Will Your Dog Get Better With Time And Patience?
Apr 30, 2024
Have you heard that you just need to "Give your dog more time"? Are time, patience, and love really enough to build your fearful dog's confidence and change their behavior?
In my opinion, you need more than time and patient to help your fearful dog. Behavior is shaped by the environment. If you don't change the environment, behavior is unlikely to change. More on that in the video below.
What do to instead? Here are my top tips:
- Work with a positive reinforcement trainer with fearful dog experience. Don't wait on this. Your dog started learning about you and your home from the moment you brought them through the door. A trainer will help you make sure that what your dog is learning is beneficial to them, and to you.
- Consult with a veterinary behaviorist. These veterinarians are experts in behavior, medications that can affect behavior, and how physical and behavioral health are intertwined. You can search for a veterinary behaviorist near you here. If there isn't one near you, don't worry! There are veterinary behaviorists who will work with you remotely. Shoot me an email ([email protected]) if you'd like my current list.
- Arrange your home environment and daily routine so your fearful dog has access to lots of good things, and is rarely frightened. Not sure how to do this? Grab this free guide to get started.
