The Cautious Canine

Let’s take the example above and expand on it. Say you’ve determined that your dog is afraid of unfamiliar people while you’re out walking together in the neighborhood. You’ve noticed that he ignores people 50

Now you want to sit down and write out a list of what your dog loves. Note I said LOVES. You need to find something that your dog is passionate about, that she’ll do just about anything for, AND that you can give to her in small units repeatedly over and over again. Food works well for many dogs because so many dogs love tasty treats, and because it’s easy to chop food up into little pieces. When I say “tasty” I don’t mean dry kibble or grain-based dog treats. I mean something your dog goes crazy over. My dogs enjoy just about any doggie treats, but they think meat was made in heaven, so that’s what I use if I want to teach my dog a new trick. Meat-based products seem to get the most dogs’ attention, but all dogs are different. Do your own choice tests and see if your dog gets electric over chicken, liver, hot dogs or, bless them, frozen peas. The right food can make all the difference. I see owners every week who say: “Oh, my dog isn’t all that excited about food” while Fido is drooling buckets at my feet and turning somersaults because I ignored the dry doggie bones and got out my chicken.

4. Here’s what DOESN’T work:
Standing beside your dog, holding him with your hands or pulling tightly on the leash while strangers approach him or try to pet him. Even if “nothing happens,” your dog may be more scared of strangers the next time because he was trapped into an aversive situation.