Timidity and Fears

24. Timidity and Fears: How many times have you seen a dog shaking or cowering and the owner sympathising and reassuring it with petting and nurturing? This may appear to be perfectly logical behaviour, but is actually giving the dog all the wrong signals and rewarding it for being timid and nervous and confirming it has a reason to be fearful, therefore the very thing you are trying to cure is reinforced by your actions.

The shy and timid dog should be exposed to as many different situations as possible. Take it along with you to the shops, the bar or the pub, and everywhere you can introduce it to new sights sounds and smells. Don’t push it into fearful situations but gently desensitise it to the things it fears, praise for calmness never for fear

Consistent treatment in this manner will begin to deliver the message to the dog that there is nothing to fear. Do NOT cuddle the dog, or hug it and tell it there is nothing to worry about. Dogs do not understand most of the words we say -- they understand our actions. If the dog gets a hug, it assumes it has done the correct thing and will continue to be fearful.

Stan

..............so the same goes for reassuring them when their freeking out with fireworks then Stan?

Absolutely. I will be putting a hint and tips on fireworks later but fireworks is a prime example. What I do with all my dogs is find their favourite game and when fireworks start take them out in the garden to play. I act very blase. If I do this early enough in their lives I always get dogs that have no problems with fireworks.

Think of yourself on a plane, and the aircraft hits a pocket of rough air and starts bumping and shaking. The first thing we all do is look at the Steward/Stewardesses, if they are panicking then start to kiss your backside a fond farewell. If it is business as usual and they are calm then we are pacified and our fear dissipates. It is the exact same principle with dogs.

Stan