Fearful behavior is both treatable and manageable. Here some helpful
tips for assisting your fearful dog.
Be aware of your body language
at all times with your dog.
Keep a
sideways stance to your dog and avoid eye contact as a frontal stance and eye
contact can increase his fearful responses. Be sure new people coming to your
home are aware of their own body posture. Remember that a forward posture can
communicate aggression to your dog and increase his fear.
Ignore all of your dog’s
fearful behavior.
By trying
to help him through his fear by petting and talking to him, you’d actually be
rewarding the behavior and increasing the likelihood of him repeating the
behavior again in the future.
Keep tasty treats around your
home, especially for the first few weeks living with your new friend
You will
want to give him treats when he approaches you, other family members, or decides
to explore different rooms or items in your home. It is important for him to
learn that something good happens when he chooses to explore novel people or
things.
When strangers come to your
home, give them tasty treats to give to the dog if he chooses to come over to
sniff them.
If the dog
chooses to not approach new people, he should be ignored.
If your dog is dog-friendly,
arrange for him to go for walks with other dogs who will give him an added
level of confidence on the street.
We want
you and your dog to create a strong bond, but also for the dog to see the joy
in life when there is no fear anymore.
