7 Ways to Help your Fearful Dog

There are MANY ways to help your dog overcome fear, reluctance or over-curiosity of unfamiliar objects. How quickly you can help them depends on your dog, the object they fear, their level of fear/discomfort, and their current relationship with you. There are ways to help move things along more efficiently. Here are 7 simple but effective ways for you to being helping them today.

1. If it’s a SAFE and APPROPRIATE situation, like this one in the video, you can let your dog investigate ON THEIR OWN. Feel free to give them CALM & POSITIVE verbal encouragement like, “good boy” or “great job buddy” when they move forward curiously or SHOW COURAGE. Make sure you move at your dogs pace with it, not your own and never force it. Some dogs are willing to investigate further if you JOIN THEM. Just moving towards the thing your dog is fearful of yourself and calmly investigating it on your own helps to create a willingness in your dog to move forward with you. Don’t overdo it with enthusiasm, your dog won’t respond if you are too eager.

2. Grab a handful of your dogs FOOD and feed them around it. Some dogs will take their regular food for this, others dogs may require a HIGHER value food reward. For dogs that won’t take their regular food or very fearful/reluctant dogs you can use SMALL PIECES of training treats, apples, carrots, peas, cheese, or meat. You can do no harm when you use food rewards they enjoy around objects your dog doesn’t trust to help build a more POSITIVE ASSOCIATION.

3. Train your dog around it. This is one great way to build your dogs confidence around unfamiliar objects. Our team dogs at Canine Coach LOVE training! Stick to basic skills like sit or down. This isn’t best to ask a dog with more extreme fears or one who has not yet been taught about the love of training with the right trainer.

4. PLAY with your dog around it. Use their favorite toys, a ball, or a tug. Keep things at the ENERGY level that works for your dog. Refrain from OVERWHELMING your dog if they aren’t interested in play at this time. Many dogs with higher stress levels will have no interest in playing, similar to dogs who wont take food at this time. Time to contact a trainer if these are not working!

5. Have them on a LEASH around it and let them show you how close they are willing to be from it. If it’s a moving object, this is more difficult. LET YOUR DOG make the moves rather than forcing them closer. You can use FOOD & PRAISE when they show courage to move forward, look at it, or stay put (not cowering away) on all four paws or in a sit without being asked to.

6. Use positive talk and CALMLY CHEER THEM ON when they show COURAGE, rather than when they SHOW FEAR. This ensures you are encouraging their open mind towards it, rather than trying to convince them. Limit verbal interaction or comforting when they are COWERING, MOVING AWAY QUICKLY, or SHOWING FEAR. That’s when its best to stay quiet.

7. AVOID CORRECTION with fearful dogs. If impatience, anger, annoyance and frustration are hard emotions for you to manage when dealing with a fearful dog, it’s best to call a professional for guidance. The humans we work with find personal improvement through the training process as much as the dogs do.


Train on,
Ariel Santa Maria
CANINE COACH

Hey, it's Ariel, your Canine Coach here. Contact me to begin training before Summer so we can get your dog ready to get out there and play with you!