When our dogs experience fear or anxiety, often our first reaction is to reassure them that everything is OK. But from their perspective, it isn’t! There is something in their environment that is causing an involuntary emotional reaction; this results in distress for both dogs and people. Fortunately, there are some good fixes available to help you and your dog through stressful times. They fall into three broad categories—management, training and behavior change programs.
Management
· The first step is to manage the dog’s environment to reduce stress and increase a sense of well being. Try to keep the home as calm as possible and to have a regular schedule. Feed a high quality natural or organic dog food and give your dog plenty of vigorous exercise and mental stimulation. Training will help to keep your dog’s mind sharp and interactive toys such as Kongs™ will help him to be mentally occupied.
· Watch your dog’s body language of signs of stress. Dogs that are feeling tense display “calming signals” to indicate their discomfort. These may include turning the head away, yawning, scratching, sniffing or licking the lips. When dogs are feeling more anxious or protective, they engage in “ritualized aggression.” These displays are intended to defuse a situation and avoid conflict. They may growl, snarl, air snap or even bite. It's important to watch for the early signs and calm your dog before things get out of control.
· If you can identify the specific stimuli that stress your dog, try as much as possible to reduce them or eliminate them from his environment. Try closing the shades, playing soft music to mask sounds or taking your dog elsewhere when the trash collectors come around. If you can’t practically do this, “throw a party,” by giving your dog a special treat or toy, if possible just before the stimuli are present. Don’t reassure or try to calm him after he becomes anxious; that will reinforce the anxious behavior. Wait for him to become relaxed again and give him calm attention.
Training
· If your dog knows some simple behaviors on cue, it helps you control the situation and also helps him to have clear expectations. Both will reduce anxiety—his and yours! When you train, be sure to use only positive methods such as food or toys to reward good behavior. Scrupulously avoid physical corrections and harsh verbal reprimands. These will only increase your dog’s anxiety. In particular, methods that rely on physical aversives, such as choke or pinch collars, electric shock collars and electric containment systems (invisible fences) can increase a dog’s fears. For suggestions on training with positive methods, call or email us to book a class or private training session.
· Once your dog knows good behavior, begin to use it in real life. Ask him for a simple action to earn his privileges such as meals, walks, treats and play time. Our handout, The Teamwork Program: Coaching Your Dog to Good Behavior, in the article archive, describes how to incorporate training into your dog’s daily life.
Behavior Change
· If your dog is fearful, he will benefit from learning to relax. Follow the method in our handout of that name to help him be comfortable in challenging situations. This method involves helping the dog to sit calmly while you engage in distracting activities, rewarding calm body language. After a few weeks, you dog will learn that distractions are “no big deal!”
· Once that is done, you are ready to help your dog learn that the situations that scare him are no big deal either. To do this, you will use a method that psychologists call “desensitization and counter-conditioning.” Beginning at your dog’s comfort level, you will associate the previously scary stimulus with a very powerful reward—food, play or touch—so that the dog will anticipate pleasure instead of bad things when it occurs. This is a very simple procedure, but it takes some time and should be done under the supervision of a qualified professional. Contact us to set up an appointment to learn this process.
· Do not try to “flood” your dog by forcing him to face his fears head on. While this technique can sometimes be successful in the hands of an experienced behaviorist, it is very risky. Rather than a positive outcome, you may find that your dog’s fears increase or that he even becomes aggressive. It’s much safer, and ultimately more effective, to proceed slowly, keeping below your dog’s anxiety threshold.
Complementary Treatments
· Often complementary therapies--such as floral essences, hormonal scents, and an anxiety wrap that applies pressure to the mid-section or a calming cap that obscures vision--can be helpful to dogs experiencing anxiety reactions. Massage can also help.
Keep Your Vet Informed
· If your dog’s anxieties appear to be severe, or if they do not respond to the methods described, there may be an underlying medical problem. It is always a good idea to consult your vet as part of your approach to helping a fearful dog. There are anti-anxiety medications that can have a positive impact when coupled with a systematic behavior change program. We have had some excellent results from collaboration with clients and their vets, and can suggest some questions for you to explore when your vet examines your dog.
Have Hope!
· There is hope for fearful dogs. Patient, committed management, training and behavior change exercises have healed many dogs and enabled them to live long, happy lives. Yours can too!
Reference: Patricia McConnell, The Cautious Canine; Nicole Wilde, Help for Your Fearful Dog
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