Fearful Dogs

One of the saddest things is the number of people that misunderstand fearful dogs and in trying to make things better for their dogs they actually make it worse. Fearful dogs are nearly always lacking strong pack leaders, and their owners are often the kindest and gentlest people! They want nothing more than to see their dog live the kind of life that all the other dogs are living, happy, fun and free.

What they fail to recognize is that their dog is actually scared because the owner is giving them the message that they are the pack leader. Their dog like many is not able to handle the pressure, nor should they be expected to.

Let me describe a scenario. If you are 4 years old and find yourself in a dark wood with your younger sister and there is a strange noise or a person coming towards you then you may very well be afraid. However if one of your parents were there with you though, then everything would be fine. That is because you would not be in charge! This is how it is for your dog when you make them the pack leader. They are terrified and just want to get home safe and alive.

All the responsibility is on your dog’s shoulders and they are not able to handle it in this human world. There are far too many strange things for them to make decisions about all the time. Eventually they will snap unless you help them.

To help your dog you must first become the pack leader and I suggest that the best way to do this is through watching video rather than reading about it. Here are a few things that you should remember when working with a fearful dog.

They can change but will struggle if you try to push it too fast

You must become the pack leader – There are some great videos sites now that show you exactly how to become the pack leader, don’t just read about it

Ask your friends to ignore your dog when they first meet her

People should not approach your dog but wait until she is calm and then call her over.

If she doesn’t come over then she is too scared and you must leave her alone.

A good video based web site will show you exactly how to put all of this into place through the use of video so you can sit back, watch and learn.

Establishing yourself as the pack leader is the foundation to any success with fearful dogs. Until you recognize this you and put it in place you will never be in a position to help your dog.

One of the best sites around is The Online Dog trainer. It has fantastic videos on establishing yourself as the pack leader and also shows you how to give confidence to fearful dogs. CLICK HERE: http://.doggyd4n.hop.clickbank.net

There are a few real keys to dog training, whether you are trying to train your dog to come when called, sit, stop barking or any other behavior. Understanding their importance is critical to achieving rapid results that are long lasting and help develop the bond between you and your dog.

The first is simple; you must win your dogs mind. If you don’t achieve this first then you will be struggling the all the way. When I talk about winning your dogs mind what I really mean is that your dog looks to you for all the decisions. Before you do anything else watch one of the amazing video sites that show you the 5 Golden rules to establishing yourself as the pack leader. If you aren’t putting these in place then you are setting yourself up to fail. Just at the crucial point where you really want your dog to listen they will go and do their own thing. For sure your dog may play ball occasionally or even most of the time, you may even have a dog that is obedient 99% of the time, however if you want a dog who always listens to you and does as you ask then you need to win your dogs mind.

The second key to success is to motivate your dog. It is really important that you discover what it is that your dog enjoys both in terms of exercise and play but also in terms of a reward. If you can make the experience enjoyable then you will both achieve more and look forward to training.

Some dogs love to fetch, others love agility, and other dogs simply love obedience training, or swimming out into water and retrieve. At least to start with find out what your dogs love is and help them develop this, what I am saying is work with your dog. The other point to recognize is to make training enjoyable reward your dog.

The three main rewards are:

Food- anything from a single dry biscuit to a whole piece of sausage!

Affection- pats, cuddles, lots of high verbal praise

Toys- games, throwing a stick or object, chasing your dog etc

Your dog is always going to work harder if you are fair in your training. Even if you do not want to use food you should make sure that you use affection accordingly when your dog does well

If you want to use food rewards then always follow these simple tips:

Always vary food rewards

Do not give food rewards every time

Never let your dog know what the reward is

If your dog doesn’t come first time then do not give them the reward

The third key to achieving perfection is practice! Learning how to encourage behavior that is closer to what you want than the last is the third key to success. Again this is where rewards come in so handy! Motivate and then show your dog what it is that you want and there is no need for any negative training!

One of the best sites that shows you all of this and more is The Online DogTrainer, put together by top Dog Trainer, Doggy Dan.