Ask the Dog Trainer About Fears

by Michael Baugh CDBC, CPDT-KSA

courtesy bennopictures via Flickr.com
Dealing with Dogs' Fears

Dear @AllThingsDog Daily,

Can someone give me a little advice on my buddy MEAT?? He's an almost 2-year-old 80 pound English Bulldog. For the most part he's an excellent dog, but he has some quirks that I just don't and can't understand. All of a sudden he's become spooked by just about every strange outside noise that he hears. A little bump or something that he doesn't know, and it's grumbling and fussing, all in the form of barking. Sometimes he'll look at me first and if I just shake my head no and tell him it's okay, he'll lay back down. 

And also, for some reason he believes in shape shifting, I guess. The other day he was laying in the floor looking straight at me while I put on a hat and looked in a mirror. I turned and looked at him and he starts growling at me. Sounded ferocious until I spoke to him and pulled of that hat. He doesn't think that hats are evil because my brother in law always wears a hat and he never gets that reaction. It's only when someone puts a hat on and he sees them afterward. Is he crazy or what??

Jerry Cartwright via @AllThingsDog Daily newspaper

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Dear Jerry,

Here’s how it goes with most of us humans. If you’re about as crazy as I am, then you’re pretty much normal. If you’re crazier, then yeah you’re really crazy. Not so crazy? Then wow, you’ve got your act together. So really, what is crazy? Is Meat crazy? I don’t know. From your letter he sounds like one of the many varieties of “normal” in the world of dogs. But, we can do better than normal. Hats off to you for reaching out for help (get it, hats off?)

Lot’s of dogs have fears. The ones you describe are pretty typical: sounds, and people who wear hats (yes, even if it’s you). Other dogs are afraid of children, visitors who ring the doorbell, people who deliver packages, tall men, women who wear sunglasses – the list goes on and on. Crazy? Sort of, but not really. You see, if I’m born a dog then there’s a 100% chance my mother was a dog. If I had siblings, they were all dogs too. I came into the world as a dog, expecting to be fully a dog and do dog things. But then, guess what? When I was a couple months old I was plopped right into a family of humans, full of human activities, and all the weirdness that comes with living with intelligent bipedal primates. How crazy is that?

Stay with me here. I’m still a dog, a puppy actually. Up until I’m about 4 ½ months old I’m taking in all this data and figuring out what’s what? Whoa, vacuum cleaner. Is that safe? Okay, maybe. There’s a visitor. Cool, she likes me. Now we’re on a car ride. It’s a bit scary, but then we end up at puppy class and that’s fun. So, car rides check out. They are good. As a puppy in this early stage of my development I’m constantly evaluating events in my life and I only have one criterion. Is this good for me, or not?

Why? Because I’m a dog. Like all animals, I have precious little time to experiment with things that might be dangerous. We expect most animals to be afraid of us and the things related to our human lives. Birds, squirrels, coyotes, and deer are all afraid of us and our stuff. The one’s who aren’t are the exception. Crazy bird, landing on a guy’s extended finger. Crazy squirrel, letting that lady pet him. Crazy coyote get out of here. And, oh deer. Why do our dogs’ natural fears surprise us? Should we expect anything else?

Let’s get back to the Meat of the matter. We have to work very conscientiously to introduce our puppies to the twists and turns of life with humans. Honestly, most of us do a pretty crummy job of it. We skip puppy class. We don’t give our young dogs a variety of experiences. We basically coddle and shelter him from the world he’s going to have to deal with eventually. We miss the importance of doing these things when he’s young, when it’s easiest, when our efforts have the most lasting impact. If this was you, you’re not alone. My guess is you tried your best, and maybe it just wasn’t enough. That happens to a lot of us as well. We have a few weeks to teach our dogs how to live with us in our wacky world, and then the fears start creeping in. I’ve been on this planet nearly 5 decades. I get it. Even that hasn’t been enough time to figure all this stuff out. How can a puppy do it in just a few weeks? Okay, I’ll say it. It’s crazy.

What happened? Our dogs missed experiences in their important early stages of development. Stuff we don’t understand scares us and the same is true for our dogs. They grow into their fears, not out of them. Around 6-18 months we might notice our puppies hiding from certain sights, sounds and experiences. It’s not a big deal. We do nothing, or maybe we think it’s cute. Worst case, we push our dogs to “get used to” the scary thing. We laugh at their fearful reaction. We shoot video. We post it on YouTube and get 17 million hits. It’s funny, until the dog starts barking, or growling, or worse.

I’m sure this wasn’t you, but it happens so often. Let me play the role of the dog again one last time. I don’t know what those sounds are; they scare me. I was born a dog so I’ll do the dog thing and bark to scare them off. I don’t know who that is – he looks different – why is he in my house. I’ll growl to make sure he doesn’t come any closer. Oh wait it’s you. Can you help me? I don’t understand what’s going on.

Of course you can help. Don’t let this blog post be a replacement for working with a qualified behavior consultant. I have some ideas for you, but you’ll need to get some in-person help to guide you through the process. We should teach Meat a few things right off the bat: 

• Dad’s got your back. This means you’re going to teach Meat some simple skills he can perform when scary stuff happens (usually this includes interacting with you in some way). Use food, toys and praise. Using any kind of force or coercion will only make the problems worse. Having his back also means you won’t force him to handle a scary situation he’s not ready for.
• Everything’s cool. Because we are teaching Meat using reward-based methods, we are automatically associating food, play and praise with formerly scary things. Your behavior consultant will call this counter conditioning, and it’s the path we want to walk with our fearful dogs.
• Meat has choices. I love teaching dogs to make appropriate choices to help them calm themselves. Again, this often means interacting with you – and it almost always means teaching calm relaxed behavior as a winning choice. Catch him in the act of getting it right and guide his behavior with your feedback.

Chances are these sudden changes in your dog’s behavior have actually been brewing for several months now. We frequently see a tip toward more offensive behavior related to fear at 18-36 months. That said, check with your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist to rule out any health problems.

Assuming that checks out, visit iaabc.org to find a behavior consultant in your area. You will be asking him or her about noise phobia, and sudden environmental contrast issues (hats off / hats on). Both are not uncommon issues. Your trainer / consultant will probably ask you several questions about other fears you may not have identified yet.

used with permission
RobynArouty.com

It’s not too late. Help is available. We just need to teach Meat that he’s safe – beef up his confidence a bit. (See how I did that?). I know. I’m crazy.

Michael Baugh CDBC, CPDT-KSA helps people with fearful and aggressive dogs in Houston, TX. He’s afraid of suspension bridges and reckless drivers in pickup trucks, the combination of which causes immediate emotional meltdown.

You may enjoy some of Michael's other posts that can all be found on the Dog Training archives page here, or check out these:

• Ask the Dog Trainer about Fearful Dogs
• Ask the Dog Trainer About Runners
• Helping Dogs with Thunder Phobia
• 5 Tips for Walking Multiple Dogs
• Quelling Puppy Biting Behavior

Michael's advice does not replace an actual consultation with a qualified trainer.

Ask the Dog Trainer About Leg Lifting

Michael Baugh CDBC, CPDT-KSA
Buffer

courtesy ChrisCosta77 via Flickr.com
Normal or Unacceptable?

Dear Michael,  I recently adopted a new pooch from the shelter. He's a completely wonderful addition to our household. I have absolutely no complaints about his behavior. It has surprised us that someone actually gave him up. 

My husband and I have had Chex for 6 or 7 months, long enough to know he's a keeper. There is one behavior I would like to eliminate, although it is probably not unacceptable, as it only occurs outdoors. I'm hoping you can offer some tips.

When we are out walking, Chex seems to want to mark frequently, every upright item he passes--mailboxes, signs, blades of grass, you name it. 

I could use some strategies for eliminating this habit if you don't think he is too old to learn a new behavior; we think he is about 7 years old, although he still has tons of puppy energy at playtime. He is bright and eager to learn new tricks, so I believe he could reverse this behavior if I knew how to stop it. I hope you can help.

Thanks, Mary Rose

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Dear Mary Rose,

Dogs who lift their legs and mark are special.  Not all dogs can do it.  It’s a more likely behavior in male dogs, even male dogs who have been neutered.  But some female dogs do it too.  It seems odd to us, and perhaps even a bit annoying.  But for our dogs, it’s a social thing, a way to share information and learn about other dogs who’ve passed by all the favorite spots before them.  We dog folk affectionately refer to it these days as pee-mail.

Urine marking is usually only a problem when our dogs are doing it in the wrong spot.  For those cases we recommend a simple routine of remedial potty training:  supervise, confine, and reinforce going in the right spot.  But, it doesn’t seem like you’re having any trouble with that.  Chex is going where he’s supposed to.

For some folks, the marking can be annoying if it interrupts walks and leads to pulling on leash.  In those cases I recommend people teach their dogs to walk along for a bit, and then reward them with praise, food and a chance to sniff and, well… you know.  But it sounds like you and Chex have struck up a deal to keep the walks moving along nicely.  So, there’s no problem there.

So, what is the problem exactly?  It sounds like Chex, when given the chance, enjoys leaving his mark.  He’s a social butterfly.  He’s the guy at the party handing out his business card to everyone – except his business card is his business if you catch my meaning.  Every post is his hitching post.  He’s a gold medalist on the 3-legged balance beam.  Not a drop left?  Who care’s he just loves to strike the pose, right?  It’s not about the walk it’s about the hike.  (Get it?)

Okay, I’ll stop. I just wanted you to know, I understand.  I live with that dog too.  It’s normal.  And with the right sense of humor, it’s perhaps even a bit endearing.

My expert opinion?  He knows the right places (outside not inside).  And he seems to be enjoying the moment.  So, let’s just let it go – and let him go.  No foul (well maybe a little).  But, definitely no harm.

Used with permission from
Robyn Arouty Photography

Houston Dog Trainer Michael Baugh CDBC, CPDT-KSA specializes in behavior related to fear and aggression.  He lives with two dogs: Stella and Stewie.

Want to read more of Michael's posts? Check out the whole list here or just click on these:

• Give Me Space (or Else)
• Puppy Fears: Building Confidence
• Moving and Movements
• Two  Steps for Housetraining

Ask the Dog Trainer: Fearful Dogs

Michael Baugh CDBC, CPDT-KSA

courtesy Chrissy Olson via Flickr.com
Take it Easy with This One

Hello Michael,

My Jack came from a good home, into a good home, and he's afraid of his own shadow. How do I make Jack see that noise or movement is okay?

I have a young roommate (since a few weeks ago) and a hubby (of 23 years; he works out of town) and Jack is afraid of both of them. How do I make Jack see they won't hurt him?

Theresa Lyn

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Hi Theresa Lyn,

I can help.  It turns out I specialize in helping people with fearful and aggressive dogs in Houston.  I know your dog's problem well, and I know how to start turning it around.  You could say, I know Jack.

(Enough with the bad puns).

How about we start by shifting our verbiage a bit, specifically our verbs.  We can't make Jack see that noise, or movement, or the people in his life are safe.  Emotions don't work that way.  The best we can do is help Jack come to terms with his environment.  So, let me help a little more by simplifying this as best I can.  Helping Jack feel better and more relaxed about his life is all about how we behave.

This doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong, or scaring him on purpose.  It just means we have opportunities to make some changes - opportunities to help.  Here are the two broad points to consider.

1. Take some of the spookiness out of the scary things.  This means moving less suddenly around Jack, and perhaps making a bit less noise.  It also means your roommate and husband will want to avoid reaching for or even looking at Jack (give him his space).  The technical term for this part of the plan is called desensitization.  We're taking some of the sensation out of the scary experiences, making them smaller and easier for the dog to tolerate.  It's all about our behavior.
2. Associate the scary stuff with good things.  This is usually high-value food, forbidden pleasures like cheese, chicken, or cooked beef.  Every time he experiences something that used to be scary, show him that the thing actually means he's about to get something delightful.  This is called counter conditioning.  Our behavior is helping Jack change the way he feels about movement, people and sounds.

Do you think I'm crazy yet?  Don't blame me, I didn't invent it.  I just teach it.  We actually have decades of solid research to back up this process (desensitization and counter conditioning).  It started with a guy named Ivan Pavlov, but folks like John Watson and Joseph Wolpe really dug into how the process relates to fear in animals and people.  You can read more about them if you want to geek out some on the behavior science.

For practical help, definitely consider hiring a dog trainer who is an expert in fearful behavior.  The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants has a great search engine for finding a behavior consultant.  I'd also recommend you visit fearfuldogs.com   They have a Facebook page with the same name that posts daily tips about living with and training a fearful dog.  Super valuable.  There's even a Facebook page called Support for Men who Live with Dogs who are Afraid of Them.  Also very valuable.

All of these resources will encourage you to remain upbeat, gentle and calm in your training.  Breathe.  Using any forceful, scolding or startling techniques will only make Jack's problem worse.  Remember, we're not making him do anything.  This is about helping him feel better.  You can set the obedience training aside for now.  He doesn't even have to know "Jack sit."  

(Okay, now that really is enough).

used with permission
 from Robyn Arouty Photography

Michael Baugh CDBC, CPDT-KSA writes a dog training blog for The Houston Chronicle and for his own blog site, michaelbaugh.com.  

Want to read more of Michael's posts? Check out the whole list here or just click on these:

• Give Me Space (or Else)
• Puppy Fears: Building Confidence
• Moving and Movements
• Two  Steps for Housetraining

Michael's advice does not replace an actual consultation with a qualified trainer.