Fearful dogs and pet sitters

Many of my students with extremely fearful dogs have chosen not to travel, because the idea of leaving their pup with a pet sitter seems impossible.  But is it? 

If you're new to caring for a profoundly fearful, anxious, or feral dog, you might not yet realize that building your dog's confidence is a long-term project.  In order to make the confidence-building journey sustainable, you need to take care of yourself.  If you feel like a prisoner in your own home because you can't travel, you'll likely start to feel resentful, which isn't good for you OR your dog. 

I know you might worry that your dog will never be comfortable with a pet sitter. In the video below, I explain how reframing your goals from "getting used to a pet sitter" to "being able to do important behaviors around a pet sitter" makes the goal achievable. 

I also give a couple of specific examples involving my dog Pancake. Take a look!

 You can find more information about finding and introducing a pet sitter here. 

What questions do you have about your fearful, timid, or shut-down dog? Shoot me an email at [email protected] and tell me about your pup.