Most sitcoms, comedies and cartoons are based on miscommunications between the characters. If human beings struggle so to relate to each other, just imagine how difficult communication between humans and dogs must be. Interacting with a fearful dog adds yet another layer of difficulty.
If you understand the way dogs communicate, it’s easy to see that even the most well-intentioned human can send mixed signals when meeting a fearful dog.
When interested in a dog, the average person tends to maintain eye contact, a common signal of dominance or aggression between dogs. Smiling at a fearful dog can cause even more concern because dogs don’t consider bared teeth to be friendly. Then, just as the dog is really getting concerned, “friendly” people often lean over to pet a dog on its head. Adult dogs know that putting paws over the head of another dog is threatening. It’s a wonder that dogs don’t bite people more often.
Put yourself in the paws of a fearful dog. You aren’t sure that humans outside your family are safe, and when you meet these scary people, they tend to act threatening.
The trick to helping a fearful dog meet strangers is to change the dog’s perception of the event. That will require some preplanning on your part.
Place containers filled with special treats at every exterior door and be prepared to manage every detail when introducing your dog to strangers. It’s crucial that visitors refrain from pressuring your dog by forcing a meeting, reaching to pet or even making eye contact. Your dog must feel secure and able to decide when she feels safe enough to make contact.
Meet your visitor outside the door with dog treats and let him know how the meeting should proceed. Once inside, ask your visitor to hold out a treat to your dog while maintaining eye contact with you while talking. This allows your dog to advance at her own pace. If your dog isn’t able to take treats, ask your visitor to toss the treat in your dog’s direction. The idea is to form a positive connection with visitors.
If your dog can take treats freely, it’s time to see if eye contact can be managed. Ask your visitor to offer treats while making just a bit of eye contact. With success, ask your visitor to hold eye contact for longer periods.
Once your dog is taking treats and is comfortable with eye contact, see if your visitor can touch your dog (on the chest) for even a brief period of time. Don’t force contact but, rather, go at a pace that your dog can handle.
The last step is to see if your fearful dog can handle taking a command from your visitor. A simple “sit” will do, but don’t be surprised if your dog retreats to the safety of your side. When your dog can accept a command and take a reward from a stranger, you’ll know that both you and your dog have made fantastic progress.
Success depends greatly on your preparedness, your consistency and the opportunity for practice. You’ll likely find that your dog makes good progress but has occasional setbacks. Don’t be discouraged; changing a set behavior can be difficult, and reverting to old habits is normal. Stick to the plan and practice as much as possible; success is right around the corner.
Julie Winkelman is a certified pet dog trainer and a certified dog trainer. Reach her at www.retinc@frontier.net.
