Avoid Reinforcing Irrational Fears – Dog Trainer Sydney City
Eazy Dog Training – Your Dog Trainer Sydney City
Dogs can suffer from phobias just like us. But when does it become irrational and what can we do about it?
Fearfulness is a common problem with dogs and as a professional dog trainer in Sydney I meet timid dogs often. Early socialisation, done in a positive way, is very important in order to prevent fears from developing. What we need to understand is that fear is a defence mechanism and isn’t something we have to eliminate entirely. But there are situations when we need to intervene – and not to reinforce the fear!
Our natural response to fear is to comfort
It’s normal for us, humans, to offer comfort in a form of talking or touching when someone is scared. We tend to do this with our dogs as well. But do dogs really benefit from it? No not really, the better thing to do is to focus on training. Training can change the way a dog feels and this can turn a scary situation in to a pleasant one.
What You Should Not Do
I’ve met many people that have accidentally reinforced their dog’s irrational fear. Irrational fears can be things like being scared to step on certain surfaces, being scared of stairs/doorways/objects etc. In my opinion we are talking about an irrational fear when it’s something that is present in daily life and exposes no threat to the dog. In these cases, instead of training, the owner has allowed the dog to start avoiding the thing, even if it meant carrying around a very heavy dog. Or they’ve tried to force the dog to face his fear. This usually leads to the opposite, the dog becomes even more fearful.
Give Your Dog Time – And Use Positive Dog Training!
Eazy Dog Training Sydney uses positive dog training methods to gain long lasting results! Dog training can be challenging at times. If you struggle with your dog, or have noticed a new unwanted behaviour, it’s best to get a professional dog trainer to help you out right away – before it turns into a habit!
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