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or punishment. You always want your dog to associate you with good things.
5. Separation

A dog is not accustomed to being alone. They are pack animals and expect to follow where you lead. Unfortunately, many places of work do not allow the whole pack to attend. A dog will think you are not coming back. The best way to convince your dog that you will is to start with a few minutes away and gradually increase your time before you come back. Every time you arrive home, praise and treat the dog. Help your dog associate your return with reward.

6. Crate training

It may seem counterintuitive, but crating a dog helps to overcome fear. A dog needs a strong set of boundaries to feel secure. They need to know what to do, and a crate communicates that it is their space and that they need to relax. Associate the crate with good things such as food treats and fun toys. Leave the door open and let him wander in and out. You will eventually be surprised to find him laying there with no coersion. It is his space. When you are gone, the closed crate serves as a barrier to feeling anxiety. He is in his safe place and knows from your teaching that it is a good place of calm. Crate training is an indespensible tool to training a dog. It is not cruel, but a tool to allow the dog to understand how to behave in your house.

7. Desensitizing

Again, associations will help you with things such as fear of loud sounds and fear of new people. The most important thing is to go slow. For a dog afraid of thunder, play recorded thunder very softly and praise him when he settles down. It is important to refrain from praise - cuddling, petting, and encouraging words - during the fear mode. Ironically, this signals to the dog that his behavior is what he's expected to do. Slowly, increase the sounds and allow the dog to reach a state of calm. Praise and treat, massage and pet whenever he is relaxed around the fear producer, no matter how small the stimulus may be. This develops great associations for the dog and helps them recover from trauma. "This is accomplished by socializing her in a controlled setting, and allowing her experiences which end with a positive," notes dog expert Erika Slomka. For fear of other things, such as new people, introducing a person from far away and treating for calmness works in the same way.

8. Seeking out a professional

Dog professionals have experience working with dogs of all types. Sometimes a shy dog can be overwhelming for an inexperienced owner or may just be a tough

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