Scared, Anxious or Frightened?

Dogs can experience phobias, anxiety and be generally scared in different situations. Sometimes, this can happen suddenly in your home and without warning. Other times, especially with dogs being adopted out of shelters and rescues, they come into your home with those fears already established.

The reason for these experiences may stem from genetics. For example, dogs that are sensitive to loud noises or motion can become scared or phobic in cars, or during thunderstorms and fireworks in a single event. Most often, dogs who do show fear in certain circumstances are fearful because they have not learned how to accept those experiences during early puppyhood. Instead, they see those events as a threat to their survival.

Remember, dogs experience fight, flight or freeze like you! Think about different times you’ve been scared.

What did that feel like for you?

What were the persons, places or things that contributed to your fight, flight or freeze response?

Did you find ways of changing your mind about those frightening things?

If not, how do you handle situations when those things happen in your life?

The same questions can be used to address your dog’s fears. It’s now important for you to know what persons, places or things are triggering for your dog in soliciting a fear response. Once you’ve identified those triggers, you will want to help your dog change his mind about those particular situations and his conditioned emotional response.

Now you have the general understanding on where dog’s fearfulness stems from, so what to do about it, right?

This part takes time and at times a step by step approach of breaking down the situation so your dog first learns to habituate to the trigger at a very low frequency (sound) or intensity. Always making the association to the once triggering stimuli as positive and fun experience. You’ll do this by using what your dog sees as high value rewards.

For instance, some dogs cower, hide, freeze when they hear dogs barking. When helping your dog change his mind, you will want to control the environment. All this means, you’re ready to give the high value reward when your dog hears other dogs barking.

You may be wondering, how will you know when dogs will be barking? Well, you can find YouTube channels of barking dogs or record those sounds without your dog present. Once you do, you’re on your way of creating a controlled environment. You will control when the dogs will be barking by playing the recording when you have time to devout to training.

Training can happen during your daily routine, like say in between Netflix shows. All you would do is play the recording of the barking at a very low volume while rewarding your dog with his favorite things. The goal is for you to observe your dog staying relaxed (he continues enjoying his favorite rewards while this recording is playing). The goal is for him to feel comfortable. Never move too quickly that he experiences fear or becomes scared with those things you’re helping him change his mind.

Once you find your dog is becoming more comfortable with those situations, then you will gradually increase the volume which will raise the intensity of the sound. Raising the volume should be slow and done over several days. Raising the volume too much too soon can be frightening for your dog. So, when you have time to practice, and are feeling relaxed yourself, this will be a great time to work in some of this desensitization training.

Once you’re having success in the home, you’ll increase distractions by moving locations. Try taking the recording outside in your front or backyard. Always bring the high value rewards with you and reward when your dog stays relaxed and calm.

You may even encounter dogs barking at a distance. You can do the same training with real life barking, but remember, keep your dog at a distance from other dogs until your dog is showing increased comfort (one sign is your dog continues taking the high value rewards from you) with other dogs present.

Now, you’re on your way!

Find It! A Useful and Playful Behavior Cue

I’ve tried out MANY dog training techniques, tools, games and cues on my Bears, particularly with Jack.  Jack is and continues to be energetic, playful and above all else, willing to work.  The motivation he demonstrates each and every day, makes my job so much easier in teaching him something new.

Before my profession took a turn towards dog training, I had no clue in how to or the benefits of harnessing a dog’s energy.  In the beginning, I was often overwhelmed, frustrated and ultimately confused in how to get a Jack Russell Terrier whose breed is used for hunting foxes.  JRT’s tenacious prey drive gets them revved up for foxes, rabbits or other small animals.  Their stockier build and short stature make it possible for them to track down an animal into its den.  Even though I felt overwhelmed with figuring out what to do with Jack, I’m sure Jack felt the same way.  He totally needed and continue to need a job to do.

My husband and I worked with Jack on strengthening his nose work abilities.  Dog’s sense of smell is one of their primary ways of how they recognize people, things and other animals, it also the main mode of how they detect changes in weather, body posture and physical changes like cancer and other diseases.  Their scent ability is how dogs are trained in such areas as search and rescue and drug recovery in police units. Check out this article on “dogs detecting traces of gasoline down to one billionth of a teaspoon”, pretty amazing how intelligent they are and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

A fun game I’ve incorporated with Jack is playing “Find It”.

What this boils down to is when Jack shows signs of his ears being forward, on his toes, his tail high and vibrating and he is watching (mostly at this point in time) another dog, I toss a treat over his head and I say “find it”. He immediately, turns around and starts sniffing the ground. Once he gets what he was looking for, the other dog is out of the picture. The dog being out of the picture and Jack removing his attention away and doing something else-sniffing the ground, moves Jack from reacting to the other dog and puts that building energy into something productive. On top of that, he is rewarded for playing and he learns this game happens when other dogs are present.

The best part, the teaching and learning is fun for both him and me.

How to teach “Find It” (This is a great game of not only teaching an incompatible behavior, but it also can be used to teach your dog impulse control

1. Start inside your home and simply toss treats in front of your dog. When your dog goes to get them, say “find it” and praise and reward when he does.

2. As your dog learns the rules, raise the challenge. Instead of tossing the treats in front of him, toss them over his head and say “Find It” praise and reward when he does.

3. Adding more complexity, toss them a bit away from him and say “Find It” when you do. Praise and reward when your dog does in fact, find it!

4. Now, bring in varying size boxes and practice the steps above!

5. Finally, bringing this game outside in your yard. Make sure to use bigger pieces of their favorite food and start Step 1. The reason for this is so your dog is remains motivated to find the special treat instead of getting interested in other scents. Progress as your dog is getting the hang of the game while being outside.

Lastly, encourage him to play the game when you have other dogs around (first at a great distance and then decrease the distance as your dog is able to be involved playing the game).

This game will make you and your dog change your minds and have fun while playing!

Keeping Your Heart Open

There is something to be said about running and getting the mind moving. Thoughts can get lodged in your mind without a clear direction or way forward. When your body moves, your mind does too. What gets transformed is your thoughts become a collective whole and brings clarity into your life.

Thoughts become goals and then you feel it in your whole body to take the next step. Either a small step forward or a giant leap into what you truly want for yourself.

Once you allow your heart to open up for new ideas and new possibilities, you can’t close that door. Your heart already knows even if your mind is stuck and trying hard to rationalize you out of moving forward.

Listen to your heart. Listen with the knowing you can make the changes you want in your life and live fully in what you’ve dreamed for yourself.

It won’t be easy all of the time. You’ll be faced with fears, shame or self doubt. Remember, this is not your heart speaking. This is your mind keeping you locked into the everyday, because it is safe.

Resist the urge of staying the same.

Resist staying locked into outdated ideas.

Keep your heart open and act bravely into a new sense of self.

You’ll truly uncover what is at the heart of you.