Preventing or Reducing Fear of Objects, Sounds and New People
RECOGNIZING THE PROBLEM
Fear is a normal emotion that engages animals to respond to a threat. Fear prepares the animal for running away or fighting something they perceive as dangerous. Most dogs are accustomed to normal situations such as traffic, household noises, being approached by friendly strangers and many other every day events. Some dogs, however, experience fear over things that are not truly dangerous and that do not put them at risk of injury.
Dogs that are fearful have a difficult time adjusting to new situations and people. As dogs get more fearful they develop behaviours that could include aggression to cope with their fearful emotional state. There are techniques that will build your fearful dog's confidence, which are outlined below.
When dogs are fearful they may:
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Training options
Gradual exposure. Reducing fear requires gradual exposure to the situation they fear and rewarding (using food, toys, praise etc.) any sign of relaxed behaviour or voluntary approach of the feared object or person.
Do not force a dog to accept the people, objects or situations he fears. While this may seem efficient because your dog obeys, it will cause him stress, which can lead to other behaviour problems, or stress-related disease.
Do not reinforce the fearful response. Do not sooth, pet or say things such as "it's ok" or "don't be scared" in a soft, sympathetic voice during your dog's rehabilitation. This will simply reward the fearful behaviour and make him think you are frightened too.
Always use a "happy," "upbeat" and "high pitch" tone of voice or be very "matter of fact" when your dog is showing fear. Sometimes this is enough to change the emotional state of your dog. They take their cues from you.
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Changing your dog's response to feared objects . Place the feared object (brush, bicycle, nail clipper or other) in full view somewhere in the house. Over the next few days (sometimes weeks), move the object to different locations until your dog stops avoiding it and walks by. Place the object in the room where he is fed and eventually near the food bowl. If your dog refuses to eat in the presence of the object, go back to a previous step.
Do this until your dog is willing to eat next to the feared object. You can then hold the object, or place it near you. Call the dog to you with your happy voice. Reward his approach by throwing a treat on the ground near him. He may not approach too close at first. That's OK. Reward him for the smallest effort (this is called shaping). Do this in various locations.
The "Touch " Game. To teach your dog the command "Touch" you can use a clicker . You want to get him to touch a stick or wooden spoon with his nose. You may need to put some food (e.g., peanut butter or cheese) on the stick to encourage the touch. If he is scared of sticks get him to touch your finger. Once he touches his nose to the stick or your finger on command, place it on or near the previously feared object and ask him to touch. Make this game very upbeat and fun. Be very enthusiastic when your dog touches the stick near or on the previously feared items and reward him with a treat and say "good touch"!
Take it outside. Ask your dog to touch all sorts of objects outside (i.e. trees, statues, walls, bench parks, etc.) Always start with objects that don't frighten your dog and in the daytime. Fearful dogs are usually more frightened when there is reduced visibility. Your dog should reach a level where he wags his tail in anticipation of the "let's touch new things" game.
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Changing your dog's response to feared people. Fearful dogs may be scared of all unfamiliar people or a type of person (i.e. tall, men, women, people in uniform, etc). It is important to minimize contact with people that are frightening to your dog while undergoing this behaviour modification.
The "Go Visit" Game. Start to teach your dog the "go visit" command with familiar people that he does not fear such as family members or friends . Explain the "go visit" game to your helpers and set a meeting place such as your house, front yard or familiar park. When the helper approaches and your dog sees him or her, say "go visit" and let go of the leash (or use a long leash). Your helper should also encourage your dog to approach with a happy high pitch "visit" and a little tap on their thigh. Your helper may want to crouch as the dog approaches if he seems hesitant. Once your dog is close to your helper say "good visit" as you walk over and give him a treat. Repeat this exercise with as many familiar people as possible. Reach a point to which your dog seems excited and runs toward familiar people with his tail wagging when he is asked to "go visit".
Repeat this exercise in different locations and different times of the day.
Visit with strangers. Ask a person that is unfamiliar to your dog to accompany the familiar helper. Repeat the exercise above. Eventually you will ask your dog to visit with people that your dog does not know. These may be other dog guardians that are willing to help you out. You can visit the dog park without your dog. Meet a few people and set up a "go visit" game time.
People who are scared of dogs or do not like them may behave in ways that frighten your dog. It is best to avoid approaching such people with your dog whenever possible.
- Changing your dog's response to feared sounds. You can desensitize your dog to sounds he fears by recording those sounds and playing them on a tape recorder at very low level and gradually increasing the volume. During play, when your dog is relaxed or while eating, play the sounds (i.e. fireworks, sirens and thunder). You can slowly increase the volume until your dog is able to play or eat with the sound at a normal level. Some dogs are more relaxed in the car. This may be a good place for this exercise. You can purchase a sound effects CD's at music stores or on the Internet.
cautions/remember
It is important not to rush fearful dogs through the process on desensitization to the triggers of fearfulness. Forcing a dog into a situation he finds frightening can set back his rehabilitation by weeks. Patience and making incremental gains in the dog's confidence will net long-term results.
Remember, never hug, pat or give a treat to a dog experiencing fear. This will reward the fearful response and will result in reinforcing the behaviour that you are trying to reduce.
The final point to be aware of is that fearfulness is a very stable personality trait. While you can help your dog respond less fearfully to many situations, he is likely to experience fear with every new situation.