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Location: West Sussex UK
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,044
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If you think it is general nervousness & lack of confidence, rather than a fear of specific things, then there are some ways of helping your dog. If it is fear of specific things like loud noises, then a desensitisation/counter conditioning programme should help.
More generalised anxieties & lack of confidence may require a different sort of help. But you need to have a long hard think about your dog's emotional state & behaviour before you decide what is going on. Sometimes it is difficult when you are with the dog every day because small changes may go unnoticed, or some triggers for specific fears may be missed, sometimes through taking certain behaviours for granted or sometimes because the behavioural reactions can be very subtle, especially if the dog's reaction to certain things is to shut down, or internalise ~ it may just appear that the dog is a bit quiet & you don't always register these times.
If you do think that it is lack of confidence & general anxiety, then a programme that gives your dog confidence will help enormously ~ & this is where clicker training can be so useful. Clicker training is a method of positive reinforcement ~ the aim is to set it up so the dog can be successful in getting a reinforcer. A reinforcer is anything that causes a behaviour to increase ~ so it may be food, praise, petting, a game with a toy, or just your attention. But the whole idea is to set things up so the dog can succeed. It doesn't really matter what you train or teach your dog to do ~ even just a sit, or give a paw ~ as long as the dog can be rewarded with something it likes.
As an analogy of how this works, think of a child in school getting praise from a teacher for doing something well ~ they can feel pride in their achievements, they will be motivated to do that thing again, it boosts their confidence no end as they know that they can do that thing well. It also gives them a feeling of control over some aspect of their lives, i.e. that they can influence outcomes by their behaviour, & that can be extremely motivating. That is the behavioural side of things, the side we can actually see & notice.
There is also the physiological aspects of positive reinforcement ~ the internal workings that we don't see. By practising the things we are good at, by being successful & getting something rewarding, we are also modifying the emotional state, strengthening the brain pathways related to positive emotional states & increasing serotonin levels ~ the "feel good" hormone, that gives us a sense of well-being. So all these are good things designed to improve confidence.
The other things you can look at with your dog (as well as doing some pos reinforcement work) is to look at your dog's routine & general management. What triggers can you identify for anxious behaviour & can you eliminate or reduce the exposure? Are there things your dog would like to do but isn't allowed to, e.g. sleep on the sofa, have some quiet time alone, relax with or near to another companion animal, have a game with you, be groomed etc etc. The more you can accommodate these wishes, especially the ones that help your dog feel able to relax & rest properly, the better. The more you can do to reduce anxious states, the better.
I hope this help explain why pos reinforcement can help with anxiety issues. Don't worry if clicker training doesn't work for your dog, just think of other ways to reward & allow your dog to succeed.