Fearful Dogs

There are variety of dogs with different characteristics. Some dogs are playful and bold and some are shy and timid. If you do not pay attention to the proper emotional development of your puppy, it is most likely to develop into a fearful dog as he or she matures. You cannot really enjoy having a pet dog if he is fearful as he tends to be inactive due to constant fear. Excessive fear in dogs can also lead to excessive barking and biting. To avoid this, it is important to make your dog feel secure and comfortable by socializing him well and by exposing him to the surroundings and environment. For this, you need to monitor dog behavior and train your dog well, while considering his special behavioral and emotional problems.

How to Train Fearful Dogs?

There are various reasons for the dog to become fearful. Some dogs inherit the scary behavior from their parents and sometimes the traumatic experiences from the past make the dogs feel scared. Some dogs feel scared when they are suffering from any dog health problems. In such cases, they become normal once the pain or dog illnesses are cured. Whatever may be the cause, a special dog training is essential for such dogs. The owners should start training their dogs in their early puppyhood. It is easy to mold and inculcate certain behavior and habits in dogs when they are young. Given below are certain factors that need to be kept in mind while training these dogs.

Socializing the Dog: If you know you won't have time to spend with your pet dog then do not get one home. Like humans, dogs too need to be belonged to someone. If you can not take your dog out for a walk or play with him or her, then it is advisable not to get them home. For better development of the dog, it is important that you spend quality time with him and socialize him well. When your puppy is young, introduce him to all your family members, friends, and visitors. Take your puppy to the garden, playground or where there are people around, so that he gets acquainted with the environment. By socializing, he also gets exposed to various situations, events, people, other dogs, and myriad emotions and experiences. This helps him understand his surrounding better. It makes him feel secure and so, less fearful.

Developing Positive Responses: If the fearfulness of your dog is associated with certain thing, then try to eliminate the cause of the fear or help your dog develop a positive association with that thing. It is important to change the behavior of the dog in order to change the underlying fearful emotion. You must identify the cause that triggers fear in the dog and try to eliminate it. If not, try to make your dog comfortable with that thing. For example, suppose your dog is scared of a person who feeds him and cleans his shade. You need to call that person to feed and clean the shade in your presence. You need to have a relaxed body posture when that person comes. Appreciate that person's presence, and spend some time with that person while your dog is watching. Do this for few days, and you will notice a slight change in the behavior of the dog. Now slowly let that person touch and caress the dog in your presence. After few days, the dog will feel confident and that will help him bond with the person who feeds him. In the same manner, you can slowly approach the dog and change his behavior.

Obedience and Discipline Teaching: Dog obedience and discipline training is the best way to make your dog confident. But avoid hard physical punishments for your dog in this process, as they are scared of physical harm. Never talk on high pitch in front of your dog. Avoid behaving violently in his presence. Positive reinforcement is also very important to help your dog get rid of the fearful or negative feelings. Help your dog learn new commands slowly, and do not try all new commands in a single day. Initially teach him simple commands, such as sit, come, stop, go, etc., then go for complex commands. Practice these commands often, so that they get more experience and follow the commands efficiently. This will increase the confidence of the dog for him to behave well in the public. Discipline and train your dog with patience, tender care and lots of love. Some dogs can be very sensitive and emotional, so treat them affectionately.

If you think you are not able to deal with the fearful dog, then take help from professional dog trainers, who know lot of behavior modification techniques and methods, that are resourceful while training the dogs. You can also visit the veterinary doctor who may prescribe medication for them. All this will help you train your dog in a better manner. It will definitely make your dog playful, cheerful, and full of life, who is sure to bring sunshine in your life.