Dealing with Fear, Uncertainty or Overwhelm in your Dog

If your dog barks at something that they are feeling fearful or uncertain of (maybe a person, an unusual item, or a busy and overwhelming place) and that thing moves away or they get moved away from it, there is a very high chance your dog will think it was their own actions that sent it away.

This is why a dog’s reactivity often gets worse quite quickly. They bark, lunge or growl because they believe it has worked for them before and every time it happens the behaviour becomes more entrenched - and stronger.

It's easy to think that consistently exposing a dog to things they fear or get overwhelmed by will help them learn to deal with it. In truth, you could just be setting your dog up to fail.

For example, I REALLY DON’T LIKE SNAKES and if you keep forcing me to go into a room full of them my fear will most likely get worse, not better. And if you make me touch one, I will lose it completely. BUT, if you leave me outside the room where I feel safe and let me watch them, over time I will cope better. Then you might bring one out and hold it away from me, so I can see it but not touch it. Over more sessions, I might be able to touch one briefly, maybe even hold one. I might never be able to stand in a room full of snakes, but I might learn to accept being near them without screaming.

Exposure absolutely has to be part of the plan, but it needs to be carefully managed.

So, if your dog is nervous of people, don’t keep making them meet people because you think it will help them get over it. Don’t let strangers walk up to your dog and shove a hand in their face. Step in front of your dog and tell them “sorry, you can’t pat my dog today, but it would help if you stood calmly at a distance and ignored him so he can learn that it’s possible to have good experiences around people”.

Don’t force them to meet everyone who comes to your house. Keep them in a safe and separate place like their crate or pen or outside, and make that place off limits to everyone, so they can get used to the idea of people coming over and not having to worry about them. Over time, you can work up to bringing them in on lead and settling on their bed without having to interact with guests.

If your dog is fearful or over-excited around other dogs, don’t keep forcing them to meet other dogs. Working around calm dogs at a distance and not having to interact is a good start. Getting your dog out of there when you see they are getting uncomfortable or overwhelmed / over excited (BEFORE they react) is the key.

If your dog is fearful or unsure of certain items, don’t keep forcing them to get close if they aren’t ready. Start at a distance they feel comfortable with, but know the item is there. Play some fun games or train with your dog’s favourite food at this distance and work up to getting closer over time (if your dog isn’t interested in working with you then you are too close). It might take one session, or it might take 50. Don’t push too far too fast.

If your dog gets overwhelmed in busy places, don’t keep taking them into those situations in the hope that they’ll get over it. Start at a distance and hang around with your dog there until they get comfortable with it. Then work up to hanging on the fringes. Then a little closer and so forth. Don’t rush.

Build trust.

THINGS YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW:

• Know your dog’s critical distance (the point at which they are most likely to react) and start working OUTSIDE that line, where your dog is slightly uncomfortable but not over threshold. It could be 5, 10, 20 or even 50 metres. It is what it is.

• Know your dog’s body language and the signs that they are getting uncomfortable or shaping up to react. Take action and move your dog away (or move the item/person away) BEFORE your dog reacts, NOT after. So often our dogs are trying to tell us they are uncomfortable and we are not seeing the signs. No wonder they feel the need to take things into their own hands!

• Know what motivates your dog. Is it food, toys, praise? These are the things you can work with at that just slightly uncomfortable distance to help change how your dog feels about the scary thing.

IN A NUTSHELL:

• Your dog is not giving you a hard time. They are having a hard time, and they are dealing with it the only way they know how.

• Practised behaviours get stronger. The more often they react the more entrenched the behaviour will become.

• Don’t throw your dog to the wolves by continuously putting them in situations they can’t handle.

• Your dog needs to see you’ve got their back. Show them you can see when they are uncomfortable and move them back to a more comfortable distance. Once they trust that you can hear them (that is, read their body language) and take control on their behalf, then you can start to close the gap.

• All dogs are different, and you may not ever get to the point you would like but, like me and the snakes, you will have made a big difference if your dog can be around things that they find uncomfortable or overwhelming without feeling the need to react badly.