Games One Shy Dog Owner Plays
Laurie from Saskatchewan recently shared some of the ways she discovered for inspiring her fearful dog Chewy to play. I didn't want them to get lost in the 'comment' section of this blog so with her permission am sharing them with you here. Thanks Laurie! Fetch is usually Chewy’s activity of choice so ...
Teaching A Dog To Play
One of the search terms that landed a reader on the Fearful Dog's blog was 'how do I teach my shy dog to play with other dogs?' Owners often want to give their dogs the opportunity to play with other dogs, which for a dog that enjoys playing with other dogs, is a ...
P.E.T. Therapy: A Protocol For Fearful Dogs*
Play: Begin by figuring out what rocks your dog's world. If the dog is too afraid to engage in playful behaviors with or without your involvement you need to lower their stress level. It may mean changing their environment, giving them a place where they feel safer or are exposed to triggers less often or ...
‘My Doggie Says’ Radio Show Broadcast
A few weeks ago I was interviewed by Fred Haney of My Doggie Says radio show and podcast. He asked me to speak about my website fearfuldogs.com and about fearful dogs in general. When Fred told me to just start talking he didn't know what he was in for! I appreciate Fred's interest in the ...
Helping Owners Understand R+ Training
For those of us who use positive reinforcement training to work with dogs, as opposed to techniques grounded in punishing inappropriate behaviors, it is easy to forget that though in practice it's not difficult to do, it can be challenging to explain. Here's one way to think about it. If someone calls you, they have ...
It Ain’t All Bad
On Saturday evening I presented my shy dog talk at the Windham County Humane Society in Brattleboro, Vermont. In attendance was a local trainer who had kindly sent me a flower essence potion when Sunny first arrived to live with me. Perhaps in the presentation I had over-stressed my belief that owners need to have ...
Now That Feels Good!
Dogs have different 'systems' in their brains for dealing with their environment. One of those is the fear/stress system. In a dog with general fear and anxiety this system is very efficient so it doesn't take much to get a response. In some situations this might provide a biological advantage. A prey animal that spooks ...
It Depends On The Dog
One of the disservices done to fearful dogs by trainers, who I will assume are well-meaning, is giving owners the impression that all dogs can be 'cured' of their fearfulness. Since we will never know the exact reasons why our dogs are fearful, it is worth continuing to work with them, throughout their lives if ...
The More You Know The Better You Get
I had a great time in Maine this past weekend offering presentations on living and working with fearful dogs. What was clear to me when I spoke to people was that the more you understand about the fundamentals of dog training, the better you'll be at helping your scared dog. One of the common mistakes ...
