For dogs who are fearful of one thing or another; be it children, other dogs or fast moving objects, the nice weather can mean added stress. There are many things you can do to alleviate some of the stress from your dog and start modifying their behaviour.
- Join a nose work class with your dog. Nose work is a great way for your dog to participate in an activity, which will help boost his/her confidence while allowing them to work independently, without the stress of other dogs around.
- Hire a behaviourist or a qualified, knowledgeable trainer to work with you and your dog. Make sure you choose carefully as you do not want to end up with a trainer who will only amplify your dog's issues, or cause new ones. Fearful/reactive dogs need someone who is experienced, someone who works with common sense and who does not believe in physical force, intimidation or extreme measures such as "flooding". Flooding a dog means you present the dog's stressor at an intense level and just let the dog deal with it. So, if you have a dog who is fearful/reactive toward other dogs you would flood the dog by placing him/her in a situation where they would be exposed to other dogs, sometimes several at a time. Imagine you are afraid of spiders and someone locks you in a room filled with them, helpful?
- There are lots of books and videos on the market that can help dog owners deal with their fearful/reactive dogs. Grisha Stewart's book Behavior Adjustment Training: BAT for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression in Dogs
- Work on building up your dog's confidence. Play games with your dog that will allow him/her to think, make sure they succeed each time and always end any training session on a good, positive note.
- Do not put expectations on your dog he/she is not capable of fulfilling. Learn your dog's stressors, thresholds and work with him/her below those thresholds. Never put your dog in a situation which will cause him/her to fail. You may never be able to "cure" fear or reactivity in a dog, but you can learn to deal with it in a way you are both comfortable and happy, in all situations.
- Do not let anyone else intimidate you, or force you to push your dog into a situation that will bring him/her over their threshold. Everyone needs to be responsible for their own dogs and their own actions, if you are in control of your dog, you should expect nothing less from the people around you. No one has the right to make things worse for you or your dog. I wrote another post about this on my other blog today, which you can read here http://pawsitivebonds.blogspot.ca/.
is a very well written and easy to follow book on how to deal with fear and other issues your dog may be experiencing. You can also purchase her video Intro to BAT: Behavior Adjustment Training for Reactivity
for a more visual look at how to work with your dog. Even if you are not going to work with your dog on your own, these resources will give you an idea of what you should be looking for in a trainer/behaviourist. There are many other books and DVDs out there that are worth while as well. You can pick up a "Dog in Training" vest from http://pawsitivedog.com/DogInTrainingVest.html
Black Dog Accessories has a number of items for DINOS http://www.blackdog.net.au/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=5&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=5&vmcchk=1.
There is a website and facebook page that is a great resource as well http://dogsinneedofspace.com/
Your dog counts on you to be there for him/her when situations arise. Try to understand where your dog is coming from, take things slow, try to stay below their threshold and get the help you both need to make life easier for everyone involved. Some dogs may take longer than others and others, like my own dog, may be an ongoing project, but your relationship and their quality of life is worth it.
You can join my facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PawsitiveWellness?ref=hl
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