nothing to fear. If left alone, a dog

will often start to

explore the fearful object on his own, thereby

learning that the initial

fear reaction was mistaken. The owner must allow

the dog to explore

things on his own, and not try to coddle or over

protect him.

Another reason for fear reactions, particularly in older dogs, is past

abuse or lack of proper socialization as puppies. The window for good

puppy socialization is relatively short, and once this window has closed

it can be difficult to teach a dog how to socialize with dogs and other

animals. Likewise, a dog that has been abused probably has all sorts

of negative associations, and it is up to a patient owner to work with

the dog to replace those fear reactions with more appropriate

responses.

When working with an older fearful dog, it is

important not to try to

rush the socialization and fear abatement process. It

is best to simply

allow the dog to explore things on his own, even if it

means he spends

a lot of time hiding from the perceived monster.

Trying to force the

dog to confront the things he fears will do more

harm than good.

It is also important to address already ingrained fear based behaviors,

such as biting, snapping and growling, whether they result from past

abuse, a lack of socialization or a combination of factors. If the dog is

frightened and reacts defensively to strangers, it is important to

introduce him slowly. It is important to correct these potentially

dangerous behaviors, however, and teach the dog that fear is no

excuse for growling, snapping or biting. The best way to do this is to

immediately reprimand and correct the dog when he bites, snaps or

growls at anyone.

The dog should be generously rewarded the minute it stops displaying

aggressive behavior. If you do find yourself having to reprimand your

dog for displaying aggressive behaviors, it probably means you have

tried to move him along too quickly. It is important to avoid

threatening situations as much as possible until the dog has built up

the confidence it takes to deal with those situations. If you think you

have moved too fast, take a few steps back and let the dog regain his

confidence.

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