A Guide To Living With & Training A Fearful Dog

By Debbie Jacobs

A finalist in the annual Dog Writers Association of America's writing competition, this book is a valuable resource for anyone living or working with a fearful dog. Learn about the most effective and humane ways to help scared dogs become more comfortable and prevent or stop reactivity and aggression. The author shatters myths and misinformation about the handling of shy, timid and anxious dogs.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Debbie Jacobs
• Release date: Jan 26, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452491110

Debbie Jacobs

Debbie Jacobs is certified in clicker training through the CAP program and is also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She lives on the Green River in Vermont with her husband and four dogs.

Book preview

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What others are saying about

A Guide to Living With & Training a Fearful Dog

As the owner of a fearful dog and longtime reader of Debbie Jacobs’ Fearful Dogs blog, I am very pleased that she has gathered her astute observations together in a book. Jacobs is not only smart but wise as well as humorous and empathetic. All these qualities shine through in an eminently readable and useful book. Even if you don’t have a fearful dog, you’ll learn a lot about dog training and dog psychology from her.

Edie Jarolim, Author: Am I boring My Dog

(Alpha/Penguin) and blogger at

http://willmydoghateme.com

I’ve had the pleasure of being able to watch Sunny and Debbie’s relationship struggle, develop and grow over the years. It’s been quite a ride! They have changed each other’s lives (and brains) in so many ways and in this book Debbie brings all of her hard-won experience together to help others help dogs like Sunny. I raise my squeaky mouse to them!

Debra Theriault, CPDT-KA

This book is awesome and so needed. It’s a fantastic resource for both professional dog behavior counselors and owners of fearful dogs alike. It’s remarkably thorough and full of helpful words of wisdom. I’m thrilled to see such practical information laid out in a readable, accessible format. It provides empathetic insight from both ends of the leash addressing fears and frustrations with a refreshing dose of frankness and sensitivity. Debbie has managed to be both beautifully compassionate and yet firm in her beliefs, ever the advocate for the fearful dog.

Kelly Dunbar, Editor of DogStarDaily.com & President of Open Paw, a non-profit dedicated to keeping animals in their original homes and out of shelters

I feel like you have given me a roadmap with real directions to a destination.

Cynthia Kingsley, caretaker of shy dog Bunny

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A Guide to Living With & Training a Fearful Dog

Copyright © 2008 by Debbie Jacobs

All rights reserved.

Cover and book design by Flocksholm Design

Visit fearfuldogs.com

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Table of Contents

Preface

1 Finding the Best Way

2 The Challenge

3 Getting Started, Feeling Safe

4 Training Jargon and Techniques

5 Treats and Rewards

6 The Vet Visit

7 Triggers and Thresholds: The Basics

8 My Dog is Scared of Me

9 Gauging Progress

10 Different Path, Same Destination

11 Helping a Fearful Dog Interpret Humanity

12 Training Games and Exercises

13 Getting a Dog to Play

14 Equipment and Supplies

15 Hobbies and Incompatible Behaviors

16 Medications

17 Supplements and Other Calming Products

18 Finding Help

19 Final Points to Remember

Afterword

Recommended Books

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Sunny today

Preface

IN NOVEMBER OF 2005, I met Sunny, a young border collie mix at the Humane Society of Louisiana’s Camp Katrina in Tylertown, Mississippi. In December, he was transported to my home in Vermont. I was assured that, although he was fearful of people, he was not aggressive. It was not my intent to keep him—I had hoped to find a rescue group willing to take him, but none was available. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and months seemed to quickly become years. It’s clear that Sunny has found his home here in Vermont with my family.

Initially, Sunny could not tolerate any contact with people. He lived in a corner of our living room for more than a month. He ate, slept, peed and pooped there. I imagined that any day now Sunny would come bounding out of the corner and realize that life was good. He didn’t. It took over a year and a half for him to not just tolerate me, but also to stop showing signs of fear when I approached him.

Sunny no longer acts scared regardless of what I do or say when I’m around him. He remains afraid of my husband and other people, but he’s not as afraid as he was. It is likely, however, that Sunny will need work on feeling more comfortable with people for years to come.

Changing our own views, beliefs and expectations may be the first step the owner of a fearful dog needs to take.

You will be trying to change the behavior of an animal you can’t talk to, or at least reason with. It’s not easy and it never happens as quickly as you’d like it to. The upside of this, though, is that change does happen. If you love dogs, you may find yourself moved to tears the first time your scared dog wags her tail when you speak to her or whines with anticipation when you invite her to go out into the world.

You are your fearful dog’s coach, trainer, therapist, playmate, advocate and refrigerator door opener. As you progress with your dog, you’ll learn to anticipate situations and be proactive in managing your dog’s behavior. Your dog will learn new behaviors not only because you reward her for those behaviors, sitting and looking at you for a treat rather than growling at the kid on a bicycle, but because you don’t give her opportunities to practice the wrong behaviors, because you don’t let strangers close enough to cause your dog to cower. The concepts and techniques for dealing positively with a fearful dog are not difficult to understand and are well documented. They are appropriate for puppies or adult dogs

Reviews for A Guide To Living With & Training A Fearful Dog

[Francisco · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nice and useful, the Debbie knowledge over the dogs is a bridge for owner and his pets