Although dogs don’t process emotions the same way we do, there are plenty of canine feelings we can empathize with that may eventually lead to behavior problems. These include fear and insecurity.
It would be wonderful if telling our canine counterpart, “Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid. I know what this is, and it isn’t scary,” worked with dogs the way it might with a small child. But we have that language barrier, so we must find other ways to communicate with our pets and help them feel secure.
I can help bridge this language gap with my in-home training program, just as I did for Scoop’s owner. Scoop was a little dog I worked with who had begun growling and showing her teeth at strangers and other dogs during walks.
During Scoop’s in-home consultation, she barked and growled at my presence, running up to me and sniffing and keeping her guard up. When the owner scolded Scoop, she listened and stopped cornering me, which was wonderful. It showed that she already had a certain amount of respect for her owner which would make basic obedience training and focus training easier. I also noticed that Scoop liked to chew things like shoes and furniture. All signs pointed to anxiety and fear.
Again, this means something different to dogs. To dogs, insecurity simply means they don’t quite understand their place in the family structure. They aren’t sure what they should be doing at a certain point in time. Barking and growling at guests and other dogs was Scoop’s way of trying to protect herself and her family, and the chewing was an outlet for her anxiety. We solved this problem by teaching Scoop that the owners had everything covered. She didn’t need to worry about threats and intruders because it wasn’t her job. She was supposed to follow, not lead.
We were able to help Scoop achieve this mindset through a combination of basic obedience training, proper leash handling techniques, and by providing a consistent schedule, along with a few other tried and true training techniques. The result? Scoop’s owners saw a change in their pet almost immediately, and now she’s a much calmer, happier pup, and walks around the neighborhood are much more pleasant.
Do you need help communicating with your dog? Give me a call at 614.347.9127 today!