Warning: Undefined variable $href_target in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/phpGiggle/phpgiggle-config.inc.php on line 44
How to help a dog not be afraid of people. | Ask A Vet
 

 


Dog ate chocolate?

ask a vet

Dog is afraid of people.

Species: Dog
Breed: Aussie
Age: 2-5 years
I have a shy dog and a trainer told me to densitize her to her fears. she is afraid of people, however how do you accomplish this. people are everywhere and when I walk her she sees a lot of them and we can't escape them. also how do I get her to met people if she is afraid?
thanks


Warning: Undefined variable $related_questions in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Deprecated: strlen(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Warning: Undefined variable $related_articles in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Deprecated: strlen(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/related1.php on line 75

Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that your dog is having these issues. It's often hard to train a dog to not be fearful. But, it's not impossible.

Here are a few tips that I can give that hopefully will help:

-First of all, I would recommend absolutely no punishment. Reward all of the good things that she does and don't punish any of the bad things. Punishment will just reinforce the fear that she has.

-Consider doing some obedience training at home with her. If she can learn some basic commands like sitting and lying down then you have opportunity to reward her and this will help to build up her confidence.

-As far as people go, I'd start with someone who is safe. Perhaps have a friend come to your house. At first he or she would pay no attention to the dog. Then, if Daisy shows any sign at all of coming out and greeting the person you can give Daisy a treat. Eventually you can have the person give her a treat. Dont' progress on to having Daisy see other people until she learns to be comfortable around this one. It may take many days of your friend visiting until she gets comfortable.

-Then, you could have a friend meet you outside and do the same thing.

All the time while you are doing this, never punish. Don't tell her no, but instead, be super excited whenever she does well.

If these things are not working for you, you could talk to your vet about temporarily trying some medication for her. I have had good success with a medication called Reconcile. Or, a more natural product that I have seen work well is one called Zylkene. These medicines wouldn't work on their own but in conjunction with training.

I hope that helps!

Dr. Marie.




Warning: Undefined variable $displayed in /usr/home/drmarie/public_html/askavetquestion.com/answer_np.php on line 253
Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

if my friend comes over to met daisy and she barks what do I do? ignore the barking? can the friend give her treats?
and what to do when we walk? we don't met people but we see so many people and daisy gets nervous as soon as she sees a person
thanks


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Here's one thing you can try. If she barks when your friend is over, wait till there is some kind of pause in the barking and then have your friend give her a treat. Then, as time goes on, she'll need a longer and longer pause in the barking in order to get a treat. It will take some patience but you should be able to teach her that quiet behavior gets rewarded.

As far as walking goes, until she is doing better, do all you can to walk at times and in places where she is not going to see many people.

If a person does happen to approach then one thing you can do is tell Daisy to sit and give her treats as the person passes. Again, the idea is to reward calm behavior.



Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Cat with asthma. My cat sam is 9 yrs old. he weighs about 16 pounds. He has coughing spells about 3... (11186 views)

Cat has an itchy head. Hello, my cat's head is very itchy. She has been wearing a e-collar for a year... (12834 views)

Increased appetite and hair loss. My Burmese cat is losing her hair all over and I am concerned about how hungry she... (9308 views)

Throwing up and diarrhea. My dog has been throwing up and has had diarrhea for a couple of days. She is able... (33762 views)

Sheltie leaking urine. We have noticed that my spayed 5 1/2 year female Sheltie has been leaking a little... (17696 views)

How to get a guinea pig to lose weight Hi Dr. Marie: Recently I took my sow guinea pig Squeaky to have her nails trimmed.... (7915 views)

Seizures due to brain tumor? Hello I have a 9 year old standard poodle (neutured) that has had a seizure episode... (21913 views)

Will spay terminate pregnancy? It is a possibility my dog might be pregnant. But my mom wants to get her spayed... (17293 views)

Sore chihuahua My dog Chevy has had some strange behavior for some time. For the past year or so he... (11252 views)

Dog biting at tail. My dog Kita is biting her tail down to the skin and Im getting worried because our... (10482 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.