by Andy Sands, Certified Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant
Hello Suncoast, and welcome back to Training Tuesday! We are in the middle of discussing how to help your dog be a confident canine, not just during the holiday season, but all year long. Some dogs, for various reasons, may not feel comfortable engaging with new people, especially in large crowds or with children around. However, it’s almost a certainty that your dog will encounter at least one of these situations during the holidays as we gather for celebrations.
Baby Steps
Working with a fearful or anxious dog requires much time and patience. In the beginning, it is likely that you will take very small steps, and make slow progress. For dogs that are slow to meet and greet new people, it will help to follow some basic steps when a new person comes around. Please understand, the following steps are designed for introductions to older teens and adults. The process for children will vary from this, and will be discussed next week.
Always have available some very high value, tasty treats for your pooch. In addition, be sure to remain at a distance that will allow your dog to be successful. Every fearful dog has a certain proximity in which they are comfortable with people around. Any closer and their disposition changes. Now, observe your dog, and the very second that he looks at the person in the distance, and has no reaction, pop a high value treat in his mouth. From that moment on, every single time your dog looks at the other person, and has no reaction, repeat with a high value treat.
Be sure to ask the person to look away from your dog and avoid making eye contact, and ask them not to say anything to your dog. As soon as your dog gets more comfortable, have the person take a step closer. Keep repeating the process as long as there is no reaction. After several minutes of successful interactions in this manner, ask the person to look directly at your dog. If your dog does well; showing no signs of fear or reacting, then deliver multiple high value treats. Once you have done this several times, or over several sessions, place a treat in the open palm of the new person. Have the person stand sideways, and with an outstretched, open hand, offer your dog the treat. Do this process at least ten times and repeat with different people as often as possible.
Eventually, you will begin to see your dog open up to the people who have practiced this with him. Your dog will start to understand that the presence of another person means something good is going to happen for him. The other person is a predictor of good things for your dog. This same process can be used for motorcycles, skateboards, vacuum cleaners, big trucks, or anything else your dog is fearful of. Basically, you are taking something that your dog views as a negative, and making it a positive.
Next week we will begin discussing kids and dogs. There are several layers to introductions with children, including teaching children proper etiquette when it comes to meeting a new dog. The holidays are fast approaching, and the earlier you can prepare, the better. See you next week on Training Tuesday!