Dog Training Tips

What To Know When Training Your Dog

Some dogs, due to their personalities or past abuse, may come to you with excessively shy, fearful or submissive behaviors. This can affect everything from their willingness to be petted to their ability to enjoy going for walks.

As you can imagine, the quality of the dog's life and his or her relationship with you will be greatly affected if these problems aren't addressed A.S.A.P.

Before we discuss the appropriate training methods, let's take a quick look at some of the most common signs of fear-based behavior in dogs:

1. Yawning -  If it's the end of a long day and your dog is relaxed, then a yawn is natural. However, yawning can also be a sign of stress and anxiety. The key is to look at your dog's body language. Nervous yawns are usually quick and accompanied by tense body language.

2. Ears Pinned Back -  Happy, confident dogs keep their ears upright or pinned forward most of the time. Slight pinning is normal and not a source for concern so long as the dog's body language is otherwise normal.

However,  if your dog pins her ears back when you approach and leaves them that way, it is a clear sign of anxiety an apprehension.

3. Tucking Tail Between Legs - Extreme apprehension.

4. Shaking - This is a sign of extremely high stress.

5. Crouching -  Often accompanied by the tail between the legs, this sign represents a seriously fearful dog. This is a sign of complete submission intended to convey “Please Don't Hurt Me.”

6. Submissive Urination (and/or defecation) -  In the wild, submissive dogs will sometimes show their submission to a threatening alpha dog by urinating or defecating. It is close to the human equivalent of losing control of your body due to fear, and is really involuntary on your dog's part.

If your dog is displaying any of these signs, it's time to desensitize him. The process can be slow, and it is vitally important that you approach your dog gently and patiently.

The first rule in dealing with fearful dogs is that it is better to focus your (and their) attention on the positive behaviors you want to enforce, while ignoring the behaviors you want to eliminate.

Additional methods that you may want to try:

1. Change your petting style. The least threatening way to approach a dog for touch is to lower your hand beneath his head and give him a quick scratch on the chin or chest.

2. Pay attention to posture. Some training books will tell you to get down on the ground at the dog's level, but this is not always the best approach, particularly with smaller dogs. Try to determine what makes your dog the most comfortable (to see you sitting, standing, etc), then slowly work to desensitize him to your movements from each position.

3. Don't carry.  The only time you should pick up and carry your dog is when there is an obvious threat of danger from a larger dog. Otherwise, make sure your dog has all four paws on the ground when you go for walks and do not give in. Keep walks short in the beginning, and close to home.

Reward your dog with plenty of praise and attention when he is behaving in a calm and confident manner. Ignore him when he has peed on the floor or is trembling under your attention, and resist the urge to comfort him.

Giving your dog attention when he is displaying fearful behavior only reinforces the behavior. This sounds harsh, but it is actually best for both of you in the long run!