Growling is good!

As a follow up to this post, The Gift of the Growl, here is a link to another article that explains why we should not punish a dog for growling.  Too often, people think that a dog is doing something wrong by growling;  on the contrary, the dog is trying to communicate discomfort or fear with a situation.  It's not wrong to be afraid.  Leah Roberts does a great job of explaining what growling is about, and why we should be grateful that dogs growl.  She also talks briefly about some ways to help dogs become more comfortable with the situations that make them worried or frightened.

He's just scared, but he would never bite...

http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/hes-just-scaredbut-he-would-never-bite

A Fearful Dog Speaks

A great post by Kevin Myers about some things to consider when dealing with a fearful dog.  I suspect most people wind up with fearful dogs without knowing in advance what they are getting themselves into, or even that the dog in question is fearful.  Kevin Myers really touches on some of the really important things to remember when working with a fearful dog.

We've seen quite a few fearful dogs lately at the training centre.  Patience, as Kevin points out, is an absolute requirement.  Fearful dogs, even more so than dogs generally, really benefit from routine.  And a dog's fears are real for them, just like my fears are real for me.  Anybody have a phobia of spiders, for instance?  :)

Fear isn't necessarily rooted in a bad experience, either.  I have an intense fear of mice, but nothing bad has ever happened to me involving a mouse.  No attacks by crazed mice, no traumatic incident of any sort.  I'm just terrified of them.  So if a dog is afraid of men, or people in hats, or of the sound of thunder, for instance, it doesn't mean that dog has had a bad experience with men, or people in hats, or thunder.  It might just be that the dog is afraid.

Of course, it might also be the case that the dog in question HAS had a bad experience with the object of it's fear.  But quite often, we'll never know whether this is the case or not.  And the way to deal with the fear is the same whether you know where it came from or not.

Kevin refers readers to Debbie Jacobs' fabulous website, www.fearfuldogs.com.  I second that advice;  Debbie's website is the place to start if you know a fearful dog.

Dogs and fear

In this month's BARK magazine, there is a wonderful article by Karen B. London about dogs and fear:  "Cautious Canines: Understanding and Helping Fearful Dogs".  The article isn't online (at least not yet), but I'd really encourage anyone who knows a shy, timid or fearful dog to read the article.   It's a great overview of dogs and fearfulness.

Here is another great article (by the wonderful Dr. Patricia McConnell) about reducing fear in dogs.  As she points out, "A gentle hand or a tasty treat doesn’t reinforce fear, it reduces it."  

My very favourite resource on dogs and fear is Debbie Jacobs' fantastic website, www.fearfuldogs.com.   This is THE place to start if you know a dog that you would describe as shy, timid, cautious, or fearful.  This site will help anyone who has or works with a dog like this.

Finally, I'd also like to link to a fabulous Yahoo group Shy-k9s.  The group description reads, "The shy-k9s mailing list is for the discussion of shy, fearful and/or fear-aggressive dogs and positive solutions to their problems."  Another great resource and source of support for people who have fearful dogs in their lives.

Another great article - dogs and fear of strangers

Another great article by Dr. Sophia Yin -- this time, on dogs and fear of strangers.  Great analogies to the human fear of spiders, and good advice on how to help a dog feel more comfortable.