true i had a rescue that was abused, they got treats and pats right before being beat by a drunk. ik weird right? whenever i gave him treats he would decline, and start being scared, tail between the legs and all, also the the smell of alcohol. to people saying that this is wrong it’s true, it all depends on the trauma your dog faced in the past. also danny is ok now, his motivation were other dogs, he followed in their footsteps and slowly warmed up to humans. i was looking at this video for my cousin lol her dog is shy. but yea this is true
I absolutely agree with the mentor, my pup was abandoned and had severe separation anxiety, with lots of work and my sister's dog my pup no longer has severe anxiety, when my sister's dog is around he doesn't get stressed out if I leave. Many times he doesn't even notice I have left. Currently hoping to adopt another dog so he has a friend all day when I'm at work.
Great advice, I get asked about dog anxiety all the time. I like the giving them lots of attention in the morning and before bed. I always give the exposure advice all the time.
K9 Karl both are really good ones! The morning and evening one works very well for easing anxiety with a new dog (adoption or new puppy). I did that with my rescue and it really brought him around! And he was bonded closer to me than others in the house
I really appreciate this my new puppy was abound stuck in a car for 4 weeks now he won’t trust anyone or let others near him let alone pat him and it really upsets me to know this happens to heaps of other dogs😭
I've found the biggest thing in overcoming my dog's anxiety about new things is to focus on what the dog can do well...and that is, obedience. If my dog freaks out because say, I have a tool in my hand he has never seen before, it is this sequence: "Leave it...sit...stay." I may have to use the commands a few times until he complies, and the command "stay" a few times once he is in the "stay" and it's OK to use "Good boy" when he complies. He then waits for, "yes, (the release command), let's get a treat." The dog feels secure doing a routine he knows, is reaffirmed in this secureness by "good boy" and by the time, "yes, let's get a treat" comes around, he could care less about the new tool I have and feels good that he and I have done something together that results in a treat.
Thank you, Excellent advice. Day 5 with a newly-adopted rescue from local shelter. Took in 12 dogs from a terrible hoarding situation. Rose is 3, but feel as tho we are starting from scratch. Absolutely terrified of any and all things new. Slowly settling in to the familiar here at home. Crate training is not going well; learned she was in her crate in an outdoor kennel when a wild Texas storm hit the night before I took her home last week. Couldn't have been worse timing. Trying a natural calming chewable an hour before we turn in. And brought the crate into my bedroom which had formerly been off limits (carpeted). Your counsel to spend 10-15 minutes before bedtime just relaxing seems to help.
I completely agree with your point that good leadership (be it with animals, grown-up people or kids), is to have the kind of relationship with them that makes them trust you. If they can see that "you have it all together" and you know what you are doing, it makes more sense to follow you. Also, if you are someone for your dog/child/who ever, they are more likely to listen to you because you are someone important to them. And we always want to impress the ones we cherish. This is so much more effective than yelling and raising your voice. The latter than sometimes also have a place: there may be a dangerous situation when something has to be done fast. But it can never become the dominant strategy. I had this theory back in university, and it was even put up on our university webpage and I was so proud of it :) and was also freed from exam at the end of term. It was a course in animal psychology and i argued that dogs/wolves are able to change social statutes according to need. Mainly, they may accept the human as the alpha because he knows where to get the gas in the car and how to change the bulb. But situations can change, and sometimes the group might need the expertise of the dog/wolf. Example: I once got lost on my way home. I live in Estonia where it gates dark really early in autumn (to make up for it, it almost never gets dark in summer, an I hate that, by the way). So I was walking home with my dog Etna and the road we usually had been taken was flooded and it was October, that means cold in our climate. I knew another way, but we had never done it in the dark, there was no path as such, you really had to know where you were going. And I had NO IDEA. So I told ETNA that you must take us home now. You should also know that how these campings worked was that Etna took charge anyway, walking for as long as she wanted and eventually we went to the cottage when she wanted. (The reason was to make the most out of cottage life because we lived in the city most of the time, and the cottage was heatwave oly from April till November max) So Etna was the decider anyway on those walks, and how it worked was that she was running around doing her business, and the moment I even whispered her name from a kilometer away, she showed up in 30 seconds. Now, having gotten lost, (I was, not her), she somehow understood that she was the alpha now, that she does not only have to say where to go but also to wait for me to be able to follow in the dark swamp (our main nature form, we are very proud of them, you can google swamps). So she had to know WHEN to wait for me, Where, so I won"t sink and then when to keep running. She must have taken over the role of the alpha for that time. And she did that because, firstly, she had had chances for that occasionally before too and it was not a new thing for her. And also. I was SOMEONE for her who she wanted to save. Because there were other members of the family, her survival would not have depended on me. I am si proud of this thing she did. And whenever someone tells me that animals do not do logical thinking and only behave in ways that are known to them..... I lose it. Now Etna is long already in better walking ways in heaven. She died right before Easter Morning in the Emergency Clinic, by herself, before the vet had the chance to inject her. So every year I celebrate her life and death before Resurrection Morning, regardless of the exact date that year. I am not religious. But there is something to the fact of thousands of church bells going off all at the same time in the middle of the night, as if for her. It will be a decade next year. Her companionship was the best thing in my life and Estonia should be proud to have her spirit watching on it from above. It is true that true leadesrship comes from going somewhere together in the first place. Everything else is details. The alpha will listen to the omega, should it make sense at the moment
Certainly agree with much of this. I love the routine and training points especially. Obedience training is key to building confidence and melting anxiety. I'd add adequate vigorous exercise as a foundational part of anxiety reduction.
My dog is very scared. Therefore when we are somewhere where she is scared she will totally zone out and not even listen to us/ be motivated by treats. How can we motivate her?
Be patient, maybe get really good treats like boiled chicken, it works wonders! I'd take baby steps, maybe even give her treats as soon as you step out of the front door for her to have being outside associated with good things
My puppers is so scared that even the tastiest treats don't bring him down from his anxiety. Not cooked chicken or steak. Not even his favorite wet dog food he only gets on special occasions. I've never had or even met a dog with level of anxiety. I've tried *almost* everything, even meds .. that's why I'm here looking for answers.
Its been almost 2 months with my rescue pup. I have been doing all except the morning and night time cuddles😭 I usually give her space because she seems to be terrified of “lights”. She grew up on what looked like a horse stable where they barely got any sunlight with her sisters and were so malnourished and neglected. She’s only confident in the kitchen, back porch and my room. I need to praise her for going into other rooms and start training her in those rooms. When I’m hanging out in the living room she will come in on her own but get spooked out and leaves if anyone moves 😭 I need to have treats ready to offer her for being so brave in joining us on her own. Then maybe she’ll be comfortable enough to hang out on the couch. Thanks for your tips!
Also, if I turn on the light (only in my room) she’ll start whining and lookin up at the light with an uncertain look in her eyes. It’s not until I turn them off that she stops. It’s so odd, in the kitchen she is fine but maybe it’s because that’s where most of her basic training took place, (sit, stay, come, paw, high five)
This is the same with my rescue pup. We got her from a farm, she basically lived in a crate, she is slowly getting better, but I think her time spent in her crate already changed her life, we rescued her from getting shot, because she wasn't a good farm dog, and thats what she was meant for. I am so grateful we rescued her, how is your dog going?
Unfortunately i cant take my dog to meet other dogs rn we got him 2 days ago took him to the vett found out he has early stage heartworms, and im saddin about him hes so skiddish but so sweet i give him alot praise and give him lots of treats.
My Bordercollie barks at thunder, afew types of our Aussie birds and the sound of doors. His last owner wasn’t good to him but he is doing so much better now in 6 months.
I love the tip about 5-10 minutes of affection. I do have a question though -- ignoring my dog when he wakes up (comes out of the crate) is supposed to keep him from getting worked up. Will affection right after his walk do just as good?
Great video. I like your tip about giving treats when taking your dog out. When do we give the dog a treat when we do go out like at a park? Because we don't want to reward the dog for being anxious. My dog gets anxious around strangers. I got him from the pound at the age of 1 or so years old. He is much better with visitors coming to the house now. But out in the public he gets anxious when strangers come too close (ie. at a park) he wants to go away from them. So I try to take him to the same place where there is some distance from people, which he is ok with. I guess finding the right that distance and he is not so anxious I reward him, and not when he gets anxious. Trouble is consistency, due to my health I cannot go to the park regularly. However, one idea I just thought of, I could drive to a busy carpark like at a supermarket and just sit there in the car with him, for about twenty minutes. He feels safer in the car. So that could be another method and give him treats.
Thanks a lot for your video. I got a lot of pointers and realized that what I’m doing with Abby is the right thing. I will try and let you know how she turns out. She is afraid of any noise or sudden movements.
Thankyou this was very helpful I am from india one day I saw puppies in the basement of my apartment so I wanted to see if they are ohk instead I found scared mother I am feed her every day making sure that she can make her self home at there but I also want to bond with her she is little insecure with me so I don't go close to her babies. I want to bond with her first so she knows I am a friend and want to take care of her and her babies if I can I will take a bullet for them
I've got a tricky one: I have a service dog who is a German shepherd. She was abused, neglected, and abandoned when somebody dumped her at my work at 5 months old. It took months for her to even let us pet her. Long story short, she's come a long way and is now a fully trained and official service dog for my PTSD and ASD. There's only one thing that she still has trouble with: LITTLE BOYS. she is very afraid of young boys between 4 and 12 years old. My sister has 2 boys who have been nothing but sweet and she still is fearful and even jumps back and barks if they are too rambunctious. Her trainer says it's very clear she was abused by young boys. Any suggestions on confidence building? The boys are a little scared of her (really doesn't help, my sister keeps telling them she'll bite them) and after 4 years of telling them to ignore her and let her be she's made very little progress. I have a son now and she adores him, but he's still a baby. I don't want her to be uncomfortable in her own home when he's 4 and my husband to see her as a danger to our son.
I have a rescue Belgian malinois GSD mix. Shes very skittish around cars. (Mabye she got hit by one) I was able to get her to walk and not lay down when a car passes. But the other day a dog attacked her and ever since then shes been extremely nervous to leave the house. Because of the dog attack she now is back to square one with cars, dogs, and people. Im considering geting a yellow patch (to show shes nervous) and back than I considered service dog training, but im not sure she could do it anymore. But im going to try these and hope they work. I really want to build up her confidence .
many anxious dogs, including mine, DO NOT take treats when outside or in anxiety causing situations/environments. My dog will actually turn her head away from the treat. Praise also seems to have absolutely no effect on her, and she is completely tuned out to my voice and commands when we're in a busy situation.
My sisters got a pup that has always been scared of me and hasent changed in the almost 2 years shes had him. Got him as a tiny pup. But if i am sitting him for her the guy will never get out of his cage. I open the door, set food and water out, offer treats and he wont ever eat or walk out of his cage. If i slowly reach in to pet he squirms in the corner and yelps without a touch. He will growl at me when i first walk into his area, i can even open the backyard door and his cage but he will use the bathroom in his cage and lay next to it.. ive stayed there for 2 whole days with the door open and he will never leave it, I can cook bacon or anything and offer it but nada.. when my sisters home he will run around and play with her kids, not afraid of her husband whos twice my size.. but as soon as he sees me he will bark every time and go as far as acting like he will bite me but even if i stand with hands out or lay down on the ground he will just keep barking at me the entire time.. its been like this for the entire almost 2 years he's been alive. I see him at least 3 times a week, always try to say hi and be quiet and slow.. offer treats but no change.. does he just not like my vibe or smell? But my sister he trusts.. wont let me touch him and when he is backed in a corner i dont push it or anything.. the only times ive pet him was when somebody had him picked up and holding him with him being happy and having fun , then i walk up and he starts barking, i say its ok but as soon as i touch him even gently as i can he immediately pees, everytime and will yelp like i hit him or something.. he only acts like that around just a few people but has even warmed up to others who are never there.. i cant dog sit him anymore because last time i did he didnt eat for the whole week.. put food in his cage outside his cage. Nothing.. i put his cage outside to see if he'd leave it, nope.. so much so ive given up on the dog here lately, seems like its just me he doesnt like for some reason.. hell my sister even started training him by hitting him, and he bit her hand one day and i told her good and told her to stop or he will do it again , so she stopped and dog loves her.. dont get it..
My pitt mix couldn't care less about treats when he's scared. He doesn't like walks, or play outside his yard. Hot dogs, he just spits them on the ground. . .the only thing he likes is his crate 🤔😔
oh my. here i have some advice for you when i adopted my dear headed chihuahua she was very timid and shy she only wanted to be in her cage as well. the thing i did was i spended more time with her ( even if she didn’t want to ) . that’s a place you can start.
@@mylifeasmarie5489 im home with him all day since I homeschool my kid. Can't spend any more time than i already am lol I'm starting to think I shouldn't have neutered him 🤣
I've NEVER met any pit or pit mix that didn't absolutely live for walking or working lol. It's likely just nervous for some reason... Could just need to get it comfortable with a leash, or it's not used to outside world.. if it's a rescue, it's likely learned that it's crate/kennel is it's one safe place.. gotta show the dog it's safe everywhere else too
You’ll know if a dogs death. This might sound weird but try and startle her with a sound. If she doesn’t flinch or her ears don’t perk up she may be death.
Regarding mentor dog - my current dog is reactive and not confident. We want a second dog, but I'm worried the opposite of good mentoring will happen, that my current dog will model bad behavior / fearfulness for the new pup. Does that happen and how to avoid?
Have you gotten another dog yet if you haven’t and are sure you can get another dog, my dog was the only dog just lying down looking at us in such a sweet calm way in the rescue we still have him 6 years later and would be a good mentor so just find a dog that is calm and confident
my dog is so afraid of everything &’ we’ve had him since he was 6 weeks old , he has gots of lots of love, he is very spoiled but he is afraid of other people , every sound (literally) , the bathtub everything
I have a bulldog, he got bullied a lot by his siblings and mom because he was the runt D: We sold all the other puppy’s and my grandpa said I could keep him, so this is gonna be a help! :)
My dog doesn’t like to get petted by some people, I really don’t want him to get forced to get petted when he really don’t want to. Am I doing the right thing if I let him walk away from the other person when he doesn’t want to get cuddles? Or is he scared?
It's been 2 months belle is with us.. She was very confident but she has been scared from last some days, I dunno why? She hides at some places and don't eat and very afraid of almost everything..... Please help me... Tell me what to do.... Please I love her
Just have patience. An adopted kid would be skittish at first, and scared for quite some time. A dog is no different. They need time to adjust and you have to be repetitive. The same thing over and over.
We just got a rescue dog ( Beagle); she is very scared and shy. If I let her out to go to the restroom, she won't go, and if I call her back, she won't come back.
We found a stray about 5 to 6 years old...bad internal and external infections...on antibiotics and meds now...slow he is getting better.he obviously isn't potty trained at all lol...he seems to go outside and hang out with us and we take him to potty spot, but he either barely goes quick or not at all and then as soon as back inside sunroom, he goes... Do u think it maybe because he is uncomfortable outside right now? And feels more comfortable inside ?
what do you do when your dog is fearful and afraid of you when you have given no reason for the dog to be afraid of you. my dog recently despite the scratches belly rubs, he is still afraid of me we live in a apartment and we cant have a playmate for our dog so a playmate is not an option
Mine is also fearful of everyone and everything. I have a dog trainer working with us to make him more confident. I take mine to the vet, just to watch all the critters come and go. Any pet store might be good socialization for them
Usually it just takes some time and patience.. I've got a 1 year old female pit right now that's the same way.. only had her for 2 months now but she still isn't TOTALLY comfortable with me yet.. at this point, I'm sure she knows I won't hurt her, it's just her anxiety won't let her accept it yet so she gets unsure sometimes.. A daily schedule/routine that you can stick to will help the dog 100% too. Lots of walks, and don't reinforce the dogs "scared" behavior. If the dog walks away or gets scared, leave it alone and let it realize it had no reason to run.. when the dog comes up to you for attention on its own, take FULL advantage and give all the loves it wants. Reinforce confidence
I adopted a dog from a shelter in Bosnia.She is 2 years old now and I have her for 11 months,now.She is afraid of everything when we are outside of the house and she doesn’t care about treats,especially outside of the house.she also care less of the praising .She pulls a lot in our walks,not that much leaving the house as much when she realizes that we are going back home.Last 2 weeks she refuses to go for a walks. Please,help me! What to do?
My 12 year old dog is suddenly afraid of everything, where she'll be panting and trembling uncontrollably, her worst fears are balloons and guns, or things that resemble guns or the sound of one, how can i help her, desensitize her?
my dog is extremely scared of going down the stairs. she's a husky and is pretty big already. she's only 7months old. our cousins brought her up the stairs by carrying her but she's been afraid to go down. we tried everything and we still couldnt get her down. Its been 4 days and she hasn't walked outside at all. someone please help.
How do I get my dog to even walk outside? He is so scared of anything especially noises!! He got scared a week ago in the garage from something. He hid under the front porch for a day. He’s a German shepherd/boxer mix. Please help!!
What is your take on using a thundershirt for grown son's skittish rescue dog. He's had for two weeks and she doesn't like going outside to go potty. When he can coax her out she won't go potty. She is a medium size dog maybe pitbull not sure. He has to keep running a carpet cleaner to keep up with her potty messes. Any tips for him to use on her. His neighbor also said she barks alot when he's gone. So he needs a miracle or two. Otherwise may have to return her. Please help him with these issues. Thank you Love your informative videos.
Ok how do you socialize a dog in a place that isn't all sunshine and rainbows? One of our neighbors homes was broken into a few weeks ago and we have bobcats and coyotes in our yard atleast every few weeks. I want them to bark at intruders just not eat the neighbors.
Do you have advice for my fearful shutdown foster dog? He doesn't want anything to do with me. He does have a history of aggression towards men. I haven't had men over to see it yet. I just want him to have a personality & feel joy. He lays around wanting nothing to do with me. He doesn't seem to enjoy being pet or being brushed. He follows me around....always out of reach. He's an Australian Kelpie.
Quick pants are not signs of a "rub spot" they are afraid and tense....small licks, not eye contact, flapped ears. All dogs are not the same all techniques don't work. Not all food work. They have a personality just like us. So be sure to approach them in a positive fashion to build a relationship, like you would with another person. Respect boundaries, understand signs, empower, encourage, accept.
my 10 years old dog got scared from a suitcase and has been so shaky on and off since with any loud noises. this has been going on for 3 days. what should i do?
Well he's 10, so just let him live in peace for his last years . . .his hearing could be going, or his confidence because of his age. Even old dogs feel like old men lol
I have 2 6 week old Pittbull puppies I got them from a man who beat and killed mom they only had mom for 4 weeks they have bad separation anxiety the vet said never separate them they r brothers they scream when they are apart in the same room my mom and i both adopted one my boy is really shy I give him kisses and hold him how do I get him to give me kisses and understand I love him and everything is ok I also have a female Rottweiler she is very motherly and I have a male cocker who really wants to play what can i do to help them they were full of roundworm and tapeworm we took care of that how to I get him to bond more with me. They are very happy to see me and my mom they are sweet puppies
Your vet is very very wrong. It is very important that your dogs build confidence INDIVIDUALLY. if they're dependent on each other only, they will never fully accept you as a pack member. Each puppy needs at least 60 minutes of private training time. Start small, like 10 minutes. Where they cannot hear each other crying and fussing. Even if you only get so far as walking them down the street and back. Do confidence exercises and basic training with each of them SEPARATELY. it will be very hard. Trauma is hard to undo. They will learn to bond to you in their sibling's absence. Once you have the dogs trusting you individually, you can start training them together (still reserving their one-on-one training time). This will help them see you as part of their pack that they can trust together. Please do not listen to your vet. I have seen too many instances of owners bitten by their bonded dogs because they were not bonded to anyone else. It also sets them up for failure if one dog ever passes away or needs to go to the vet. They need to learn to cope with the world around them and be mentally sound both together and apart.
I love dogs. I am also intrested in this job. Actually I am from India and I want to come Canada its my dream. And I will change my dream into reaility soon. Yor are great I seriously like your videos . They are awosem. 👍
I rescued a dog and she had a very traumatic pup Hood. She doesn't like leashes, she won't let me touch her and all she does is hide. Idk what to do, she won't give me the time of day.
My dog started like this, too. It gets better. I started by just sitting near her, like 5 feet away. I'd toss a treat on the ground near her, but not towards her. Like it wasn't on purpose. I wouldn't make her come closer, just gently talking to her and tossing yummies. If she didn't get up to get them, that's OK. She'll get them when I leave. I started at 10 minutes at a time. Eventually, she was OK with me sitting next to her and setting treats near her nose. Then she was taking them from my hand. Then she let me pet her. It took about 2 months. I started getting her to walk with me, no leash (mine was leash fearful, too). Just yummy treats and conversation. The leash i would just drape a long ribbon over her back and let it slip off until she was ok with it. Then I tied it around her neck and just let it drag for a while. A couple of weeks later she got a collar, then I tied the ribbon to that. Then a couple of weeks later we put on a leash. She dragged it, following me around for treats. Then I picked it up and gave a gentle tug, if she pulled back, I dropped it immediately to show her that she isn't in prison. I'm not using it to pull her in or stop her, just let her get used to a little pressure. Now she's an official service dog and does amazing. She walks on a leash like a pro and rarely pulls. If there's a super interesting smell when she's off duty she'll pull. Lol. (Her daily walk to the park is vestless and therefore off-duty)
My doberman gets big time anxiety when going on walks. I’m not sure if it’s because of the amount of dogs that live in my neighborhood or what. But he goes into this high alert mode
@@pablojoaquin6443 That's really interesting. Our rescue, whom we got 2 years ago is a GSD/Pit mix now almost 4 years old. Walking during the day is actually harder for her because so many other dogs are out, more things are going on, kids riding bikes, skateboards & scooters by her, etc. She walks best for us after dark by far. I imagine this can be different for each dog though. We've tried natural calming meds, working with a trainer, exposure to her fears with positives (she's terrified of cardboard - so we had a big box open on both ends & my daughter would crawl through it then offer her a treat if she did the same. She did finally go through - but it hasn't changed her overall fear. We also have several treat puzzles, play hide and seek with her, do the game with 3 cups where you put something under 1 and she has to try to follow it & find it. We've also done a lot of agility type work on walks such as weaving between barrier poles, crawling under & jumping over benches, running along half walls & jumping from one to the next when there's a gap, going through bike racks - whatever we could come up with. Despite all those things, we finally talked with the vet a year ago because she was still struggling. The vet suggested a prescription anti anxiety med for a few months while we worked on training to see if it helped her calm down enough to gain the confidence - then in theory we'd take her off it at that point. While it did help some, it was not enough & we are definitely not progressing any more. If anything, she's sliding backwards again. I feel for her when she's so scared.
@@debrajones4602 That sounds tough, sure seems like youve done just about everything already as well. I have no idea what to tell you as far as advice goes, I am in no way a professional. Hope you can figure something out tho
It was all too general. Prays and treats sometimes don't help. My rescue barks at every human being,from 3 y.o. to 83 y.o. At the park she is running away and barking at everyone. It is so sad to see that , but we are committed ted to bring her at the park as often as possible.
I accidentally created an amazing junk yard gaurd dog. Me and my dad butted heads alot. I moved out they got a German shepherd puppy. I met the puppy afew times but not much. The 4th time I was at the house the puppy was around 5-6months old. Really lanky skinny looking stage. Me and dad started arguing I was drunk and real stupid. After awhile I noticed the dog was cowering under the kitchen table in a puddle of its own pee. Even drunk that hit me like damn sorry dog. Then ended up outside I didnt see the dog again for two years after that night. It was rehomed to junkyard life. One day I went to the junkyard with two friends and that dog locked eyes on me. Went beserk locked on me following me up/down the fence line. I know its my mums old dog the one I scared as a puppy. Now it was fully grown and seriously wanted to kill me. I've never ever seen a dog like that and only raised with dogs like that. On the night I didnt even remember seeing the dog wasn't aware of it. Until I saw her under the table. Thinking aww im sorry dog. The dog thinking one day mofo one day. So now if I get a pup like that I'll have to get a freind of a fteind to come bang on the windows doors scare it alittle so when its big aint nobody creeping around that house at night without the neighbourhood waking up. Intruder thinking nope.
I have a pitt mix whos like that. Scared of everything and everyone. . . I just use hotdogs and everyday he goes further and further. Patience and calmness goes a long way.