If you have a dog who is shy or anxious, you know how challenging it can be to help them relax and feel comfortable. You want to reassure your dog and protect him from the world, but at the same time you need to know that he has to learn to stand on his own four legs. And you definitely don't want to inadvertently aggravate his fears by acting in nervous anticipation of a fearful response. What should you do? Here are five ways to help.
1. Always go at your dog's pace
Monitor carefully for signs of stress so you know if you should continue. Dogs give stress signals such as lip licking, yawning, turning away or jumping up on you. If you're not sure about your dog's cues, have someone film your dog around the source of the fear. Play it back, in slow motion if possible, and watch for signals when your dog gets nervous. If your dog becomes too anxious while you are adjusting his fear response, go back and re-evaluate the program.
2. Expose your dog to the scary in a gradual, systematic way
If your dog is afraid of things like the vacuum cleaner, you could feed them treats from a distance while another person is using the vacuum cleaner. As your dog becomes more comfortable, move closer. Never force your dog to confront the trigger in an overwhelming way. If you do, you could not only make the situation worse, but lose your dog's confidence.
3. If your dog's fear has a specific trigger, try pairing the scary thing with something your dog loves For example, a fear of people could mean that every time you pass a stranger, your dog will have a steady stream of fear until the person has passed. The idea is to condition an emotional response so that your dog will automatically feel good about seeing a new person.
4. Strangers are a common anxiety attack
Let your dog decide to greet someone instead of the other way around. If your dog is okay with being approached, ask people not to bend over or put a hand on his head, which can be scary. A hand held out palm down with curled fingers, offered slowly at the dog's chest level, is less scary. If the person is willing to turn slightly to the side and avert his or her eyes, even better. Unfortunately, sometimes humans are less trainable than dogs, so be a protector. You may feel rude if you have to say "I'd rather you didn't" to ward off a direct approach from a stranger, but it will make your dog feel better.
5. If the fear is low, habituation can be effective For example, it may be good for an unsocialized, insecure dog to take him to new places to meet new people. Just make sure you don't overwhelm him too much at once.
