Timid/scared dog

[NicoleDelangen]

Hello! So we have a one year old Dalmatian puppy who is quite timid in certain situations and around certain people. 

Noises - there are loads of random small noises we make around the house that set her off barking. I have read your files on getting dogs use to a certain sound (the rusty bus brakes) but the sounds are so random it would be hard to do this. For example one day she will bark at cutlery banging together sound, but the next day she wont, etc. So is there a way to generally get her more confident with loads of sounds?

Kids - she is quite fearful of kids and backs away from them, occasionally also barks at them. But then in the next breath she is going up to them and wants to play, then they will make a sudden movement and she will back away again. Kids are so unpredictable and it would be hard to train with them. Do any games or training we can do help her generally improve her confidence around kids or do you really need to teach with kids to gain confidence and trust?

Hands - I have also read your files on hands. She is very timid around new people especially when they go and pat her, again she backs/slides away. But she is so comfortable and loving with my husband and I, we could put our hands and face anywhere and she loves it. I find it hard to train with other people and again it's not just one imparticular person, so is there anything we can do to help her around new people?

Do your games improve confidence in general or is it now a desensitizing situation to every individual thing, since we have obviously done something wrong in the socialisation period 😞

We just have a gorgeous sweet girl who is scared of many things and i want her to be more confident with the world and comfortable and love to be around people.

Thank you! 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there, welcome back!

Please see my replies under your question in bold:

"Noises - there are loads of random small noises we make around the house that set her off barking. I have read your files on getting dogs use to a certain sound (the rusty bus brakes) but the sounds are so random it would be hard to do this. For example one day she will bark at cutlery banging together sound, but the next day she wont, etc. So is there a way to generally get her more confident with loads of sounds?"

It sounds like you are on the right track, only that you are struggling with random noises. Here are some tips:

1) Compile a list of the sounds she barks at. Every time she barks, jolt it down on a piece of paper so that you have a list.  You can even create a hierarchy of triggers based on her reactions, placing at the very top of the list the reactions she seems to respond to with more intensity (barking louder, waking up from sleep, getting up startled) so that you know what you need to work more on and can use the highest value treats for those.

Since you mention the sounds are produced by you or other family members, you have the advantage of being in control of them. In other words, you have the power of creating setups and re-creating those sounds so you can be presenting them at a lower level, so that she remains under threshold. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

Dedicate some time to working on these sounds and creating positive associations with them. Like if she barks at cutlery sounds, use the cutlery on the cutting board, as if chopping very lightly (so she's under threshold) and the moment she orients towards it (twitches her ear in your direction, turns around), toss her a treat her way.

Sound- threat, sound-treat, sound-treat, as explained in the hear that method, which you mentioned about and that's discussed here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/

Repeat several times until you notice signs of a conditioned emotional response:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/conditioned-emotional-response-cer/

Then you can gradually progress by increasing the intensity of the sound produced, always ensuring to keep her under threshold. If at any time she reacts, it's likely a sign that the sound produced is too intense. Take a step back and present the sound in a less intense way, and then gradually re-introduce the higher-level sound. Even increasing the value of treats can help overcome small hurdles. 

2) If you are dealing mostly with sounds produced in the home, make it a habit of carrying a treat bag around the home or treats in your pocket so that you can use them to create positive associations with random sounds. In these cases, more is better. In other words, it doesn't hurt to toss a treat for sounds she doesn't seem to react to normally or for which she has reacted to in the past and now is no longer reacting. If she's fond of her kibble, you can use that, especially for the lower level sounds. That's a great way to put her meals to good use rather than just giving them out freely. 

3) Before serving her meals in a bowl or filling up a Kong with some goodies, make it a habit of making some noises in the meal-making process. Make sure she is aware that you are preparing her meal and make the noises initially light. We want to create positive associations with the sounds.

4) if there are noises that are a bit too intense (power drill, hammer etc) best to minimize direct exposure. Keeping her in a distant room or playing white noise to cover it up, can help Too loud, scary noises potentially lead to sensitization, rather than desensitization. 

If something still happens, it helps making it a fun game! If you happen to drop something that makes noise, always think about your dog first before picking it up and resuming working. For instance, if somebody around me happens to drop a metal bowl or other loud-noise making event, I  might say something like "rain fall of treats!" or "treasure hunt!" as I toss treats in all directions right afterward, turning it into a scavenging game. 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Kids - she is quite fearful of kids and backs away from them, occasionally also barks at them. But then in the next breath she is going up to them and wants to play, then they will make a sudden movement and she will back away again. Kids are so unpredictable and it would be hard to train with them. Do any games or training we can do help her generally improve her confidence around kids or do you really need to teach with kids to gain confidence and trust?

With kids, we need to be extra careful in preventing exposures that can be overwhelming. 

The exercises are similar to creating positive associations with sounds. In other words, starting easy and baby steps. The goal is creating positive associations with children, ideally in highly structured, controlled settings using desensitization and counterconditioning and preventing exposures that can be perceived as overwhelming. It seems like she is a bit conflicted on how to behave around them, she may want to trust them, but the way they act in unpredictable ways, makes her uncertain. 

 

It may help going back to basics and having her firstly watch kids play at a playground from a distance she's comfortable watching and feeding her treats as she watches. Or letting her watch children play in front of your window, both times using the "look at that' game:"

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/

I would also use the "hear that' method and play recordings of children giggling, screaming, crying yelling and feeding treats when hearing those. Here is how to implement "hear that"https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/fear-noises/ Scroll down at the bottom for it. 

You can then move on to doing this exercise in the car, with a driver and you behind with your dog (windows shut-children may insert hands through windows), making a smacking sound every time a child is around and feeding tasty morsels. 

Continue these exercises in front of your home with your dog on leash and then on walks (in calm areas at first, where you know you can just leave and not be trapped with children everywhere) only once you gain a solid response on the window exercises. Always practice caution and scan the environment for your dog. You will have to be your dog's eyes and ears and make an about turn if you notice any children coming your way fast that you know may be too much for your dog.  

When your dog is ready, you may start with some direct exposures, (see muzzle training video below if ever uncertain how your dog may react).

Age is a big factor, start with older children who can easily follow directions. No running around, screaming or moving suddenly.  Let them know your dog is nervous and needs to learn how to trust. In these cases, the treat/retreat game may work as the dog feels more free and better moving away after each exposure:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/treat-retreat-game/

Once you notice signs of her getting better, you may start working with younger children, always instructing them though on how to behave around the dog and trying your best to end the sessions with her feeling a little more confident and less fearful. 

When out and about, I always have treats on me in case of the unexpected. One day a child popped out from no where and hugged a dog I had in training from behind (which I didn't know how she was with kids)  and I was so glad I had treats with me to feed so to keep her mouth busy and turn something that could have been scary into something less intense. 

With children we therefore need to be extra cautious because fearful dogs may go into fight and flight mode and bite if they feel threatened. These are therefore some extra precautions to keep in mind. 

 Use a basket muzzle if you are afraid your dog may harm children. Children may pop out of nowhere sometimes approaching your dog from behind and petting, this can be a recipe for a bite. A muzzle can have you covered and it's always best to err on the side of caution. Here is the guide on muzzle training:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/train-your-dog-to-wear-a-muzzle/

Never leave children alone with a dog, not even for a moment and no matter what. Make sure you teach kids how to to be respectful of your dog's space, and ensure your dog has a safe place to retreat. When you cannot actively supervise, have your dog in an area where there is a physical barrier such as a baby gate between dog and children (make sure kids don't stick their hands or fingers through!)

If your dog shows even shows any concerning behaviors around children, please consult with a behavior professional for in-person guidance.

We need to consider that in some cases, fearful dogs may never get to feel enough comfortable being around children. If they didn't get much exposure during the critical socialization period (roughly between 4 weeks and 12 weeks of age) they may have an underlying suspicion towards them. Sure, we can help them with remedial socialization, but we may only do so much in covering all basis. In such cases, it's important preventing full intensity exposures, and training some fluent responses to get the dog out of potentially overwhelming situations (emergency u-turns, attention heeling to ignore children, hand targets etc).

Disclaimer: behavior modification comes with risks. If your puppy or dog shows signs of potential aggression (lunging, barking, growling, snapping, biting) for safety, please consult with a dog behavior professional (DACVB, CAAB or dog trainer specializing in aggression) who uses force-free behavior modification techniques for direct in-person guidance. Articles, videos and general info found in the forums or course (or any online source) are not meant to replace in-person training/instruction. By using this course and forum, you are waiving any liability claims or other type of claims related to any dogs' behavior against you or others

 

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hands - I have also read your files on hands. She is very timid around new people especially when they go and pat her, again she backs/slides away. But she is so comfortable and loving with my husband and I, we could put our hands and face anywhere and she loves it. I find it hard to train with other people and again it's not just one imparticular person, so is there anything we can do to help her around new people?

It may help having new people skip the patting for now and asking for hand targets instead:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/

Make sure to reward those hand targets!

Do your games improve confidence in general or is it now a desensitizing situation to every individual thing, since we have obviously done something wrong in the socialisation period 😞

We just have a gorgeous sweet girl who is scared of many things and i want her to be more confident with the world and comfortable and love to be around people.

Thank you! 

The desensitization and counterconditioning methods target the issues dogs fear directly, going to the root of the problem by tackling the underlying emotions. Exercises to increase confidence, brain games and training/clicker training work at a broader level, helping dogs from a variety of angles such as teaching them to investigate and interact with objects, knowing what to predict (if I sit, I get a treat), and over all increasing their sense of confidence and level of trust towards us since we provide them with guidance (the so called -secure-base effect). I think both work in synergy by taking a "holistic approach" sort of like taking an antibiotic to fight an infection while also working on improving the immune system. 

Hope this helps,

Let me know if you have further questions! Keep us posted.

Happy training!