Shy Dogs Part 2 - Fear Threshold

One of my trainers had a really good example for fear threshold: Let's take 2 different people, and introduce them to a spider. One of the people is so scared that he cannot function if the spider is within 10 feet of him. The other person doesn't exhibit the same fear reaction until the spider is touching him. We can draw an analogy to dogs: one dog shuts down with fear when a man with a hat walks into view, and another dog shows no fear even when the man with a hat walks up and pets her. Different dogs have different fear thresholds, and these fear thresholds may change for varying stimuli.

To help a dog overcome his fears, he needs to be pushed out of his comfort zone. Hiding the dog from the world and never taking him out of the house is not the solution. However, if we take the dog too far over his fear threshold, we can actually make the fear worse, and we certainly haven't helped the dog feel more confident in a scary situation. It comes down to taking incremental steps. If walking around in a Petco is very very stressful for your dog, then the first incremental step is to sit with your dog in the parking lot, feeding treats and rewarding the dog for being there. The next step may be sitting with the dog 5 feet from the door, next walking just inside the door, next sitting in a corner of the store, next actually walking around the store. This process may happen over 10 to 20 visits, depending on the dog and the level of fear.

A very good way to determine if you are pushing the dog too far over the threshold is if they will not eat. If you give the dog a treat and they will not take it, or they take it and spit it out, then you are too far over the fear threshold.

How do you know if your dog is nervous or stressed out?

Some signs to look for:
-Dog will not eat (i.e. will not take a treat)
-Shaking
-Tail tucked way under
-Ears flat back
-Crouched way down
-Panting (not the same as panting from heat or exercise)
-Biting or snapping when approached (this is also known as fear aggression - fight instinct)
-Etc.

OK, my dog is nervous. Now what?

- Evaluate the situation. What about the situation is making the dog nervous? For Piper, it's strangers present. For another dog, it may be thunder or a man with a hat.

- Is there a way to help your dog exit the situation? A safe place, a bigger distance between the dog and the threat...

- Determine a course of action for the next time this situation will occur. Having a plan in advance will help keep you from becoming emotional. Remember, you're not allowed to feel sorry for your dog! :D The plan may include a way to break the situation into steps to prevent going over the fear threshold.

Another example:

Fido is nervous of strange people, especially kids and teenagers. He has been known to snap at and even bite people when they approach him and try to pet him or reach out to him. This occurs primarily when kids come into the house.

Solution:

Before opening the door for the strange people to come in, put Fido in a bedroom (somewhere he can't come "greet" the strangers). Let the people in and explain to them that Fido is nervous and that they should completely ignore him and not reach out to him, even if he approaches them. They should not look directly at him, and especially should not make eye contact. If you like Caesar Milan then you should know this saying: "No touch, no talk, no eye contact." Sometimes this is just as much about "training" people as training your dog. Then allow Fido out, but leave him a safe place and a path to escape so that he does not feel cornered.

Now, things are going really well with this tactic... The strangers have been in the house for a few hours and Fido seems to be doing pretty well. (Or you have used this technique 5 or so different times.) Now let's give the strangers some treats and ask them to offer the treat to Fido. They can sit or crouch down at Fido's level and offer the treat. They should not bend over Fido, as that is a pretty scary thing to a dog. If Fido moves back or appears nervous, the person should not keep moving toward Fido. Instead, they could toss the treat to Fido, as we have reached his next fear threshold.

This is just one example of how to break a situation into more manageable pieces. Remember, if the dog will not eat or exhibits the fear signs shown above, you have passed the fear threshold.