Recently I called Maggie, and she didn’t show up. I was outside at the farm, working on clearing the muck-infused ice from a gate. The Border collies were out with me, behind the barn. No matter what I’m doing, I never let them out of sight; we live close to a road and even though the dogs are trained to stay off of it, they are dogs, not machines. I’m well aware that it just takes one second for trouble to turn into tragedy. In addition, let’s face it, I tend to be on the neurotic cautious end of the continuum.
“Maggie! Maggie Maggie!” I called again. Nothing.
And there it was. That feeling. That moment when your stomach drops like a plane hitting an air pocket. Fear, in all its physical glory.
And then I turned around, to find that Maggie was standing two feet behind me while I was calling her. Sigh. But that feeling–that feeling of stark, wrenching fear–took a while to disappear.
I thought of this moment when several blog readers asked if I’d address the topic of fear. Of course, they were asking about fear in dogs, not their owners, but fear is an equal opportunity emotion, and it plays a huge role in the lives of the animals at both ends of the leash. It’s not always easy to deal with. Trying to talk a dog out of being afraid of a hot air balloon–or thunder, or an unfamiliar dog–is as effective as telling a person not to be afraid of the needle approaching their face at the dentist office. (What? Just me?)
Fear in dogs is also a hot topic right now, given the widespread coverage of the study by Biagio D’Aniello and colleagues that Dogs Really Can Smell Your Fear. (See PubMed for the abstract.).
The authors found that the scent of sweat, from men who had been exposed to scary videos, caused dogs to look at their owners more, to display “stressful behaviors”, and to have increased heart rates. Dogs smelling the sweat of men watching happy videos looked at their owners less and were more likely to approach strangers. (There was also a control with no sweat inserted into the scent dispenser.)
Of course this is just one study and needs to be replicated, but it passes the smell test (sorry), given what we know about the contagion of emotions in mammals. Not to mention the olfactory ability of dogs. If you’ve ever had a fearful dog, it’s also discouraging, because OF COURSE we believe that we might make our dogs worse if we are nervous ourselves. (Yeah, I was sort of yelling.) I can’t tell you how many of my clients have said “I know I shouldn’t get nervous when my dog sees ___ (fill in the blank), but I do, and I feel so guilty”. And yet, if the dog in the photo below is your dog, the words “don’t get nervous when you see another dog” aren’t particularly helpful.
(By the way, this dog is labeled “angry” by the stock photo site. I’d label the dog absolutely terrified.)
Okay then, what do we do? Here are a few ideas; please add your own from your own experience.
MANAGE: Management is a perfectly good solution to many fear-based problems. Teaching the dog who is afraid of visitors to run into a “safe space” is not a failure, it’s a smart strategy. Yes, of course, it’s still important to do what you can do treat the problem at its core, but good management is usually part of any good treatment plan. Of course, you can’t control when a hot air balloon appears over head, but you can put your dogs away when visitors come, or walk down a street where you can avoid unfamiliar dogs, or at least know where they are. And, hey . . . If management is as far as you can get, that’s okay too. Most importantly, know that if you have a plan both you and your dog will be less nervous. Rather than thinking “Oh No!” when a visitor comes, you’ll be busy happily clapping your dog into her crate in the back room.
TEACH AN INCOMPATIBLE RESPONSE: It’s hard to be fearful when you’re playing, and that’s true for both people and dogs. One of my favorite cues to teach nervous dogs is to Take a Bow. It seems to make us happy to see our dogs get all down in the front but up in the butt. At the same time, “bowing” is a play solicitation gesture to dogs, and it’s hard to be nervous and playful at the same time. In my experience, fearful dogs gain a lot by learning a bevy of tricks, and so do their owners. The trick for us is to teach the behavior in a neutral environment and only ask for it before the dog becomes too fearful. It’s also important to choose the right trick. Don’t ask a dog-dog reactive dog to Lie Down and Roll Over when he sees a dog down the street. That’s just going to make him feel more vulnerable, not more relaxed. I like High Five along with Take a Bow because foreleg gestures are often used in play, and the posture wouldn’t make a dog feel vulnerable.
USE COUNTER OPERANT CONDITIONING: In other words, reinforce a dog for behaving differently in the presence of a trigger. The invaluable ABC’s of operant conditioning are 1) figuring out the Antecedent (environment, context and trigger itself), 2) describing the Behavior you want to change, and what you want it to change into, and 3) creating a Consequence that effectively reinforces the desired behavior. Using the all-too-common example of dogs who are afraid of strangers, A could be Anyone at the front door and tall, bearded men who approach fast on the street, B could be Relaxed body, open mouth and full body wag instead of Going stiff and growling, C could be Tug games and/or Bacon Bacon Bacon!
USE COUNTER CLASSICAL CONDITIONING: In this case, you are pairing the low intensity version of a trigger with a high intensity version of something the dog loves. The purpose is not to reinforce a behavior per se, but to create a new emotional response in your dog. Using our example above, our stranger-averse dog learns that a bearded man down the block leads to a piece of chicken, or getting to chase a ball. As I said once at a seminar, when describing my BC Pippy Tay’s adolescent-induced fear of men along with her love of tennis balls, “And so for a few months, every man Pippy saw was preceded by balls”. Yup, I really said that, and not on purpose. I describe this process at length in The Cautious Canine. In it I use a dog who is afraid of strangers as an example, but you can adapt the steps easily for any kind of fear, as long as it is one that you have some control over. There’s also a video on my website that illustrates the process.
I’ve found that both types of counter conditioning help us to be less fearful about handling our fearful dogs. Having a plan and a program gives us a feeling of control and takes away that feeling of being helpless ourselves. (Which no doubt is how many of our dogs feel, especially when trapped on a leash.)
After all this, I find myself thinking about the reader whose dog is afraid of hot air balloons. What could be more challenging? You have no control over when they appear and you can’t introduce them at “low intensity”. I think what I would do myself is 1) teach my dog several tricks in neutral contexts, like a killer Take a Bow. I’d ask for it in gradually increasing contexts of distraction and arousal. I’d also ask myself what my dog adores. Tug? Ball play? Chicken? I’d use the answers to reinforce an About Turn and use it if a balloon appeared in front of us. (See the booklet Feisty Fido.) I’d condition the word Balloon, linking it with something wonderful and active! So if you see someone running down the street away from some hot air balloons, enthusiastically saying “Yippee Skippee, Balloons!!!” to their dog, as they toss pieces of chicken hither than yon, it’s my fault.
Kidding aside, this is a huge topic, and I fear (sorry again) I haven’t begun to address it. But I do have an entire section on my website that includes blog posts and articles about fear that I hope will be helpful.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: “March Madness” I call it. And I’m not talking basketball. One day there are two feet of snow on the ground. Two days later, farm fields and back yards become lakes (Lake Ickykaka a friend called her neighborhood). Roads are closed with “High Water” warnings, and great, goopy globs of mud are everywhere. For us, it’s been an inconvenience, albeit a somewhat dramatic one. For others, it’s been fatal. Thousands of farm animals died when their barn roofs collapsed during late snow storm that caused much of the flooding. A man died getting snow off of his roof. There is tragic flooding in several midwestern states.
And yet, as is always true in life, there is beauty. There are Robins. And the Sandhill cranes are back. Here they are from last summer. (Could it ever actually be this green again?)
A friend has Snow Drops blooming BLOOMING in her yard. Ah life, in its never-ending set of contradictions.j
This is what’s blooming at our house. Muddy paws. Lots and lots of muddy paws.
I gotta go walk dogs. The mud is waiting . . .
Caroline says
Dogs and smell….I have been having some medical issues and my dog is making me nervous because she is so clingy. I can’t help but wonder if she can smell something that tests have yet to discover.
Anton says
You need to know that I was so stressed out about what might have happened to Maggie that I couldn’t concentrate and had to skip through the article to find the place where you said she was fine and right next to you!
Trisha says
Oh holy moly, I’m so sorry! I’ll move it up to earlier in the post tomorrow.
Frances says
I learned just how infectious fear can be when Sophy was stung by a wasp out on a walk. I flicked it off, but she was reluctant to move, and within seconds I had convinced myself she was going into anaphylactic shock. I picked her up and hurried back to the car, where first the car key fell apart as I tried to unlock the door, and then I could not remember the vets’ number, nor find it on speed dial. I drove the 10 miles to the surgery and carried her in, by which time she was shivering, shaking and unable to move. The lovely vet nurse took her from my arms, and hunted for the sting site – no swelling, no redness, just the tiniest little pimple. She assured me Sophy was absolutely fine, and as my shoulders dropped and my breathing slowed, Sophy’s ears and tail went up and she trotted over to the counter to beg for treats… I had thought I was staying calm and collected, but Sophy knew panic when she saw and smelled it.
I have found a form of self hypnosis very helpful at the dentist (along with keeping my eyes very firmly shut!).
Franny says
My recently adopted 5 year old boxer mix is afraid of strangers and lunges at other dogs (which I think is fear too). I have been using the steps above on our walks for a few weeks. Is there a point at which we can graduate to her being ok with being greeted by a stranger? Right now, when people want to meet my dog, I say “she’s afraid of strangers. I am training her. You can help by just standing there while I give her treats.” I’d love for her to be able to interact with people.
I fell in love with your work Patricia 25 years ago when I got my first dog. I love re-reading your books. The Education Of Will is an incredible journey. Thank you for all you do to make dogs’ and people’s lives better.
Franny says
Back again. I should have clarified that right now, as soon as I see a stranger coming, I start giving Lily treats and continue till the person has passed.
Adrienne K says
Caroline: I hope all goes well and you are able to put your medical issues behind you.
Zasu is a very fun loving, dog loving, people loving girl . She doesn’t even budge during a thunder storm and sleeps right through it. So the challenge is for me, a high anxiety type, to stay calm and not transfer any fear issues on to her. I am an overprotective doggie mom and I know this is not good for her. I have been this way with all our dogs but I am more aware of my behavior now.
Kandy says
I know this is off topic for this week’s blog, but I wanted to tell you how much I’m enjoying the book, Deep Creek by Pam Houston. I’m reading the audio version, narrated by the author. With her narrating I get her personal take on every word. Thanks so much for your recommendation. Since my mindset is very similar, I’d love to meet her. Our earth is definitely on the precipice and I hope it can be saved. Her dog stories are delightful.
martha says
I’ve felt that gut turning fear Trish when my lab wasn’t in sight.. I can count 8 human steps when we hike and before I can take the 9th (Mac)Duff is turning his head to check my progress..Always..When we’ve done about 2 hours he falls in behind me. Twice I couldn’t find him in deep woods.*he wears a blaze orange vest?. The gut flipped.. my brain hurt.
I assumed…..
called him.. scanned the woods…. that dear dear black lab was tucked behind me on trail so tightly that when I slightly swiveled to look down I couldn’t see him..
Bless all dogs everywhere! 🐕
chris says
I have done that too where I have called and called and my dog was right behind me (the one area I forgot to look). I understand the feeling in the pit of your stomach. I also understand the mud. We wipe off all wet and mud with rags, then use a wet rag to wash anything off and then towel dry. But it is much better when it is dry out instead.
Trisha says
What a fantastic story. Thank you so much for sharing it. I should add that as I was reading it I stopped breathing myself for a moment. But such a great reminder to those of us who are not made of steel.
Vicki in Michigan says
Buzz came to us as a one-yr-old dog who had been a kennel dog. He’d been “the nice boy who got to hang out with the girls.” He was great with dogs, but basically thought people were furniture. He was polite, but completely uninterested.
Sophie was seven when we got Buzz. She’d grown up in our house. She knew things like “it matters what the people say”……
The first time I took them for a walk in the neighborhood I learned that A) Buzz had no idea what the reality of a leash was (“no, you really can’t run off after a squirrel when you have a leash on”), and B) he was very afraid of kid-size vehicles with wheels (tricycles, wagons, etc).
(Shortly thereafter, we found out he was also very afraid of boys. Not toddlers, not men, not female humans, just boys. Gee, I wonder what happened to him before I got him………)
I think Buzz being used to taking cues from older girl dogs probably helped A LOT in helping him get over his fears. Sophie wasn’t afraid of wheeled items, nor was she afraid of boys.
I started carrying treats on our walks. When I spotted a wheeled item parked on or near the sidewalk, we’d walk up to Buzz’s avoidance place. Sophie and I would take a couple of steps nearer to the scary item, and I’d give her a treat. I’d offer Buzz a treat, too. At first, he was like “NO WAY!!!” So, ok, I gave her his treat. It seemed to me that he thought “Hey! Wait! That was MY treat!!!” It only took a few tries for him to realize that if he didn’t step up, someone else was getting *his* treat.
Over some weeks we worked on getting closer and closer to scary items, and finally he was willing to eat a treat off a tricycle or a wagon, and then he forgot to be afraid.
The same thing worked with boys. There were some nice boys (with nice friends) at the end of our block. I asked them to help Buzz feel better, and they did a great job. After watching Sophie get petted by, and get treats from, the boys, Buzz learned boys were ok after all.
It all felt very easy. I bet that Buzz being used to hanging with (and taking cues from) girls in his previous setting, and Sophie demonstrating no fear in his new setting, was hugely helpful to him in getting over his fears. And having someone else get his treats mattered, too, I think. 🙂
To make a long story short — a confident not-fearful dog may be a great help in reducing fear in a fearful dog, but that’s not as ready to hand, often, as treats, toys, tricks, etc.
As for the dentist — I practice not paying attention to *everything* they do to me at the dentist. I work at staying relaxed all the time. When I know there will be needles, work hard at never seeing them. The dentist knows I hate the needles, so he takes it extra slow, and chats the whole time. I don’t mind it as much as I used to…..
Margo Harris says
Oh, these posts and comments always make me feel so much better!!
I am now very aware of how I can transfer my anxiety (I am what they used to call a “high strung” person…sigh…) to my dogs, and also very much to my horses. Hmm, my cats don’t seem to care, but maybe I don’t read the signs! I’m a little better, for the most part, than I used to be. Well, I’m probably just as anxious, but working with the horses taught me to act the part of a calm person, when there are problems, and not just act it actually, but in a weird way really feel it…even though on another level I am still anxious…hmm, does that make any sense?!
My old dog Lola who I had when I lived in the city, was blindly terrified of hot air balloons, as were her 2 dog companions who we walked with. Their owners, and I, are not afraid of hot air balloons, but we did start to worry as soon as we heard that scary-to-our-dogs roaring whooshing sound the (damn) hot air balloons would make as they were advancing upon us!! Oh my, the poor dogs…Lola would collapse and start to drool and shake, Bear would cower behind his owner, and Lulu was so frightened that once she got away and ran all the way home, which was very dangerous because the streets were busy. I grew to heartily dislike hot air balloons, needless to say!
It was a relief for Lola and me, when we moved to the country when she was old. Also, by then she was deaf, which was great because then she couldn’t hear thunder, which also scared her! She was much happier in her old age than when she was younger.
Great photos, Trisha! How uplifting it is to see all your photos. Hope the mud situation improves soon…we’re in for that pretty soon, but not yet, still quite cold here.
I hope Caroline’s tests turn out ok and that her dog is clingy because she might sense worry.
Victoria Stewart- Moore says
Could it be my otherwise very bold BC . when in the field with sheep is “terrified” when we walk into their stall? She tries to avoid eye contact, hides behind me or looks the other way. I’m stunned since in the field she’s very strong and .is hard for me to associate fear with this youngster.
LisaW says
When Olive came to us nine years ago (good grief, can that be true?) she was afraid of—the world inside and out. She was a semi-feral dog with the brave heart of a terrier and the emotions of someone who spent their formative years in complete isolation. And, she is physically not all that sound so many of the things she would have excelled at (agility, course work, etc) she couldn’t do. Today, this “senior” dog has a very quick trigger recovery time, knows many, many tricks and words, is intuitive and responsive, and has a better long-term memory than I do. And, being the terrier that she is, she will always hold onto some fear and anxiety.
I’ve thought a lot about fear over the years. Hers, mine, ours. Slowly, I began to understand that what helped us take a few steps forward was her desire to learn (treats didn’t hurt, either). She loves, loves, loves learning. Teaching her tricks and games and routines and names of things was how we built a relationship that eventually included trust. Once she started to trust, she could see that the plastic bag or the radio or the fly in the room were not monsters. Once she found a way to start to relax, she could rest. Rest allowed her mind to start putting the pieces together. She came to rely on us instead of worry about us. Finding that one thing that let her forget about herself—in her case it was water, wading, swimming, pawing at the bottom and watching bubbles rise. She started to trust, she could rest a little, and she could feel pleasure. All of those things helped her to let go little by little. Combined with a clumsy mixture of all the treatment approaches listed here, we made progress toward a better life. She developed some confidence and soundness and playfulness that was so wonderful to see emerge.
I did live with a fear of inadequacy for many of these years. I’m sure she felt that, too. I have relaxed a little and worry a little less about her, and I’m sure that also has given her some relief.
It’s been quite a ride. Well, actually, it’s still quite a ride, we just have a better vehicle 🙂
Jann Becker says
Been there…our Dooley is knee high and reddish-brown, so he disappears into brush when he’s out looking for fox poop to roll in. When I have to get mud off his feet, he thinks “Towel Fight!” in which I wrap it around him while he tries to take it and run. I don’t mind mud, just so it’s not fox poop.
Here in Missouri we’re nervously watching all that water up on the Missouri which is headed our way; Minnesota got a lot of snow, too, that’s going to come washing down the Mississippi. St. Louis is where the two come together, and in Spring that can be bad news.
HFR says
I’d like to know where everyone lives that hot air balloons are such a common sight! I’ve seen one in my life and that was out in a huge open country field. But come to think of it, my dog did go absolutely nuts when she saw it.
Trisha says
Oh yes yes yes s,he is afraid. She knows perfectly well that she is vulnerable in a small space. I’ve seen sheep bash dogs against a wall; I had one ewe, Crystal, who would follow a dog with her head around in a circle until it was between her and a post, and then try to smash it against the post. Until a dog learns it has teeth to protect itself (and many truly don’t seem to know that), they can be hesitant, if not terrified to go into a small space. It took me almost a year to get Maggie to go in side the barn to bring the sheep out without help from me. Be patient with our own dog, go in with her and protect her, don’t correct her if she dashes in and makes a food of herself.
Trisha says
LisaW, that is one perfect line you ended with. “Still quite a ride, we just have a better vehicle”? I bow to anyone who can write a line like that!
Denise says
I volunteer at a dog rescue that takes in fearful dogs. Sometimes they are so frightened that we will literally try to climb a wall to escape even being looked at by a human. When I started actively working with fearful dogs, there just wasn’t much information out there on truly fearful dogs. There still isn’t. I was told to use treats to lure these dogs. At the time, it was laughable because these dogs were too scared to even consider taking a treat no matter how high the value. I have since learned that I have best learned from them – the dogs. However, for people who work or live with fearful dogs, I would love to see more information out there.
Gordon says
Love the Sandhill Cranes. We had a pair that moved in last summer and stayed on our property for weeks. They became known as Hattie and Matty.
Maybe we’ll see them again someday……
Nancy says
Speaking of fear – I received an e-mail the other day about a survey being done on the use of shock collars – argh! The information is:
“Please Help Scientists Understand Various Aspects of the Use of Electronic Collars on Dogs. We invite you to take a few minutes to complete a survey on shock collars in dog training by clicking on this link: https://ttucasnr.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Cli6VPTa74yqB7
“This research study is being conducted primarily by the Shock-Free Coalition (https://www.shockfree.org) and Dr. Nathaniel J. Hall from the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University. The survey is available until April 2, 2019. Please forward to all your friends, family, colleagues, and contacts who share their lives with pet dogs.
“There is no direct benefit for participating in the survey. However, we will raffle off a total of 25 cash prizes of $20 to randomly selected participants if you choose to enter the draw. In addition, you will be providing the researchers with valuable information to help increase their understanding of perceptions about the use of electronic dog collars.
“Thank you for participating! ”
I have a fearful dog but we cope. Years ago in a large pet store, someone else was trying an shock collar on their dog – who yelped (screamed?). Charlie, my dog, was visibly shaken. I have trouble understanding why any person would use one on their dog.
Chris from Boise says
LisaW – What a wonderful way to describe your journey with Olive. And yes – the perfect final line. She is a fortunate girl to have landed in your family, and (although you may not have felt it at the beginning), you were so fortunate to have her as a teacher.
Jan says
Thank you!! I’m one of those who posted about fear in dogs. And I applied a lot of what I learned from you and my agility instructor and have had huge improvement in the last 3 weeks. Since I didn’t know exactly what made him afraid, as at class he’d visit numerous people and try to visit their dogs, but then would be afraid of some people, I decided that I just had to be the most important person to him so he could rely on me. That would also address his “stare off into space” or “run off and visit, or just run around” when it was our turn on the agility course, whether from distraction or fear of what was going on around him, it still was an issue.
So, before class, I worked on basic obedience outside the building, by ourselves, with lots of cookies. In the building, I didn’t let him approach anyone, nor them him, but every time he looked at me, rapid fed cookies. During his turn, I’d brought 2 kinds of smelly, really good treats and used them frequently and had one solid run, and of the 2 that had a distraction, he came right back to me willingly.
His next session, saw even more improvement. He was so distracted and excited when his favorite dog and person did their run, that I learned my lesson and hid in the bathroom during that dogs run.
Last week was the best session yet. For the first time, he would lay down relaxed waiting for his turn, didn’t try to visit anyone, and held his stay when I ran out to help set jumps. All 4 of his runs were great. Perfect attention the whole time. but it really was seeing him sitting in a perfect stay after I set jumps and headed back to him, with full focus on me and his tail wagging under his bottom that made me relax and smile. He was comfortable, he was focused, he was trusting me. Wow, what joy.
I still don’t know about pursuing dog activities that cause him fear, but am glad I didn’t give up in this situation as he’s a much happier dog, and I’m so much more relaxed with him.
Danette Johnston says
I have been teaching Bow in my reactive dog classes for years and have always said that I do not have any scientific proof this works but absolutely feel there is a “fake it til you make it” effect, like you said, it’s hard to be nervous and playful at the same time. When I see the great Patricia McConnell suggesting it, I feel so validated! Thank you!
Stephen Rafe says
RE: Your photo caption, “(By the way, this dog is labeled “angry” by the stock photo site. I’d label the dog absolutely terrified.)” This photo fascinates me in terms of my research into displays of approach and avoidance signals—active and passive. (Free copy available upon email request.) In that context,the animal is communicating mixed signals: The eyes and mouth both convey avoidance-active, while the posture conveys avoidance-passive. The ears are close to mid-point between the two modalities.
LisaW says
Chris from Boise, thank you. When I look at Olive I feel swells of emotion and huge waves of affection. I am so fortunate to have this experience with her. The teacher becomes the student and the student is also the teacher. Together, we have benefited beyond words from being in proximity to this community of smart and empathetic people digging into dog science, behavior, brainstorming, and, at times, belly aching. We are a lucky bunch. I am so excited to hear about your new one, Rowan. (Once the car rides become more pedestrian. 🙂
Debbie says
Great stories! Hateful shock collars! Ugh.
I have a dog who’s afraid of everything. It’s not easy Things have not gotten much better. The conditioning and desensitization that I’ve helped clients with doesn’t make a big change for him (small changes). I just love him for who he is.
Trisha says
We can’t fix everything, right? But what a lucky dog you have tried so hard. I’d try some diet changes, and alternative medicine, but that’s just me. What a lucky boy you love him so much!