by September Gray

Created on: September 26, 2010

My Chihuahua, Chico, is afraid of his own shadow. By this, I mean he literally barks at it. He also barks at the mailman, my sister, my brother and any date I’ve ever been foolish enough to invite into my home. Chico works out his issues in a variety of ways such as, chewing on shoes, drywall and floor tile. I don’t know how it is possible that he only weighs eight pounds, given all the extra calories he ingests on a daily basis. I have said many times that if only writer, John Grogan, hadn’t beaten me to the punch with Marley and Me, I could have made a million writing about Chico’s antics. Of course, dealing with a pet that is such a handful isn’t always as cute as it seems in the movies. Here are a few tips on what methods are useful when trying to rehabilitate a fearful dog.

It’s all in the approach

When strangers are approaching a timid dog, most vetinarians recommend that you have them hold out their hand and allow the dog to sniff a few moments. It is best to keep the hand low. When a hand is over the head, the dog sees this as an aggressive approach. It is also helpful to have strangers come armed with a treat in the palm of the hand. Where dogs are concerned, it is often true that the way to the heart is through the stomach. Of course, this is only recommended for dogs that have no history of biting.

Reassure your pet

Address your dog’s fears. Dogs whine and howl to communicate. They are completely clueless to the fact that we humans might find this behavior annoying. It therefore stands to reason that ignoring or punishing this behavior will do nothing to modify it. To the contrary, if your dog associates what it fears with punishment, the negativity will usually escalate. Instead, cuddle or play with the animal in order to distract it from what it finds troubling. When your dog settles down, reward his calmness with a treat to reinforce positive behavior. If the dog experiences separation anxiety, it is suggested that you leave favorite toys lying around to offer comfort when you cannot be there. Allowing the television to play when you aren’t at home also decreases the sense of isolation. Lately, a lot of credence has been given to aroma therapy for dogs. The scent of lavender is widely believed to have a calming effect on all breeds.

Gradually expose your dog to triggers

Your dog will never get over his fears if he never faces them. You cannot avoid ever having visitors just because your dog is afraid of people outside of the family. Likewise, you cannot guarantee that the two of you will never encounter another dog during a walk in the park. Gradually expose your pet to the circumstances that trigger its fears and remember to keep the treats handy to reward positive reactions.  

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