Management of Fearful Dogs

Dogs raised in a rural environment such as the Divide do not have many opportunities to socialize with strangers and/or meet other dogs. Often, the only time the dog leaves the property is for a visit to the veterinarian, in itself very frightening to many dogs.

Duke was raised up country and most likely never saw a human outside of his family. At six months of age, an ad in a newspaper offered him for adoption. The initial meeting at his prospective new home proved disastrous and affected his behavior until his death from cancer at age 10. Duke was introduced to his potential new owner on leash. He was, in all likelihood, overwhelmed and very scared. When a hand came out to pet him, he took a full-mouth bite; the scary person went away. A light bulb went on and Duke learned scary people leave if you bite them. He had two more bites within three weeks.

I was called to evaluate Duke. Errors were made in his management that allowed him to practice growling and threatening people.  With Duke on a leash, I watched his body language from a safe distance. His body language was clearly fearful; i.e., tail between his legs, lots of white showing in his eyes, ears back, and hiding behind his handler growling. It was obvious to me this dog would not be successful in the current home, and more bites would be inevitable.

I took Duke home with me. The fascinating thing about a dog like Duke is he has to have a person. Removed from everything he knew, by the next day I was his new person. I kept Duke the remainder of his life but was very careful in his management. He was not allowed around people unless on leash. I protected his personal space in public by not allowing people to come too close.  He was trained in the basic behaviors of heel, sit, down, and stay. I took him to professional dog clinics and my son’s wedding. Duke was obedient and well-behaved on leash in public.  The key to preventing incidents of defensive biting was to recognize that in all likelihood I would never be able to totally rehabilitate Duke and turn him into Lassie.  Duke had never acquired bite inhibition and for a 50-lb dog, he had huge canines and a very hard bite. Therefore, the safest approach for both Duke and the public, was management. 

Dogs like Duke can be helped to overcome their fear. Changing a dog’s underlying emotions which cause the fear takes time and patience. There are several excellent books which will provide you with step-by-step plans to help your dog become more confident and relaxed around unfamiliar people, places, and other dogs.

These books can be purchased at www.dogwise.com