It makes me so sad when I see a dog that is afraid of the world. The thing is, this doesn’t always happen because of past abuse or trauma, some dogs (through owner mistakes) simply haven’t been SHOWN how to be confident.
This was the case with Maggie the Bernadoodle and her owner Robert.
In my 10 years of training, I’ve come to firmly believe that all dogs should be able to experience the world fully and freely, without fear or anxiety.
This was Maggies problem. She couldn’t even go outside without wanting to run back in the house. She was in an extreme fear period - in fact, one of the worst cases I’ve seen.
She was highly unstable in her environment - cars, trucks, loud sounds, even strangers - all caused her a lot of discomfort and anxiety.
This also affected Robert. He had ended up sleeping on the couch to comfort Maggie at night because she couldn’t sleep alone for long periods in her crate without crying and breaking down for most of the night.
Robert decided things had to change, because he really wanted his dog to thrive, but these problems were starting to affect his personal life.
He contactedmeand a few days later we began working together.
There’s a few lessons here that everyone can learn from.
The first change we made (you can use these solutions as you train your own dog as well), was teaching Maggie how to be comfortable with taking food outside.
Food acted as a focus point, and as an indicator that she was growing comfortable in an outside - “higher energy” environment.
Eventually (although it wasn’t easy), she started taking food outside. Consistency was key for this.
Then I taught Robert how to reward her and literally PAY her for staying outside. This was the turning point for both of them.
Robert learned how to communicate with her properly, and she developed a new confidence and trust in her owner's leadership.
Instead of just letting her escape and go home whenever she wanted, he associated good with outside.
The result?
In just a few short weeks Maggie could walk without pulling back to go home. She could go down main streets confidently and calmly.
Robert was so happy with the transformation Maggie had from scared, unsure, and lacking confidence, to happy, excited, and secure that he decided to get a second dog!
(Which I ended up training as well).
Taking your dog from no confidence to being confident, happier, and fearless starts with understanding her body language and setting the right boundaries.
If you want to speak your dogs language like a pro, I’ve created a guide (it’s totally free) called “The No B.S. Guide To Speaking Your Dogs Language”. It’s a simple step by step framework to help you understand exactly how to know what your dog needs and give her the support and training to help you and her be successful together.
If you’d like it, feel free to comment “guide” below, or send me a private message if you’re feeling shy today.
Donald “Master Trainer” Hutcherson