Nervous Dogs

Working with Nervous Dogs

Nervousness is a trait usually inherited from a dog’s parents. Nervous dogs need extra care when being introduced to new situations or people, as they are naturally more cautious than other dogs. It is vital that, all dogs as puppy’s, particularly nervous dogs, are correctly socialised and r exposed to situations & environments on a regular basis where all of their experiences are controlled to ensure  positive exposure to any of the stimulus as well as the interaction being a positive experience.

This must be done with great care to ensure that the dog is not overwhelmed or scared.

When nervous, a dog may display a number of signs or behaviours; some may be very subtle and go unnoticed. 

When dogs are stressed they may lick their lips, yawn, avoid eye contact & look away or try to escape by backing away or hiding. If you notice any of these signs, you should either remove the stimulus to a greater distance where the dog is more confident, or take the dog away until you dog is willing to engage with you. By playing a game of Tug or having reliable obedience commands to run through with your dog, you are able to set your dog up for success which can assist your dog to associate the situation or stimulus with something pleasant & fun.

When these subtle behaviours are unnoticed (or ignored) the dog may then begin to cower, usually you will see the tuck the tail between the legs and the reparation rate increase (panting).

Do not force your dog into situations like this in an attempt to “get your dog used to it.

If an animal is continually forced into situations and unable to avoid or escape, it may resort to more intense behaviour as they can perceive that its life is in emanate danger. Some of the behaviours that dogs may display are growling, lunging forward, snapping in an attempt to remove the stimulus, which is whatever is causing the dog to feel nervousness, be it a real threat or not.

If this behaviour is allowed to present itself, it is important that the dog is not punished for the behaviour, this will only intensify the reaction, confirm the dogs “emotional” perception (fear) of the stimulus & or environment  & the dog will learn that exhibiting aggressive behaviours is an effective response to control situations that it believes to be scary.

 Punishing a frightened animal may also result in your dog becoming afraid of you and may redirect it’s aggression onto you, e.g. biting you in defence.  Preventing your dog from having to feel the need for self-protection, starts by looking out early signs of behaviour as mentioned above.

 

 

Regardless of the breed of dog, each dog should be treated on its own merit & its responses& behaviour to the stimulus.

Socialisation & Habituation for a nervous dog can be helped by controlling the exposure to the specific stimulus, whilst engaging the dog with something that it enjoys such as a game of tug, ball or food.

When desensitising a dog to any stimulus that it perceives as a threat, it is important to remember that whilst is may not be a realistic threat or danger, the dog believes it to be.

 

Observe the dog carefully and when the first signs of nervousness are displayed, move your dog away from the stimulation until you are equipped & prepared to work on the issue correctly.

Keeping your dog in the situation with reassurances only reinforces nervousness, however by moving away, you have taken control and shown that your dog can trust you & in the future, with time & patience, the dog will learn to look to you for guidance when in stressful situations.

By having your dog understand basic obedience commands, this allows for confidence to build in the dog, simply by rewarding your dog when it complies, the dog is learning that if it displays certain behaviours, you will give it a reward which the dog have a positive experience.

Giving the dog positive behaviours can create almost a default behaviour that it can display when it feels stressed i.e. Sit & focus on the handler.  This in effect gives the dog some control in the stressful situation & can control an outcome by you rewarding the desired “default” behaviour.  It should be noted that the obedience commands must be taught via a reward based method in a calm environment where the dog is relaxed & gradually proofed in multiple environments.

Only when your dog is willing to engage with you & responds to the given command/s in multiple environments & distractions with confidence can you start the desensitisation to the perceived threat.

This process must be done gradually & the rate of progression dictated by the individual dog in any given situation.

There are different points at which each individual dog can / will react. First a dog must be aware that the stimulus is present via observation. From this point you can determine the critical distance, this being the moment the dog starts to display the first signs of stress.

You should start the session in a fun & positive manner well before the stimulus is present.  You are aiming for the dog to have multiple successful opportunities at a distance where the dog is relaxed.

After the dog has had multiple “wins” the stimulus can then be presented at a distance to obtain the first stage of desensitisation being, observation.

Only if & when the dog maintains a happy persona & confidence can gradually move the dog closer to the stimulus.

Desensitisation can take days, weeks & even months depending on the severity of the behaviour.

Food can be a great reward as this has a physiological effect on the dog as it decreases the cortisol levels (stress hormone) & increases the serotonin level (Happy Hormone) within the dog.

 

Should you require future assistance please contact your qualified animal behaviourist.

Cat Saunders

Dig Pits for Dogs

Digging is a natural and common behaviour in dogs. any of the Dogs closest ancestors, and many of his closest relatives still dig dens to raise their young or to escape heat or cold. Dogs and wild canines also dig to hide things they find valuable, like food, bones and other objects. Many dogs dig for the sheer fun of it!

Creating a Dig Pit can be a great way to enrich the home environment that your dogs lives in & also can provide a solution for dogs that naturally like to dig up your garden.

Because digging can be self rewarding in dogs & they find it so enjoyable, digging can prove difficult to control or stop. One of the best ways in which to approach to saving your garden is to give your dog a place where he is encouraged & is allowed to dig. Rather instead of you trying to stop what your dogs finds truly enjoyable, lets shape his behaviour & teach him to dig in a preferred position / place by creating a dig pit for your dog.

Getting Started

Locate an area in your yard to set up your dig pit. I prefer to use the "calm shells" that are designed for children's sandpit/swimming pool or similar.

Fill the area with loose dirt or sand. A combination of both can be very attractive for your dog to dig in.

Encouraging your dog to use the Dig Pit

To encourage your dog to use his new Dig Pit, Hide & bury his treats, bones and toys—just below the surface of the dirt. You may need to show your dog how to uncover one or two treats hidden under the surface. Reward your dog with praise when he uncovers a treat by himself.

When your dog’s a pro at uncovering buried items, you can try burying his things deeper & even hiding treats inside of PVC tubing, Kong's etc for your dog to dig up & then work on getting the treats out of the second "obstacle"

To keep your dog interested in the Dig Pit, you should replenish the hidden treasures buried on a regular basis.

By encouraging & rewarding your dog for digging only in the Dig Pit (via the hidden treats), your dog should automatically start to dig solely in his new pit.

I have a number of people ask "doesn't that just encourage my dog to dig"? Yes it does but in a control place, why would your dog want to dog anywhere else in the garden if there are no treats to be found or praise received from his owner.

Splash Pool.

Clam shells also make great splash pools for dogs on hot days. Here is a Photo of Billy enjoying a splash on a hot Melbourne day

Engagement Training

Engagement Training

Engagement simply means your dog wants to be with you and he wants what you have (I. E a toy; a piece of food; or handler praise & affection).

If an individual doesn’t have engagement from their dog, how can you expect to be able to train your dog?

How can a person train a dog to do anything, if the dog doesn't want to be with them? If a dog doesn't want what you have, how are you supposed to motivate a dog to perform a given behaviour (such as follow a command)?

Without engagement the only way anyone can get a dog to do something is to FORCE that dog to do what you want it to do.

When you try to force something, you will always be met with resistance.

In this photo you can see the Willingness & Engagement from Zooka (the dog) to his handler Cat.

There is No Leash, No force!

Simply engagement, a bond & good fun.

This dog is happy engaging with his handler.

Thunderstorm phobias & dogs

Thunderstorms can be an extremely stressful time not only for dogs but for theit owners alike. Having owned a dog "Sami" who was extremely fearful even when a thunderstorm was brewing & hadnt even arrived as such. It a terrible thing watching a dog go through such high levels of stress.
Sami had never shown sign of stress or fear until she turned 3 years old. At the time I couldn't understand what on earth made her so fearful out of the blue.
It was thanks to Sami that I researched this suddern onset of her fear of thunderstorms.

There can be a few factors that can contribute to a dog being fearful of Thunderstorms (some are touched on futher down in this blog). Some dogs can learn through mimicry, that is learning/following the behaviour from another dog, a real or precevied threat of danger or genetic. As a general rule, a dog doesn't reach it's full genectic potential until it is 3 years of age, so alas my dog Sami's fear was put down to genetics

Thunderstorm phobia or anxiety in dogs is a fairly common and very real problem for many dogs. Dogs with thunderstorm phobia become extremely frantic and overwhelmed with fear during storms. Astraphobia is the technical term for this: the fear of thunder and lightning. Owners who see their dogs experiencing this fear usually feel helpless and frustrated. Find out what causes thunderstorm phobia in dogs and learn how to manage it for the sake of your dog and your own peace of mind.

Causes of Thunderstorm Phobia

There is no way to know for certain what causes a dog to become afraid of thunderstorms. However, based on what we do know about dogs, we can speculate. There are probably multiple reasons for thunderstorm phobia, and the reasons vary from dog to dog. The most obvious reason is due to the loud noise of the thunder. Many dogs suffer from noise phobia, and the thunder is just one of several frightening noises (others include fireworks, gunshots, etc). However, the cause of fear may not be limited to noise. Changes in barometric pressure and humidity can affect your dog's senses and possibly even cause discomfort in the ears. Arthritic dogs or those with orthopedic disorders may experience more pain than usual. Another possible reason for thunderstorm phobia is association with a traumatic experience. You may not know what happened, but it is possible that something very stressful or frightening occurred in your dog's past during a thunderstorm. Finally, genetic make-up may be a contributing factor to fear of thunderstorms, or even the sole cause.

Thunderstorm Phobia Signs

If your dog seems anxious, hyperactive, destructive or reclusive during storms, you are probably dealing with thunderstorm phobia. The signs are usually quite obvious, so you probably already know your dog is phobic of storms. Many dogs will pace, pant or quietly whine. Some are clingy and seek attention. Other dogs will hide, frozen with fear. All of these signs can go unnoticed at first, and you may be unknowingly encouraging the behavior. Your dog's fearful behavior may be subtle at first but can become worse with time, eventually becoming full-blown panic attacks that are very dangerous for your dog. It is not uncommon for dogs with thunderstorm phobia to urinate and/or defecate inappropriately. Telltale signs of anxiety and fear can begin long before the storm arrives, so take note of signs that occur during normal weather. Your dog is probably the best weather forecaster you can find.

Preventing and Treating Thunderstorm Phobia

There are some things you can do to prevent your dog from reacting adversely to the triggers of thunderstorms, or at least minimize the reaction. First of all, never leave your dog outside during storms. Next, examine your own behavior and that of other people in the home. Your dog will react to human anxiety, fear and stress, even if it is not related to the storm. Do your best to remain relaxed and upbeat. Perhaps the most important thing you can do is to go about your usual routine. Do not pay special attention to your dog when he is exhibiting signs of fear or anxiety. Though it may seem like your dog needs comforting, coddling and praising your dog reinforces and rewards the unwanted behavior.
There are ways you can indirectly comfort your dog during thunderstorms (or other sources of fear and anxiety). One thing you can try is to provide a comfortable hiding place in the quietest part of your home. A crate with a soft bed inside and covered with a sheet might make your dog feel safer. Try playing music or white noise to drown out the noise. Some dogs benefit from a type of wrap, like the Thundershirt, that is believed to provide some comfort during times of anxiety, stress and fear.If your dog does calm down and stops reacting to the storm, respond with calm praise and rewards. Consider distracting your dog from the remainder of the storm by practicing basic commands or playing a game of tug-of-war or playing with a ball. Because thunderstorm phobia is likely to become worse over time, it is important to take action when you first notice the signs. Do not wait to address the phobia until it is very severe - it will be that much harder to reverse. Just as stress is a health risk for humans, the same applies for dogs. Thunderstorm phobia can become a very serious problems that will adversely affect your dog's health and quality of life. Act now for the sake of your dog.

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