BY FRAN JEWELL
There are many reasons dogs get nervous, including from a bad emotional or physical experience, genetic temperament, and age of the dog. For some dogs with physical issues, such as blindness or deafness, or even an abnormal thyroid, fearful or nervous behavior can increase.
Some nervous or fearful behaviors we can decrease through leadership and a very slow process of desensitization. But, not all abnormal behavior can be changed. If a behavior is genetic—meaning it is part of the dog’s heritage—it is unlikely something we can change very much.
I see many times where people will blame fearful behavior on an unknown previous experience as a young puppy. Many people will claim that their dog was abused prior to their ownership to explain the fearfulness. Many times, the truth of the matter is that the dog is inherently fearful because of parentage. If two loose dogs mate, there is no control over the genetics. Not all loose dogs have strength of character, or even physical health that should be considered to be bred for the best outcome. Of course, there are many, many dogs that have genetically lovely temperaments, too!
While all dogs should have a loving and compassionate home, there is more to living with a fearful dog than most people may realize. Some dogs will indeed improve with proper treatment. Proper treatment is not just love—it requires training and leadership. Both training and leadership help the dog to trust his owner. Just loving a dog alone does not teach the dog to trust his owner. It takes direction and communication. Training provides both. Basic obedience skills can be used to redirect a dog from something he is afraid of. This is imperative. Giving a dog leadership and boundaries helps him to trust his human.
Freedom is very seldom the answer to helping a fearful dog feel safe. Feeling safe is the primary goal of reducing fear or anxiety. Rewarding fearful or nervous behavior with petting and soothing usually doesn’t help, either.
Last week I took my new puppy, Pele, to a nursing home, where she was invited to help celebrate at a birthday party. Since Pele is only 16 weeks old, I wanted to be sure she had all her shots before taking her in many public places. I knew that going to a nursing home would mean huge distractions for her with lots of strange things, including wheelchairs, smells, live piano music, lots of people and a situation that not many dogs ever experience, especially at 16 weeks old. Of course, I considered that something might scare her at this early age.
I approached it by first letting her experience a wheelchair and walker at home—a little desensitization. I have them here to train service dogs. I rewarded her for sniffing the new equipment and sitting nicely. Pele already has some nice skills, such as sit, down, “watch me,” off, sitting for petting, and walking nicely on a leash (yes, very young puppies can learn these things!). These commands that she learned early in life were her “direction” that could be used to help her deal with any uncomfortable feelings she may have had. Secondly, she trusted me that I would keep her safe. That came through lots of basic, easy leadership activities at home, like sleeping in a crate, and sitting for her meals and at doors. These simple things will teach puppies to respect and trust us. Pele’s genetic background also contributed to her calm and confident attitude.
The result was that Pele did a fabulous job visiting with the residents. She was confident, happy and thoroughly enjoyed it, asking for petting in a lovely, controlled way!
Fear, anxiety and nervousness can be prevented, but they can also be mitigated with a solid program of training, leadership and appropriate desensitization. Remember, too, that genetics play a very big role in the dog’s ability to learn, be calm and recover easily.
Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call (208) 578-1565.