For a variety of reasons, some dogs may come to you with excessively shy, fearful or submissive behaviors. This can affect many aspects of their behaviour from their willingness to be petted to their ability to enjoy going for walks.
Let's take a look at some of the most common signs of fear-based behavior in dogs before we talk about the dog training techniques you can use with these dogs.
1. 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.
2. Submissive Urination
Submissive dogs will sometimes show their submission by urinating or defecating and is really involuntary on your dog's part. It is important to recognize this and NOT to punish your dog.
3. Tail Tucked Between Legs
This behaviour is an indication of extreme apprehension.
4. Shaking or Trembling
This is a sign of extremely high stress and can often be accompanied by panting.
5. Crouching
This is a sign of complete submission and a very fearful dog.
If your dog is displaying any of these signs, keep reading.
The process of correcting this problem can be slow and it is essential that you approach your dog gently and patiently.
The first rule in dealing with fearful dogs is that it is better to focus attention on the positive behaviors you want to enforce, while ignoring the behaviors you want to eliminate. Correction in these cases can lead to more problems.
Next, consider changing your petting style. Approaching your dog with your hand above his head can be threatening. Try approaching your dog with your hand beneath his head and give him a quick scratch on the chin or chest.
Also, try to pay attention to your posture. Are you inadvertently approaching your dog in a manner that is threatening to him? Try to determine if your dog is most comfortable when you are sitting, standing, kneeling, etc. Slowly work to desensitize him to your movements from each position with gentle, positive praise when he does not react fearfully.
Did you know that when you carry your dog, they usually feel less secure and more vulnerable? That's why many dogs wiggle to get out of your arms if you try to carry them. It can also be a signal of weakness to other dogs. Unless there is an obvious threat of danger make sure your dog has all four paws on the ground when you go for walks.
If you have identified a specific thing that your dog is fearful of you can try to gradually reintroduce him to the object or situation that caused the fear. Once his confidence has built up you can increase the amount of time that he is exposed to the object so that eventually he shows no fear. This is a very gradual process and a great deal of patience is required.
Remember to reward your dog with lots of quiet praise and attention when he is behaving in a calm and confident manner. Just as important is to make sure you ignore him when he has peed on the floor or is trembling under your attention. This last is really difficult to do as we naturally have the urge to comfort him.
If you give your dog attention when he is displaying fearful behavior it only serves to reinforce the behavior. Remember that attention is what you use to reward the behaviour you want so that giving him attention at this point is really telling your dog that you approve of this behaviour.
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