Last month, we touched on the six fundamental points for desensitizing a dog to things that cause him to act fearfully. Understanding those points should bring you a lot closer to understanding what your dog goes through in scary situations.
This column will help you develop a strategy for introducing your dog to new people and environments.
Accepting people
You will need to enlist the help of a dog-savvy friend for these exercises.
Put your dog on leash, anchor the leash to something heavy near the front door and be sure that your volunteer has a pocket full of highly desirable treats. Ask your friend to come inside and walk to within five feet of your dog while maintaining eye contact with you. Avoid full-frontal approaches by standing at an angle to the dog. As the two of you talk, have your friend toss treats in your dog’s direction. Eye contact actually forces your fearful dog to make a choice between fight or flight. You want him to be comfortable and willing to work with you.
Once your dog is comfortable with this interaction, ask your volunteer to turn to face your dog as she continues to toss treats. Your friend may then offer a few seconds of eye contact as you practice.
Finally, ask your friend to squat down and let your dog approach for a treat. Don’t jump ahead of things and allow your friend to touch your dog. Remember to go slowly.
After practice, this routine should allow your dog to feel safer when meeting people. Some dogs will be ready for release from the leash and normal contact at this point; others will require much more practice to find a comfort level that works for them. Proceed slowly to physical contact, and remember to read your dog for signals of discomfort. Once your dog can interact freely with your first volunteer, it’s time to line up a variety of people to help with the desensitization practice.
Accepting new situations
It’s important that you make an effort to put your fearful dog into many new situations each day. Remember to take top-notch treats and ensure that each situation will be safe for your dog. Daily life will present you with many desensitization opportunities.
As an example, if your dog is afraid of the blow dryer, place treats around it while it’s turned off and sitting on the floor. This rewards your dog for coping with the scary blow dryer without the usual noise or movement.
The next step would be to pick the blow dryer up as you continue to reward. Then try turning the blow dryer on low and putting it back on the floor.
Each step should be heavily rewarded, and each time there is sustained success, the bar should be raised. Eventually, a fearful dog will learn to handle novel situations with confidence.
By taking the time to understand the sight, sound and movement of the things that scare your dog, you can manipulate the situation so your dog can learn to overcome his fears. Only reward behaviors that move your dog closer to confidence and allow him to go at a pace that he can handle.
Most importantly, know that many dog owners before you have helped their dogs through their fears to enjoy a confident and balanced life. Your persistence will pay off.
Julie Winkelman is a certified pet dog trainer and a certified dog trainer. Reach her at www.retinc@frontier.net.
