Taking It Slow
Early during my search for information about how to help my fearful dog Sunny, one rescuer of border collies told me that she 'didn't have the time that I had to work with her dogs'. Her point was that all the DS/CC I was doing might be nice but just making dogs deal ...
Opening Doors For Sunny
When Sunny first came to live with me I figured it was just a matter of short time before he'd realize that he had landed in paradise. Surely it wouldn't be long before he'd be a happy normal dog. Apparently I had set my sights a bit high at that point. I have always had ...
Change The Picture
It has been years since I have made Sunny hit the dirt and go into panic mode, but that record is over today. We all were having a nice lie down, it's close to 90 degrees here. Sunny was with me, calm as could be. I got up and decided to carry an armload of ...
A Sigh of Relief
A friend recently contacted me to get information for her father who was soon to be acquiring a puppy. I sent her Ian Dunbar's resources and wished him well. Last night I received an email from my friend, this time informing me that the puppy was timid and afraid, did I have any information about ...
Punishment & Stress
It often happens that the dogs most adversely affected by punishment are the ones that end up dealing with it the most. Young dogs, inexperienced dogs, immature dogs, sensitive dogs, fearful dogs, aggressive dogs, all of which can be unclear on the rules of the games their humans are expecting them to play. All dogs ...
The Basics
I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. If you are working with a fearful dog you must at the very least understand the concepts of counter conditioning and desensitization. Desensitization is the gradual introduction and increase in exposure to the things your dog is afraid of. The exposure is only increased when the ...
Huh?
I never gave much thought to the risks of using corrections when training dogs until Sunny, my fearful dog came into my life. Even the casual 'uh uh' that I would use when one of my other dogs' noses was getting precariously close to the cheese on the coffee table, would have sent him cowering ...
Guest Blogger Roxanne Hawn
Fearfuldogs: Tell me about your dog Lilly. Roxanne: Lilly is a nearly 5-year-old smooth coat border collie, adopted at 6 months old from a progressive humane society in Boulder, CO. She came in as a transfer. So, she lived in two shelters and a foster home before we adopted her. She passed all temperament testing ...
Steps Toward Success
Too often when we are working toward a goal, whatever it is, we are so focused on the long term outcome that we fail to notice the progress we're making along the way. This is true when working with a fearful dog as well, we do not notice the small steps our dogs ...
