TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO SAFELY AND HUMANELY MEET A FEARFUL DOG
REVIEW THESE RESOURCES:

  • Learn how to read Canine Communication and Dog Body Language
    Reports Body Language.doc
  • Dr. Sophia Yin explains Preventing Dog Bites by Learning to Greet Dogs Properly
  • Dr. Yin explains more in Dog Bite Prevention: How Kids & Adults Should Greet Dogs Safely
  • WatchDr. Yin’s video: How to avoid dog bites
  • Download: How to greet a dog EBook
  • Another great resource to help understand How to properly great a fearful dog

THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN BODY LANGUAGE TOWARD DOGS.

Avoid Doing This:

From Sophia Yin’s Text: Low Stress HandlingPhoto from Herron and Shreyer inVeterinaryClinics of North America 44(2014) 451-481

Instead Do This!!

Photo from Herron and Shreyer in Veterinay Clinics of North America 44(214) 451-481.

HOW CAN YOU BEGIN TO INTERACT WITH A FEARFUL DOG

1. 1 HAND--1 SECOND RULE FOR INTERACTIONS

If the dog begins to approach to solicit interaction, you can begin to set up a 1 second 1 hand rule for interactions.

  • When you attempt to pet the dog use only one hand and keep your other hand quiet by your side or behind your back
  • Using one hand gives the dog an exit to move away if it chooses and prevents the dog from feeling trapped
  • If the dog is showing body language that is relaxed and social, you can pet it under the chest for a length of 1 second
  • Then pause and wait to see what the dog does next.
  • If the dog shows that it wants to continue the interaction, you can do so for another 1 second.
  • If the dog does not solicit more attention or walks, moves, or looks away, then end the interaction.
    You can find examples of this at this link:
    Dog body language- say yes or no to petting

2. TEACH HAND TARGETING OR “TOUCH”is another good place to start interactions where ask your dog to touch its nose to your
hand.For more info and videos see:

If you hold out a flattened hand or fist, most dogs will want to investigate the hand and move forward.

  • If you dog moves toward you hand, CLICK AND TREAT!
  • After a few successful trials, wait a moment, and encourage the dog to touch your hand with their nose. CLICK AND TREAT!!
  • Over time begin to present your hand in different positions such as to the side, the front, between your legs, have your dog follow your hand in a U-turn or circle, etc. CLICK AND TREAT for each behavior!

WHEN MEETING AND INTRODUCING FEARFUL DOGS REMEMBER:

  • Avoid force
  • Let the dog choose to come forward….or NOT
  • Avoid leaning or reaching over the dog
  • Avoid reaching for the dog
  • Do not pet on the head, instead slowly and gently stroke side of neck or under chin and neck.
  • Avoid direct eye contact
  • Turn to the side
  • Keep your body low, consider sitting in a chair if needed
  • Avoid sudden moves

OFTEN TAKING FOOD TREATS DIRECTLY FROM A STRANGER CAN BE REALLY STRESSFUL. So what can you do?
How to introduce guests that come to your home or what to do when you need to introduce your dog to someone new?
REMEMBER, HIGH VALUE FOOD TREATS ARE A POWERFUL REINFORCERto counter condition or create a postive associationto a new person.

START BY GIVING YOUR DOG THE TREATS YOURSELF WHILE THE STRANGER IS FAR AWAY enough that your dog is comfortable taking them from you. Over time you can gradually move closer and begin to ask the dog to preform some easy behavhiors like SIT that you can mark and reward repeatedy with tasty treats. This associates a positive emotion with unfamiliar people and gives the dog alternate behaviors to perform rather than barking, lunging or hiding.

THEN TRY SOME FUN GAMESonce the dog is gaining comfort with an unfamiliar people being present.

  1. TheTreat And Retreat Game
  • Start with your dog a safe distance from a person who worries him.
  • Have that person toss a piece of LOW-VALUE kibble over your dog’s head or to the side.
  • Your dog will turn and walk away to get the kibble, then turn back to look at the scary person.
  • When he turns back, have the person toss a HIGH-VALUE treat in front of the dog, in the approximate place the dog was originally. (You may want to use some kind of marker to help your tossing-person’s aim.)
  • When the dog comes forward and eats the high-value treat, have the person toss another low-value treat behind the dog, then another high-value treat in the original spot.
  • You can also do a simpler version by tossing the treat behind or to the side of the dog and then stepping backwards and removing your pressure of looming near the treat and allow the dog to turn back to you for more treats if it wishes.
  • As your dog gets more relaxed about coming forward for the high-value treat, have the tosser gradually decrease the distance, so the dog is going closer to the scary person to eat the treat.
  • If you see increased signs of reluctance with the decreased distance, you’ve decreased the distance too quickly.
  • Go as slowly as necessary to keep your dog happy about this game; you want him moving toward the person tossing the treats happily and voluntarily.
  1. Make A Friend
  • Teach your dog a sequence of behaviors that can help it to learn to greet appropriately.
  • Start by teaching your dog a behavior such as Give “PAW”.
  • Begin this training with your dog in a quiet area with no distractions.
  • Reward the behavior well with a tasty food treat to reinforce it
  • Once the cue for give “PAW” is well learned,you are ready to begin to teach MAKE A FRIEND with family members or people your dog already accepts and knows well.
  • You should be the handler and your friend or family member is the “stranger”.
  • As the “stranger” approaches to ~ 5 feet away, the handler says, “MAKE A FRIEND!”
  • Then the stranger asks your dog for the cue to give “PAW”
  • When your dog responds and gives “PAW” with the “stranger”, you (the handler) will deliver the click for giving “PAW” to the “stranger”.
  • Then call your dog back to you to prompt the dog to return to the handler.
    The final behavior should look like this:
    MAKE A FRIEND= approach “stranger”, give paw to hand, you “Click”, call back to you for reward!!
  • Once the MAKE A FRIEND behavior sequence is well learned with familiar people, start the process over again with less familiar but slightly known friends or family
  • The eventually start to practice this with unfamiliar people.
  • If your dog has aggressive tendencies or lacks impulse control, do this training while your dog is on a loose long leash hooked to a harness, collar or head halter. A basket muzzle may also be needed in some cases.
  1. KEEP INTERACTIONS WITH GUESTS BRIEFWITH THE 1 AND 3 SECOND RULES
    Once your dog has become more comfortable with guests and is volunteering to interact, try these introduction rules:
  • START WITH THE 1 SECOND-1 HAND RULE outlined above.
  • PROGRESS TO THE3 SECOND RULEwhenyour dog is enjoying the 1 second rule andis showing body language that is relaxed and social.
  • Have the guestask your dog to perform a fun, previously taught and well-known cue such as SIT, TOUCH (hand target) or give PAW.
  • CLICK AND TREAT when the dog responds appropriately to the cue.
  • After your dog correctly performs the cue, allow the guest to pet the side of neck or under chin and interact with your dog for a length up to 3 seconds.
  • Then pause and wait to see what your dog does next.
  • If your dog shows that it wants to continue the interaction, repeat the sequence again.
  • If your dog does not solicit more attention or walks, moves, or looks away; then end the interaction.
  • You can find examples of this at this link:
  • Dog body language- say yes or no to petting

FOR MORE HELP FOR FEARFUL DOGS SEE THESE WEBSITES:

Dogs In Need of Space (DINOS):

Fearful Dogs: