Training Tips for Cautious Canines
Hello everyone, and welcome back to a brand new episode of Dog Sense.
But before we get to it, we want to wish you a happy new year!! 2022 is here, and we hope you're as excited about it as we are.
And to start the year right, we’ll be sharing with you some tips on how to work with your fearful or nervous dog.
Plus, we're once again joined by the amazing Stacey, so you already know this is going to be a great episode!!
Want to boost your canine best friend's confidence?
Tune in now!
What’s a Cautious Canine?
Before we share our training tips with you, let’s first define what we mean by “cautious canine.”
We define ‘cautious canines’ as dogs who are shy, nervous, and lack confidence when they’re exposed to the outside world. They may also display fearful behaviors.
As Sarah says, a cautious canine is the kind of dog that doesn't have a lot of optimism when he looks at the world.
How can you help these dogs gain a more positive view of the world? Follow the tips below!
Our Training Tips
- Use visual barriers: Visual barriers are a great way to keep your dog from getting stressed out. For example, if your dog is in a crate, and there’s something around that will stress him, then cover the crate. If you’re on a walk and about to pass something that might trigger him, move him behind a car or a tree or even change the direction you’re walking in. Visual barriers are all about removing the sight of something that may stress your dog out.
- Go to a cautious canines class: Enrolling your best friend into cautious canine class is a great way to help him with his shyness. It will take time for him to get accustomed to it, but believe us, we’ve seen super fearful, nervous dogs blossom in these classes!
- Take it slow: Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Training your dog to be more optimistic about life takes time and effort.
We discuss all of this in detail and share more tips in the episode above, so make sure to give it a listen now!