Dog training - Training the shy or fearful puppy or dog

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Dog training Training the shy or fearful puppy
or dog
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
puppyencounters when he is young, the
better he will be able to adapt to new
situations as an adult dog.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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To Learn More About Dog Training, go to
http//howtohousetraindog.com/go/dog-traininghtt
p//howtohousetraindog.com/go/theonlinedogtrainer
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