Fearful Dog 3 Confidence Building Tips
now there are many things out there they
can frighten a fearful or scaredy-cat
dog and usually these timid or
frightened dogs just haven’t really had
a chance to get used to or being
comfortable around these scary things in
this video I’ll give you three tips on
how to make your scary dog feel more
confident and safe around these scary
things both inside the house and outside
on a walk with you so here are these
three tips first we’ll teach you how to
train your dog to be a lot more safe and
comfortable in your home like when guest
comes in things like that number two
teach your dogs to play games that will
keep your dog safe and also build
confidence at the same time and three to
associate scary things with these fun
games both inside and outside your home
to change his thinking about being okay
around them so here we go now knowing
that you have a fearful dog to begin
with you have to be in this for the long
haul you have to be motivated and
committed to the task of working with
your dog on a daily basis until you
reach your goal what’s that that’s just
making sure your dog is really
comfortable around the things that tend
to spook him or scare him and it all
starts at home why home why can’t you
just take them straight out in the
street or something like that
it’s because home is where your dog
feels safe without the scary things
there he can focus on the games and the
lessons that you want to teach him so we
all begin in your home it’s safe and he
can make real progress there so let’s
talk about some common sensical things
you can do to keep your dog comfortable
safe and confident in your home so first
a fundamental confident and strong
building block for your dog is to teach
him to simply give you a sit for
everything
little thing that he may want or need
from you so here’s how to do you just
make a list of these things food you’ve
got to have got to eat his breakfast and
dinner I got to get affection from you
so you would put that on the list you
just make a list of food affection going
in and out doors going for a walk
putting your leash on your dog things
like that you know all the things that
he might want a game of fetch so make
that list and begin to require your dog
to sit for everything if you want to go
out and take a a pee break then make him
sit send the amount same thing coming
back in the door so begin to develop
that strong foundation building block of
looking to you for direction by giving
you a sit when you ask for it so now as
you begin to do this every single day
and that’s the key you got to do it
consistently every day okay then your
dog begins to figure out that food
affection and all the things they may
want to need from you become predictable
by him giving you a set so he’s thinking
if well if I follow your lead and I sit
for my food I get my food right but wait
it gets better
here’s the good part that same follow
your lead mentality will begin to
transfer her outside in the games that
you’ve taught him to play when he sees a
scary thing
you’ll soon think if I followed your
lead and do what you ask that’s playing
these games you’ll keep me safe so it
begins to look to you for direction
inside your home and outside so next in
your home you want to make sure that
when visitors come over that your dog
always has a safe place to retreat to
that’s going to be very very important
for him to always know that if he wants
to move back
and retreat then he’s got a place to go
whether it’s in another room or in his
crate he can go in there and just kind
of lay down right there that’s gonna be
very important that he has a place to go
to
so never force your dog to interact with
anyone anybody that comes over unless
he’s at a point that he feels
comfortable approaching them that’s the
key he’s got to do this at his own pace
it’s important but even with the best
intentions
there are many guests that will lean
over to want to pet your your dog
thinking it’s okay
all dogs like me you know the type right
you’ve heard that before so helping your
dog in your home also means that you
want to instruct all your houseguests to
simply ignore your dog so let’s define
ignore that’s no TLC TLC is my acronym
for touch look at communicate okay
because that’s how we interact with dogs
one of those three ways or all at the
same time okay look at them we talk to
them we touch them so no TLC okay until
your dog is ready want to make sure that
your dog feels comfortable and safe eye
contact as a threat when people reach
over to pet a dog they go hand over head
like that usually to Pat them on the
head or something and they’re making eye
contact into a security dog that can be
perceived as a threat and you could get
the wrong reaction so we don’t want to
go down that road okay that comes later
now for you as to parts its building
that strong foundation was set for
everything you’re kind of new do this
get that relationship with your dog and
then the other part is getting your dog
used used to or comfortable being around
things that spook him okay we want to
build that confidence
now here’s the fun part there are a few
games that you can teach your fearful
dog that will help to not only build
confidence but giving something else to
do rather than focusing on the scary
thing now this will be inside your house
and outside your house on walks as well
your goal is with practice the sight of
a scary thing triggers your dog to
engage in a fun game with you so here
are some fun games that you can teach
your dog in your home first where
there’s no distractions you can focus on
the exercises it’ll be fun you build a
really good bond with your dog in the
process so let’s take a look at those
games and you can take it outside on the
road okay now here’s the first thing
you’ll need a six-foot leash and you’ll
need some food treats because I always
recommend that you train your dog on a
leash always even if you’re in the house
working with your dog at home because
let’s face it when a guest comes over
and your dog is afraid you know you want
to be able to control your dog
eventually on a leash around the house
guests so getting used to being on leash
as you go through the process of
teaching games is very very important
and also use I value food treats now
let’s take a look at a few fun games or
exercises that you can do with your dog
that will not only bill compromise but
give your dog something else to focus on
besides the security thing both inside
your home and outside on a walk with you
now the goal is is that with practice
the scary thing will cause your dog to
anticipate doing a fun game or exercise
with you now here’s a game or exercise
that you can do with your dog when
visitors come over to your home now
remember it’s important to practice
without visitors first without that high
distraction so that your dog
as an opportunity to learn it without
being stressed out now a game that you
can play inside your house when visitors
come over is settling your dog down
it sounds simple but doing it on a leash
makes all the difference in the world
because it gives your dog that
reassurance that you’re in control and
you simply guide them to what you want
them to do now why is this important
using your leash on your dog in the
house gives you control over your
fearful dog it reassures your dog that
everything is okay and then you have
control as you gently guide your dog
into the settle command or position at a
comfortable distance from your visitor
you’re gonna practice this without the
visitor at first just like I said now
here’s how to train it look at this in
slow motion with keeper as I begin to
put him into the settle command it’s
really very simple it’s not a
complicated process but here’s the value
in doing it every single day and
practice makes it work better for you
when you actually have a visitor over
there just getting him used to it now
you want to begin with a six foot leash
always six feet because anything shorter
than that you know there’s less leash
length to pull up in between your legs
for better control of your dog so let’s
take a look so now walk with your dog to
the chair that you’ve chosen to sit in
and as you approach you want to grab
your dog’s collar with your in this case
my left hand so that I can stabilize him
there goes my hand in his collar so that
I can keep him steady while I slack the
leash just like that now you’ll notice
me stepping on the leash before I sit
down so I can pull the leash up between
my legs
so the business end of the leash is in
between my legs I sit down and I put my
other leg crossing over my anchor foot
to put more weight on the leash if I
should need it and that’s this settle
command it’s so easy to do they want to
practice this subtle command three times
a day for two minutes each time you
practice now your two-minute clock on
subtle begins after your dog has settled
down and is laying flat on the ground
not while he’s still fidgeting around
okay that’s important
so once he lays down start your
two-minute clock and if it gets up you
got to restart the clock okay you want
to get a solid two minutes
laying down by your side now here’s the
key you want to build it to five or ten
minutes over a period of a week or two
now why ten minutes I’ve just found in
my experience that it takes most dogs
about 10 minutes to kind of get used to
a new visitor coming in and then it’s
kind of like a yeah you’re old news what
else you got kind of thing okay so
here’s a real life application take your
fearful dog to the front door on leash
crackit only two inches to greet your
visitor to keep your dog safe hey good
to see you why don’t you follow us into
the family room and let’s visit lead
your visitor into your family room and
take a seat predetermine seat across the
living room from your visitor and settle
your dog down and enjoy your visit
now another game is turn entry and what
you want to do for practicing that is
with your dog on leash and you have a
high-value food treat is you want to
walk two or three steps forward and then
immediately and abruptly turn into your
dog and make a u-turn okay as tight as
you can make it u-turn and head back six
to eight paces in the opposite direction
and when you get there praise and treat
your dog for following your lead okay
once again you walk your dog two to
three paces forward and then suddenly
and abruptly that’s important okay
because they pay attention to abrupt
moves versus just kind of slowly going
around okay
so abruptly turn in front of your dog go
six to eight paces behind praise and
treat your dog for following your lead
that simple okay that becomes a very
cool game to play all right now remember
when playing this game you’ve got to be
upbeat you got to motivate your dog so
get a little animated with it and and
get some excitement into your voice make
it fun got to be fun
now the other game is targeting you want
to teach your dog to touch this hand
that’s target on it and touch it knows
about it like that on the word touch
touch he touches it you say yes touch
this hand yes that’s this hand yes touch
this hand yes now if your hands are far
enough apart you see yes make an obvious
move to the left and to the right too to
be able to nose butter touch your hands
okay not so far that he has to get out
of a sit to do it though but an obvious
left or right nose but on your hand or
your cue when you say the word touch so
here’s how it’s done you simply extend
your hand say touch he touches it you
mark it with yes and treat your dog
touch yes treat touch yes and treat your
dog
you want to make sure that you train to
touch each hand individually before you
begin alternating between hands out on a
walk so once you see a scary thing the
sequence would be do your turn in treat
go up a drive way to create distance put
your dog in a sit and begin to do you’re
targeting exercise of touching each hand
alternatively right now see that’s a
really good kind of game to get him
focused on touching your hand like that
and getting the food treat for that
because it keeps this mind off the scary
thing until it passes okay so you always
want to work your dog at a safe distance
to where you can can have him sit so
that you can perform these games with
him so in the case of a turning treat
for example you would turn a treat move
back six to eight paces you may go up a
driveway eventually once we get to the
outside real application and put him in
a sit and do your you know do your
targeting with him touch this hand good
treat touch this hand good tree touch
good treat like that so just back and
forth to keep him focused on that rather
than the scary thing okay so we’re just
kind of teaching him to do an
alternative behavior that’s fun and can
relieve a lot of stress in the process
and also teach him just to look to you
to keep him safe look to you for
guidance that gets back to that
foundation work that we do on sit for
everything it’s all part of the process
it’s also important to make sure that on
your targeting game that the more rapid
fire you can get your dog to do it the
more he’s staying focused it doesn’t
give him time enough to stop and look at
the scary thing as it goes by and
eventually he gets kind of desensitized
to that at a safe distance
only when he performs well there can you
begin to make the distance shorter you
see and then eventually he’s okay with
the scary thing okay folks that’s a wrap
there’s your three tips for walking your
dog around scary things now a couple of
other things to remember when working
your dog around scary things try not to
use ordinary treats remember that try to
use something that your dog doesn’t get
any other time during training or when
you’re just giving your dog a treat
I’d use things like a fat-free turkey
hot dogs a chicken deli chicken or our
grilled chicken something like that
that’s really really yummy because the
higher the value the food treat the more
your dog is going to say focus on what
you’re working with your dog on like
your turn and treat and create distance
from a scary thing things like that
okay so just remember that high-value
food treats not your ordinary treats and
working your dog around scary things
second thing is work at your dog’s own
pace remember to practice inside first
don’t get in a rush to get outside and
try this before your dog is ready so
take it at your dogs own pace and your
own pace too for that matter so you guys
take care and keep on training
