My dog is a scaredy-cat!
Not every dog lives by the motto "Whoa, here I come!" There are also many rather shy, even fearful specimens. It is important to help the dog to overcome fears, writes dog training consultant Holger Schüler. Whether before driving in the car, using the vacuum cleaner or being brushed.
Dealing with fears is a constant balancing act: on the one hand, you have to work with what triggers the fear, but on the other hand, you must not overwhelm the dog. The golden rule is: approach and retreat.
An example: the brush. Hardly any dog likes being brushed straight away. If he backs away, he is simply held and brushed as quickly as possible (and therefore often roughly). The main thing is that the goal has been achieved. The next time, the dog disappears under the sofa at the sight of the brush. The problem is of course not the brush at all, but that the dog has not been given the opportunity to deal with the situation. The same is the case if the dog shows environmental fears: too often dogs are forced to do something instead of being allowed to learn. Once the fear is there, it quickly becomes stronger and stronger. V become more problematic and the person begins to avoid the trigger of the fear. Then learning is no longer possible.
How do you get out of this vicious circle? It's actually quite simple. Confront the dog with its fear - but only as much as it can bear. For example, the brush: sit next to the dog with the brush in your hand. Let it look at the brush, take a treat from the brush, only touch it with the back of the brush and so on. Before the dog backs away, take the brush away again. As soon as it relaxes, approach again. You have to learn to read the dog and recognize when you have reached its limit. Only move this limit very carefully and always give the dog the opportunity to withdraw. Your dog has to know that it can decide how much it can bear and is not forced. With patience and persistence, you can help your dog to overcome its fear itself. That is the goal - not the freshly brushed dog!
The same applies to environmental fears. If the dog is afraid of the vacuum cleaner, for example, you should get him used to it slowly and not overwhelm him. For example, leave the vacuum cleaner running in the next room when the dog is eating. Encourage him to come as close as he can. Play with him or feed him by hand, moving closer and closer to the vacuum cleaner. If you notice that the dog is alarmed, increase the distance again - and then move it a little closer again.
Small steps are always the quickest way to reach your goal. Do not let the dog go up the whole staircase, but only one step, then two, etc. Do not close the car door immediately, but let the dog just get in, collect a reward, and get out again. Approach and Retreat also means being creative, being responsive to the dog and always being ready to take a step back. But then also a step forward again! Don't fall into an avoidance strategy.
The most important thing of all: show your dog very clearly that you yourself are not afraid. If you are constantly on the lookout for the next source of danger, immediately shorten the leash when you see a car, or flinch at every loud noise - in other words, anticipate the dog's reaction - you are only confirming the dog's view that there is cause for concern.
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