I work in rescue and there is such a bad wrap on breeders in our community. I have seen awful rescues and awful breeders. But there are wonderful breeders and rescues out there who love their dogs just as much as their counterparts.
I've done this with my scared dog. Just walking, walking, walking, hours a day at all the most difficult areas eventually. Starting with just people, then like supermarket carts, a lot of people, crowds, other animals, different grounds or bedding like tarmac, concrete, grass, hay, strew, plates, gravel,sand, tiles, wooden floors, grates, bridges, stairs, steel stairs. Building sights, helicopter areas, planes (we have them close here), shooting range ...All kids of weather, temperature, lights sounds. She was with me everywhere. Biking, walking, riding, scooter, walker, and she has had her own stroller so that she can draw back for a while, resting, sleeping a bit and so that we could also carry food, clothes, towel for all kind of situations. The reward was from a dog that I got as a three year old menace every other dog wanted to kill to a completely loyal, happy buddy that walked off leash in all situations with a perfect behavior for all situations. As long as she could come with me she was willing to push any of her boundaries to succeed in enjoying it. She ended up becoming 15 years and 9 months even though people thought she would be euthanized for being so horrible. It is almost never impossible to change a dogs behavior.
My dog was undersocialized when I got him, and I found a local trainer that offered pack walks. Dogs did not interact but walked near other dogs and people. Worked great for him.
Im training my service dog and as we started public access training I noticed that he whined if we were standing still for over 30secs, I went back to the drawing board and fixed it. Now he is displaying a few reactive behaviors such as being fearful of strangers. I tried getting strangers to give him a treat and he would accept treats from some but not others. Same thing for strangers, some strangers bothers him others don’t. But I did notice that most of the time if a stranger walks by and he did not see them, that’s what spooked him out. I will definitely train utilize the tips mentioned in the video. Thanks
I have a 6-month old Irish Wolfhound. I wish I had more intuition for when to push and when it’s time to retreat. He’s so sweet and so strong. He was sick, hospitalized and crated for many days; now is more fearful than ever. Fingers-crossed I can guide him through this early period.
Great video. I have an extremely fearful rescue dog. He is afraid of life. We have been working with him for the last 5 months. He can now walk well on a leash with cars passing and not flinch. He is no longer afraid of the wind blowing or the rain. He still is afraid of most people. Especially men. We do push the limits at times and socialize him with the neighborhood dogs. It’s nice to know that what I’m doing is okay. I was worried.
Oh l am exactly in the same situation also with a rescued dog, it's also her first time ever in the city and l live in a flat in a second floor. Please could you let me know what worked out well for you?
The male owner did a really good job of not letting the fearful puppy use him as a crutch. Sometimes it is really, really hard to coach owners to do that - he did great!
The willpower of the owners here is amazing! I would've caved and picked up my dog but seeing what happens when they didn't is actually better for the dog. This was a great eye opening video.
It took 9 years to build confidence in my now 14 year old. He'd had no socialization when I got him at 15 weeks. He's now 14 years old and rock solid confident. Let him come out of his shell - and yes I pushed his limits all the time. But first I taught him he could always turn to me. Grateful to see the beautiful confident dog that was inside finally emerge. Awesome video Joel!
@@wandersonmeireles6499 First I built a strong relationship so he knew he could always trust that I would keep him safe. Then I took him everywhere off leash. If something was scary he could move away on his own and I would assure him he did the right thing. I let him find his way in the world. I would never let anyone or any animal give him a hard time. Nice people were kind to him and he learned to trust them. Then one day at the park - at age 9 - he ran up to a woman he had met before. I'll never forget it. It made my heart sing. Another time he climbed up onto the lap of a friend (he's 65 lbs). I was in awe. Now he's 15 and confident with everyone.
Thank you for these videos. I’ve been looking to train my new shelter dog who is a rescue. He is a gentle Saint Bernard who is not aggressive just fearful after being abandoned twice and not socialized. You can tell he has good temperament, he is not aggressive and without training just wants to be obedient and please you. Once we get his fear gone I feel he will be a great companion.
Great video because it doesn’t show a perfect ending, and demonstrates the patience needed, and the persistence. I’m looking forward to seeing another video with this dog in it to see the transition that these methods will result
For anyone reading this: I know that dog training can be difficult sometimes, but you're doing great. Keep up the good work, and your dog (and your own sanity) will thank you for it! ❤️💕
One of the worst memories I have is being a kid until 6 years old and being afraid of my grandpa. He was a very strict military guy having fought in ww2, but I so much wish I wasn't like that back then because in reality he was a loving man. He died when I was 7 and I never got to know him too well. I believe Im braver and less afraid now, and I hope I would make him proud today.
I have a 9-year old ridgeback/labrador mix that got bitten, first by her own mom when she was only a few weeks old (mom also killed one of her puppies), and then again twice by grown up dogs when she was still under 6 months old. She is still fearful of other dogs, no matter the size, and keeps them at a distance. Dispite all that, she also has three very close doggy friends and it took a long time to get her comfortable enough around them to play. The first time she did a play bow towards her (now) best friend Hector (3-year old Labrador/husky) last year, I cried! Took her a little over two years to get there. Patience and persistance are key in my eyes. Do not give up on socializing your dog, just because it's fearful. It's absolutely worth it in the end. And since I'm only seeing this video now, 4 months later - Merry Christmas, everyone!
Treating fear patterns: desensitization, socialization, when to push boundaries, counter-conditioning, patience (esp young dogs) Basis of fear patterns: genetics, early life, fear periods, '"you got what you got"
I agree with pushing the boundaries. In the end, the dog will be happier and can move forward in life and not be stuck in a fearful state. Patience will only get you so far 👏👏👏
As someone with ADHD, I can attest you got what you got is so true. Having shitty life experiences since early age, I wished someone would have just given me a break. I'm sorry I was chatty but that's how I expressed joy & enthusiasm. Then to be told your wrong for it - sucks. In my case, genetic. But true it's not 100% known. I wished someone would have just let me experience life. I honestly feel that's why I connect to animals over humans. Lack of trust. Lack of true leadership. Patience & understanding. Thanks Joel for another good one.
@Andrea Matthews I can relate. I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 40's and lived my whole life being criticized for being me. So much damage that still affects me. I've gotten much better at ignoring the criticism and just surrounding myself with people who accept me as I am. I don't have time or energy for the negativity. Makes my life much better and easier. Hang in there. People with ADHD have so much to add to the world that others do not.
@@shirleyens7707 Hi Shirley! Wow, that must have felt like a brick building falling off your shoulders! To finally have an answer - a reason... I'm lucky enough to have been diagnosed early in life (thanks overactive/bouncing of walls/not sitting still symptoms). But you are correct. Ignoring the criticism is the only way to go. You have to be you & that you; is way more authentic & real then if you weren't a neurodivergent. I've been fortunate enough to connect with a pretty awesome ADHD community on Twitter (I know, Twitter of all places 🤷♀️) but there's so many great folks there, that I feel most myself there. Thank you, thank you for your kind words. Hit me up on Twitter if you're interested AnDiHD. So glad you messaged today!
I wish I lived in San Diego.....my dog would be at your facility. Since I don't, Thanks a million for sharing these videos, you're truly saving lives and relationships.
Thanks for the fearful dogs video. I have a 18 month rescue who was shut down when we got her. I don't think she ever lived in a house or walked on leash. We've had her for 8 months now. I've been using your loose leash technique which is very helpful. She will shut down on a walk because of fear. What should I do when she does this? She will try to army crawl her way while choking herself on the martingale collar. She's slipped out of a harness so I need something that that she can't slip out of when she panics. Fear in older rescue dogs would be a topic I'd be really interested in.
this is going to be a long post and requires even more research on your part to effectively implement, but anyway... here's what I would do and recommend: *structure* stop taking the dog outside for as long as it takes to teach it the basics of functional obedience indoors; a conditioned reinforcer and conditioned punisher, come, sit, down, stay, heel or "walk" position, leash respect, release command, crate training, and learning through play. this is your dogs structure. every dog needs structure. 99% chance your dog never had it, and this *ALWAYS* ends up in undesirable behaviours. sometimes it manifests itself as disrespect (i.e a dog that jumps on people because its confident and never gets told no), sometimes its fear (this ends in either fight or flight behaviours, in your case its flight), sometimes its seemingly random behaviours (they aren't). it's your job now to give it that leadership that will create a new foundation for it to interact with the world. through structure, you both will learn to communicate and help your dog to understand how it should and should not act. ***if you do not do this***, you will fail the dog. this sounds hyperbolic... its not. you will fail the dog. this problem (this level of fear) can't be targeted because you cant speak to a dog and tell it "don't be afraid of everything", and walking it over and over will only reinforce it's fears unless you are inhumanly precise with how you reward it and what you let it experience. you essentially need to channel its focus into a competing behaviour, and show it the mechanics while setting the rules for interacting with the world in a safe environment. fundamentally, giving it structure will teach it that it must listen to you, *and if it does, good things happen and it will be safe*. if it does not, unpleasant things happen, ***but they aren't the things it fears***, it will involve the very thing it relies on most - the handler, its safety net. this is your power. the job will give it something to do and focus on, instead of letting its imagination wander into fear and anxiety of new stimuli. you can also build the dogs confidence through play and obedience. let me give you a couple examples: turn to the side and play tug with the dog, when it moves backward and tugs - you let go and take a couple steps back, let it win every time. let the dog come to you to re-engage, if it doesn't, go to the dog and praise it, don't take the toy or try to play tug until it asks you to. through obedience, teach your dog to be active! you can teach it a Non-Reward Signal like "uh-uh", that is essentially - what you did was incorrect, but try again. when your dog learns to try again, you reward it. this builds its resilience to failure, and thus, its confidence to make correct decisions based on your signal. once your dog's a bit more confident, the foundation of communication exists, it's learned non-compliance is unacceptable and will result in failure every time, it knows the mechanics of the specific task you are asking it to do, and it knows that listening to you makes all the good things happen - ***then its ready to go outside. *** when you get to this point, it will be a night and day difference. you aren't just randomly walking, it's doing a job it knows it will be rewarded for, and it understands you've asked it to do this and that it must do it as non-compliance is unacceptable. it will just be a matter of keeping its focus through distraction which you have made infinitely stronger through training and communication. you are then truly desensitizing it to the distracting environment outside that causes it anxiety, and not just taking it out and exposing it to new things while letting it make its own decisions and hoping for the best. this is where people fail. don't set your your dog up for failure by never letting the dog make its own decisions. it's a dog. it's far more often than not going to make a bad one. in the end, the dogs anxiety and fear may always exist, but you need to get the dog to understand that ignoring it is the *ONLY* way to alleviating it, and that great things happen when it does. after a long enough period (usually a few months if worked on every day), this becomes habit and the problem doesn't manifest, on top of that, you'll have a bloody well trained and behaved dog that will impress wherever you go. sorry for the long post, I felt like replying with just "structure" wasn't enough as it's hard for people to understand how that leads to curing specific issues like fear and reactivity. with respect to your leash issue - the tool doesn't matter. but personally i'd use a slip lead for convenience. if the dog is trained, you won't need it to slip often if at all, or very hard. if it's not trained, it's not ready to be walking outside. i think often people see these videos on youtube and think such problems can be fixed in a session or by focusing on them specifically, but that could not be further from the truth. we aren't seeing 90% of what Joel is telling his clients off camera that is the real meat and potatoes of the long term rehabilitation process. sometimes its fastest to target a specific behaviour, but regardless - it always stems from the same issue - a lack of structure. all the best.
@@alxhiding Thanks for the detailed reply. This is my second dog and my inexperience is showing. ❤️ I am worried that I'm in over my head with the help she needs to over come her fears. I agree that if control in the house is not attained then it won't be anywhere where there are distractions. I just want her to be free of her fears so she can be a dog and enjoy her life. Thanks again for your thoughtful reply.
Suzanne Clothier's Automatic Check In should help. Nose work or scent work also helps build a dog's confidence - treasure hunt through the house with a stuffed animal or something the dog really likes at the end of the hunt. See if the dog follows the same path you took or does it just sniff for treats? Snuffle mats help with energy levels especially if it's too hot or too cold to get them out for a walk. Sit for everything - nothing in life is free. They don't get petted, no leash put on, no supper unless they are sitting. And use a release word - something other than OK because everyone says it and you tend to say it more when you get nervous and something other than praise because you want to be able to praise the dog without the dog getting up. I use Free. Can try Break, Peace, Recess, Take 5, okie dokie. Pick one or make up your own. Something that means it's ok for the dog to stop doing what you asked. Hope that helps. Keep a journal too - dates, times, circumstances, any improvement, how long since the last time, etc. If aggression, might want to check out Dr Jean Dodds and get a full thyroid work up next vet visit - only if it's a new issue though.
Shut down dogs need patience and not too much pushing or they become flooded. Read a fantastic book that will help called ‘On talking terms with dogs’ by Turid rugaas. My dog was shut down and she became a happy confident dog. It takes time. I’m afraid that the techniques in this video aren’t helpful for shut down anxious dogs. They erode the traumatised dogs trust in you and actually set them back.
Me and my wife are getting an Aussie in November. She thinks I’ve been watching your videos because she’s under the impression I think our dog is going to be out of control or something. I really just enjoy your confidence and want to emulate that when it comes time to be the leader for the pupper. Thanks so much!
Sooo informative, especially your point about pushing the boundaries. I've definitely come to notice people coddle their dogs more than they coddle their human children, which is insane to me. Can't wait to see more of this puppy's progress, especially when she's in the board & train! I hope you will film more videos with her!
You're exactly right. I'm surprised the dog even ate treats because 95% of fearful dogs will not take them, and obviously the counter conditioning didn't accomplish anything. My prescription for this dog would be... forget the patience. NO picking the dog up. NO affection. Push the boundaries even at the risk of overwhelming it and make the dog deal with it on her own. Apart from that... LOTS and LOTS of structure.
Board and Trains Do Absolutely NOTHING to Teach the Owners!!! I Despise that Model when dogs already have owners!!! It’s the “ Owners” that Are the ones who NEED to learn!!!!! Dogs don’t take long to rehabilitate either! If worst comes if there’s a dog that needs a bit of rehabilitation before bringing the owner in, do One Week of Rehab Only and Theeen bring on the Owners!!!! It’s the PEOPLE who need to Learn!!!! I have such a Huge Issue with those “ Board and Train” facilities!!!! How does that Help Anyone? And HOW is it even Supposed to Help the Dog either when the Owners are Usualy the ones that have “ created” the situations to begin with, and they are gonna go right back to the same ole lifestyle as before.. so HOW is that supposed to Help ????!!? 😫😫😫
Thanks for all the you tube videos Joel! They are so valuable to me. I have a 3 and 1/2 year old high drive black shepherd pup. He is doing amazing! We group walk with my other three dogs every day and he walks beautifully. I don't have to hold the leash during our walks. I have a 15 foot leash dragging on him for safety. I've been working with him this way since he came home. I brought him to Home Depot yesterday and he was greeted by people and kids, sliding doors, noisy forklifts, all sorts of stuff. He was very curious and showed no fear of anything. We did sit-stays in the aisles while folks walked by. I had hot dog with me to help with distractions and to reward. Just want to say thanks for the good training videos. I watch them every day.
Hi! Could you do more videos about adult shelter dogs (5+ years) that need some re-education? Is it possible to fix leash reactivity (lunging towards females, barking/aggressiveness towards males) on a dog that has misbehaved for YEARS and probably never socialized with any dog before?
absolutely it is. its only hard to teach a dog that truly isn't motivated by food *and* play, but these dogs are rare, and you can create the conditions to build these motivations so that it's not a problem. existential feeding etc. but to get rid of specific behaviours, it's no different regardless of age (except for puppy) in terms of what options you have available. positive and negative punishment discourage behaviours. reinforcement encourages behaviours. the thing with shelter dogs is that you want to go back and teach the foundation, because you do not know what their current foundation is. if their reactivity is coming from being coddled or abused for example, and you go out to nail them with positive punishment - you are going to have a bad time. where as if you have instilled the correct foundation and understanding, nailing them with positive punishment might be precisely the right thing to do if they do something that is unacceptable (reactivity) so your answer is: structure through functional obedience, so you can communicate and allow them to understand what it is they are meant to do, and the expected outcomes of their decisions... then be consistent in your follow through. no matter what age, its all a process that takes time to build a more complex and general understanding, and then more time to form a habit. its not something you can just fix immediately... but the process is the same.
Most of my dogs over the years were shelter dogs. The first thing we teach in any of our classes is Suzanne Clothier's Automatic Check In. You can even use their meal rather than treats, but want higher level usually, just so they know more and better treats come from this person. Check out Joel's Rottweiler video on the loose leash walking video. He also has small dog videos and puppies for the loose leash walking method. I always fwd the Rottweiler video for the basis then add the other videos if they have a smaller dog or a puppy. Loose leashes, muzzles if you have to, use the fence as a barrier if you have to, check out their body language. Once they're good on a walk in the neighborhood, try a different area, or go to a park where there might be a dog park but don't go in. Start at a time when the park is not crowded if you can - scope things out ahead of time. You're seeing how the dog does just seeing other dogs. Watch their body language and try to get them before they react if you can. If they react, do 180 degree turn, correction is down and to the side - BEFORE the pulling starts. If they're already pulling, it's too late. Do the proactive stops to be sure they're on your page. If they're not successful, go back to the last part where they were successful and build from there. Hope this helps. Check out the local dog club to see if that's something you might enjoy. If you do private lessons, remember Joel can do everything without a prong collar and/or a shock/ecollar. They tend to mess the dog up and it's difficult to get a true read from them whether they might be ok with other dogs. Joel also has videos on using a front correcting harness and the gentle leader. Susan Garrett has an awesome video on conditioning the gentle leader.
This is one of the most helpful videos I’ve seen training wise. Thank you, my cane corso gonna be amazing, she’s very scared of cars at the moment and a little bit much for other dogs little in there face and exited and doesn’t read other dogs very well but she’s learning she’s only 2 months so I have a lot of patience with her but push her if everything’s safe and it’s just a bit of nerves because she’s doing things for the 1st time still. I’ve had her sit next to the road on the furthest part of the path away from the road sat there and tried to make her realise that she’s safe then she was way more confident on that walk. Each time she goes out she kind of gives the same reaction, to start with she’s terrified then I play with her in the front garden doing a bit of obedience with treats and then she walks fine but whenever a car drives past she completely stops or she tries running the opposite direction
You are so positive and spot on with your advise. I have 6 mo pup and your videos are great. “Have fun with your dog, don’t sweat the little stuff.” Thank you
I think when the pup cross the water, she can go out without asistance of the lady and the congratulations were not necesary. They could just stand up in front of her like a reference and a stimulus. I think that little things make the huge advantages in this kind of cases. Best wishes for everyone !
Thank you, Joel! Another great, informative video. Will definitely be using the tips you mentioned for our fearful one. *Please* give an update on this puppy during and/or after her board and train!
So true about pushing dogs' limits and being patient. We adopted a shelter dog who was around 4,5 years at the time (spent most of her life in the shelter) and she didn't leave the house for days at first. Everyone told us we had to be slow and let her take her time, except a trainer who showed us how to push her a little bit. We ended up pulling her out the house door with the leash (jerking it, showing her the direction she had to go in) and it worked wonders. We're obviously still working on many fears with her, as is normal, but pushing her boundaries has worked really well.
My 5 month old puppy does great in her training besides people, she is so fearful of people approaching her it’s fine at a distance but approaching her or coming too close she gets very fearful. Hopefully this helps her!
This is an extraordinary video. Every day I learn a lot from you and experts like you about the behavior movements of the members of my pack. Again thank you so much you are a great human been !
Appreciate what you do & putting it out here. This is how I train & I get very excited when I come across others still doing the same thing. These "positive" trainers out there are exhausting the dog world both mentally & FINANCIALLY. months & months of "training" that should only take a matter of day to weeks absolute tops!!!! Just crazy
We just rescued a 7yr old Iggy from Greeders, I don’t know what they did to him but the poor chap is absolutely petrified of us humans. Luckily we have a greyhound and whippet, which he loves. However, he won’t allow us anywhere near him. It doesn’t look like he has ever know love and care. So saddening
I liked that I could watch the dog almost the entire time. I also liked seeing the main points itemized on screen. And, as always, I liked seeing what is accomplished in a session as opposed to seeing one brief encounter that has apparently magical effects. Thanks.
I have a 9 month old pitsky pup and he's very scared of new surroundings and have been working with him taking him on walks and having him experience the different world than he's used to and it's a long process so far but getting there and lots of good information in this video to help out
Great video. Thank you Joel. We adopted a fearful dog from a shelter almost 18mnths ago. She is now 3,5 yrs old. She was found around 6mths old in the streets, stayed in the shelter till 2yrs old where we found her. At first she was peeing herself when I was getting ready for a walk, pulling like hell, shaking from fear like a fish out of the water. She was afraid of humans mostly men and city noises. She had diahroia the first 2,5 months. It was just her fear, nothing wrong pathological. The 1st trainer advised us to avoid fearful situations and meetings. We decided against this method and we seeked help from another trainer . Now after 7mths she can enjoy long walks with 20! Well trained dogs (like Prince) and their owners. We made her confront her fears. I will continue with method of training, along with a lot of patience and love. Thanks Joel for Yr videos and advices. BR, Elly Athens / Greece
I really like your videos ! First let me say thank you for all of the hard work you & your team do to help our little 4 legged friends ! I just recently began a journey with a 10 mth old, mixed breed that I was fostering, ( now adopted) , who is also terrified of everything ! Him & his 2 siblings were dropped off in the mountains before they were 6 mths old, found, penned up & left to starve. By the time they reached the shelter they were imaciated and covered in mange. So then add 4 mths of shelter life on top of his already rough beginning ; that makes for one sketchy, broken little dog. Lucky for him my last dog, Sasha, who I had for 14 yrs had a very similar story. Tipper has only been with me for a few weeks and we have, for sure, had some rough times ! The great thing is he is SUPER smart !! When on the lead he has already learned to stop, turn, and pretty much has heel down !! 😀 This morning we conquered a bridge that a walkway is made out of wire you can see through !🥳🥳 I am so proud of him but we have a very long way to go....maybe months we'll see ! Thanks again for all of your hard work, it's much appreciated !! 😁
That is so true. I did counter conditioning to get my 3 month cane corso to get use to the robot vacuum. Long story short, I eventually i put treats on the robot while it cleaned and he couldn’t resist. Now robot vac comes on he doesn’t care! 😎
I have my friend's 4 yr old Blue Heeler that has been with me for a month. Your videos on leash walking have been amazingly helpful. I realize that she is not well socialized. She's getting better with people but still not great when meeting other dogs. Yesterday, she was meeting 2 smaller dogs that live on my street - very friendly but in retrospect too energetic for Sadie at this time - and she ended up lashing out. I'll keep working on introducing her to other dogs and look for a trainer or opportunites locally to help further her socialization. Thank you so much for the information that you are sharing!!
Thankyou for all your videos I had a fearful reactive kelpie on leash thanks to your training methods he is improving incredibly . He is so smart but most of the problem was coming from me not being relaxed enough and being confident so Thankyou
A very helpful video. We just adopted a 10 month old chihuahua, not from a shelter but from a home with poor training was terrified the first day with us. He still is not house trained at 10 months so when I started the potty routine, he would just sit in the yard, frozen in place. Even though I would take all of his #2 outside for him to smell, he would still shut down. I decided at some point to turn my back to him and within 30 seconds he started sniffing around. His routines have been improving that trick which tells me he still doesn't trust me yet. This is our first home-to-home rescue.
I am blessed with a 8 month old Border Aussie Healer mix I am observing with her that the 2nd or third exposure to the scary thing the fear reaction is gone. Learning that different environments get different reactions. Love your video. Thank You.
I'm 100% sure my dog has went through multiple fear periods yet. I only learned about them with her. But shes on and off scared of things.. now at 9 months shes been freaking about everything.. even just random noises. So it's really good for me to know this is a big one. I've been reassuring her and I push her by making her sit and deal with things and give treats if I cant avoid it but I'm hoping we get through it soon.. luckily my pup isn't scared of dogs or people as she was socialized alot as a very young pup. But now it's just new, unexpected things that get her running back to the porch. On the upside, she knows home and always runs there.
Thank You!!!! Your methods and suggestions saved this adoption! We just adopted a 7 month old Aussie mix. We really didn't need or even desperately want a 2nd dog, but strongly felt our 2 year old Sarplaninak/Anatolian mix "Sahra" needed a buddy! Based on the profile from the rescue group, "Archie" seemed like a perfect compliment for our dog and likely a good addition to our "family". He had been taken to the groomer on the day of the adoption -- this was apparently NOT a positive experience for our new little man, as he was cowed and visibly shaking when we picked him up. The rest of the evening he displayed major fear -- even as far as threatening to bite! All of this (per the rescue group) was previously never witnessed behavior. On the ride home (about an hour) I held his 60# in my lap (now that was fun for me! -- NOT!) I wanted him to get my scent in a non-threatening way. By the time we got home, at least the severe shaking stopped. Our dog Sahra was so happy to greet her new "little brother" and welcomed him in a friendly but controlled way. Even so, a terrified Archie just about ripped her throat out! We tried working with them for about an hour, and things just seemed to get worse. So I put Archie in a secure place for the night and we settled in front of the computer to watch some of your videos. Armed with some principles and tips, I worked with him 1:1 then next morning for about an hour. When I went to put him away again, he indicated an interest in meeting Sahra again... So.... cautiously (again, adapting your strategies to our environment) I re-introduced them. It went famously! And they've only gotten more comfortable and friendly with each other since. Today ended Archie's 2nd full day with us, and we could not be more pleased by the transformation we've seen. Archie is happy to see us when we go outside. He has overcome his fear of coming inside and has now twice crossed that threshhold on his own. He and Sahra play almost non-stop. She is sharing her toys with him and they peacefully swap out supper dishes in the evening! Wow. What a transformation from that 1st night! Again -- thank you for sharing so much of your experience with us. It made a huge difference in the lives of these two new best friends!
My wife and I have just taken in a rehome Bocker (Beagle/Cocker Spaniel cross), she's 4 years old and gradually getting over her anxiety. Thanks for the video.
Our 29 yo son is staying and our 6 yo border collie barks continuously and runs from him. Our 3 yo pitbull mix is fine but the scared dog is influencing pitbull to be nervous also. Never saw a dog so nervous. Our son is tall and deep voiced but sweetheart. I will try your tips. Takes patience. Thank u.
I took on a timid fearful dog a few months bk…she’s scared of my hubby from day 1…he’s never harmed her. Everyday is like ground hog day we do positive reinforcement we feel we are doing good then the next day it’s back to the start again 😮💨 She’s 2. Thanks for the information. She’s really living her best life now we will have a normal dog one day…she’s experiencing many things now.
I would add to redirect that fear or nervous energy, especially for a working breed dog like this one. Playing fetch or hide and seek or any of other number of games could really open up this pup and build confidence. And do it all alone with people and around the other dogs, with the other dogs, perhaps. Positive associations, doing the treats while also desensitizing, for example.
My Kelpie is “weird” with ppl. Fine at the dog park, if someone reaches to pat him he used to jump or shy away from them. Now - not as much but will still do it occasionally. I’m the home he is really fear aggressive - his threshold is so low, rushes, lunges, barks, growls it’s nuts unless he’s leashed and corrected. Just doesn’t get when it’s ok. Never ever had a dog like this before.I’ve seen your clips of this. It’s helped me to understand him & what work I need to do to try fixing this dog.
I have a mini Australian Shepard. She’s 4 months now and I’ve only had her a month. She barks at my mom everytime she comes out and then she tried to attack her earlier when walking by her. So the struggle has been real and it’s stressing me out. My mom is hot headed and I think she stresses me out more then the dog 😂😂 my dog isn’t a very big hot dog person lol
Thank you so much for this. I just rescued an 8 month old lab/pit mix who was severely abused by a female. He came from a prison dog training program and obedience wise, he is smart as a whip but definitely need to work on his socialization with people. He takes well to treat but I needed more options in case it doesn’t always work. Thank you so much for this
Another helpful video, thx!! And a big «merci beaucoup» you for all the great stuff you teach us every day..!! Btw great hoodie! I love your videos and what you stand for so much that I would order the same right now and proudly wear it here in Geneva 😎 (just checked on your website, no Bdt items for sale yet, I’ll wait lol)
"Breeders can be very odd people, they're almost always odd people, but they know their dogs." I laughed so hard because it's really true.
I know right 🤣
This is the comment I came here for lmao
Yep im a breed er golden retriever puppies . I prefer pets to most people .
I work in rescue and there is such a bad wrap on breeders in our community. I have seen awful rescues and awful breeders. But there are wonderful breeders and rescues out there who love their dogs just as much as their counterparts.
We are all a bit odd lol. But yes, we definitely know our dog's !!!
I've done this with my scared dog. Just walking, walking, walking, hours a day at all the most difficult areas eventually. Starting with just people, then like supermarket carts, a lot of people, crowds, other animals, different grounds or bedding like tarmac, concrete, grass, hay, strew, plates, gravel,sand, tiles, wooden floors, grates, bridges, stairs, steel stairs. Building sights, helicopter areas, planes (we have them close here), shooting range ...All kids of weather, temperature, lights sounds. She was with me everywhere. Biking, walking, riding, scooter, walker, and she has had her own stroller so that she can draw back for a while, resting, sleeping a bit and so that we could also carry food, clothes, towel for all kind of situations. The reward was from a dog that I got as a three year old menace every other dog wanted to kill to a completely loyal, happy buddy that walked off leash in all situations with a perfect behavior for all situations. As long as she could come with me she was willing to push any of her boundaries to succeed in enjoying it. She ended up becoming 15 years and 9 months even though people thought she would be euthanized for being so horrible. It is almost never impossible to change a dogs behavior.
My dog was undersocialized when I got him, and I found a local trainer that offered pack walks. Dogs did not interact but walked near other dogs and people. Worked great for him.
Same situation
Honestly as someone who works with dogs these videos are amazing for owners who are curious about their dogs.
Im training my service dog and as we started public access training I noticed that he whined if we were standing still for over 30secs, I went back to the drawing board and fixed it. Now he is displaying a few reactive behaviors such as being fearful of strangers. I tried getting strangers to give him a treat and he would accept treats from some but not others. Same thing for strangers, some strangers bothers him others don’t. But I did notice that most of the time if a stranger walks by and he did not see them, that’s what spooked him out. I will definitely train utilize the tips mentioned in the video.
Thanks
I have a 6-month old Irish Wolfhound. I wish I had more intuition for when to push and when it’s time to retreat. He’s so sweet and so strong. He was sick, hospitalized and crated for many days; now is more fearful than ever. Fingers-crossed I can guide him through this early period.
Great video. I have an extremely fearful rescue dog. He is afraid of life. We have been working with him for the last 5 months. He can now walk well on a leash with cars passing and not flinch. He is no longer afraid of the wind blowing or the rain. He still is afraid of most people. Especially men. We do push the limits at times and socialize him with the neighborhood dogs. It’s nice to know that what I’m doing is okay. I was worried.
Oh l am exactly in the same situation also with a rescued dog, it's also her first time ever in the city and l live in a flat in a second floor. Please could you let me know what worked out well for you?
The male owner did a really good job of not letting the fearful puppy use him as a crutch. Sometimes it is really, really hard to coach owners to do that - he did great!
Wow, these are the kind of cases that give trainers the experience they need to be well rounded.
There you are! Happy Tuesday!
💛🐾
@@andihd8768 Hi Andrea! Always nice to see you here in the comments😊
@@KingsMom831 ditto love!
The willpower of the owners here is amazing! I would've caved and picked up my dog but seeing what happens when they didn't is actually better for the dog. This was a great eye opening video.
Prince has such a bad ass look and yet seems to be the sweetest dog ever, love it, great job raising him !
dobs can be such sweethearts
It took 9 years to build confidence in my now 14 year old. He'd had no socialization when I got him at 15 weeks. He's now 14 years old and rock solid confident. Let him come out of his shell - and yes I pushed his limits all the time. But first I taught him he could always turn to me. Grateful to see the beautiful confident dog that was inside finally emerge. Awesome video Joel!
How you did it?
@@wandersonmeireles6499 First I built a strong relationship so he knew he could always trust that I would keep him safe. Then I took him everywhere off leash. If something was scary he could move away on his own and I would assure him he did the right thing. I let him find his way in the world.
I would never let anyone or any animal give him a hard time. Nice people were kind to him and he learned to trust them.
Then one day at the park - at age 9 - he ran up to a woman he had met before. I'll never forget it. It made my heart sing. Another time he climbed up onto the lap of a friend (he's 65 lbs). I was in awe. Now he's 15 and confident with everyone.
@@JenniferBealeunleashpr beautiful! Thanks for you answer
@@JenniferBealeunleashpr this is so beautiful and gives me hope!
@@Catherinetingey :)
Thank you for these videos. I’ve been looking to train my new shelter dog who is a rescue. He is a gentle Saint Bernard who is not aggressive just fearful after being abandoned twice and not socialized. You can tell he has good temperament, he is not aggressive and without training just wants to be obedient and please you. Once we get his fear gone I feel he will be a great companion.
Great video because it doesn’t show a perfect ending, and demonstrates the patience needed, and the persistence. I’m looking forward to seeing another video with this dog in it to see the transition that these methods will result
For anyone reading this: I know that dog training can be difficult sometimes, but you're doing great. Keep up the good work, and your dog (and your own sanity) will thank you for it! ❤️💕
One of the worst memories I have is being a kid until 6 years old and being afraid of my grandpa. He was a very strict military guy having fought in ww2, but I so much wish I wasn't like that back then because in reality he was a loving man. He died when I was 7 and I never got to know him too well. I believe Im braver and less afraid now, and I hope I would make him proud today.
Ha I love Prince at the end was absolutely loving the attention 😂😂. Such a ham!!!
I have a 9-year old ridgeback/labrador mix that got bitten, first by her own mom when she was only a few weeks old (mom also killed one of her puppies), and then again twice by grown up dogs when she was still under 6 months old. She is still fearful of other dogs, no matter the size, and keeps them at a distance. Dispite all that, she also has three very close doggy friends and it took a long time to get her comfortable enough around them to play. The first time she did a play bow towards her (now) best friend Hector (3-year old Labrador/husky) last year, I cried! Took her a little over two years to get there. Patience and persistance are key in my eyes. Do not give up on socializing your dog, just because it's fearful. It's absolutely worth it in the end.
And since I'm only seeing this video now, 4 months later - Merry Christmas, everyone!
Treating fear patterns: desensitization, socialization, when to push boundaries, counter-conditioning, patience (esp young dogs)
Basis of fear patterns: genetics, early life, fear periods, '"you got what you got"
Nice.👏 Thanks for putting that down. That’s something I would do to help everyone remember.
I agree with pushing the boundaries. In the end, the dog will be happier and can move forward in life and not be stuck in a fearful state. Patience will only get you so far 👏👏👏
As someone with ADHD, I can attest you got what you got is so true. Having shitty life experiences since early age, I wished someone would have just given me a break. I'm sorry I was chatty but that's how I expressed joy & enthusiasm. Then to be told your wrong for it - sucks. In my case, genetic. But true it's not 100% known. I wished someone would have just let me experience life. I honestly feel that's why I connect to animals over humans. Lack of trust. Lack of true leadership. Patience & understanding. Thanks Joel for another good one.
@Andrea Matthews I can relate. I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 40's and lived my whole life being criticized for being me. So much damage that still affects me.
I've gotten much better at ignoring the criticism and just surrounding myself with people who accept me as I am. I don't have time or energy for the negativity. Makes my life much better and easier.
Hang in there. People with ADHD have so much to add to the world that others do not.
@@shirleyens7707 Hi Shirley! Wow, that must have felt like a brick building falling off your shoulders! To finally have an answer - a reason...
I'm lucky enough to have been diagnosed early in life (thanks overactive/bouncing of walls/not sitting still symptoms). But you are correct. Ignoring the criticism is the only way to go. You have to be you & that you; is way more authentic & real then if you weren't a neurodivergent. I've been fortunate enough to connect with a pretty awesome ADHD community on Twitter (I know, Twitter of all places 🤷♀️) but there's so many great folks there, that I feel most myself there.
Thank you, thank you for your kind words. Hit me up on Twitter if you're interested AnDiHD. So glad you messaged today!
I wish I lived in San Diego.....my dog would be at your facility. Since I don't, Thanks a million for sharing these videos, you're truly saving lives and relationships.
Thanks for the fearful dogs video. I have a 18 month rescue who was shut down when we got her. I don't think she ever lived in a house or walked on leash. We've had her for 8 months now. I've been using your loose leash technique which is very helpful. She will shut down on a walk because of fear. What should I do when she does this? She will try to army crawl her way while choking herself on the martingale collar. She's slipped out of a harness so I need something that that she can't slip out of when she panics. Fear in older rescue dogs would be a topic I'd be really interested in.
this is going to be a long post and requires even more research on your part to effectively implement, but anyway...
here's what I would do and recommend: *structure*
stop taking the dog outside for as long as it takes to teach it the basics of functional obedience indoors; a conditioned reinforcer and conditioned punisher, come, sit, down, stay, heel or "walk" position, leash respect, release command, crate training, and learning through play.
this is your dogs structure. every dog needs structure. 99% chance your dog never had it, and this *ALWAYS* ends up in undesirable behaviours. sometimes it manifests itself as disrespect (i.e a dog that jumps on people because its confident and never gets told no), sometimes its fear (this ends in either fight or flight behaviours, in your case its flight), sometimes its seemingly random behaviours (they aren't). it's your job now to give it that leadership that will create a new foundation for it to interact with the world.
through structure, you both will learn to communicate and help your dog to understand how it should and should not act. ***if you do not do this***, you will fail the dog. this sounds hyperbolic... its not. you will fail the dog. this problem (this level of fear) can't be targeted because you cant speak to a dog and tell it "don't be afraid of everything", and walking it over and over will only reinforce it's fears unless you are inhumanly precise with how you reward it and what you let it experience. you essentially need to channel its focus into a competing behaviour, and show it the mechanics while setting the rules for interacting with the world in a safe environment.
fundamentally, giving it structure will teach it that it must listen to you, *and if it does, good things happen and it will be safe*. if it does not, unpleasant things happen, ***but they aren't the things it fears***, it will involve the very thing it relies on most - the handler, its safety net. this is your power.
the job will give it something to do and focus on, instead of letting its imagination wander into fear and anxiety of new stimuli.
you can also build the dogs confidence through play and obedience. let me give you a couple examples: turn to the side and play tug with the dog, when it moves backward and tugs - you let go and take a couple steps back, let it win every time. let the dog come to you to re-engage, if it doesn't, go to the dog and praise it, don't take the toy or try to play tug until it asks you to. through obedience, teach your dog to be active! you can teach it a Non-Reward Signal like "uh-uh", that is essentially - what you did was incorrect, but try again. when your dog learns to try again, you reward it. this builds its resilience to failure, and thus, its confidence to make correct decisions based on your signal.
once your dog's a bit more confident, the foundation of communication exists, it's learned non-compliance is unacceptable and will result in failure every time, it knows the mechanics of the specific task you are asking it to do, and it knows that listening to you makes all the good things happen - ***then its ready to go outside. ***
when you get to this point, it will be a night and day difference. you aren't just randomly walking, it's doing a job it knows it will be rewarded for, and it understands you've asked it to do this and that it must do it as non-compliance is unacceptable. it will just be a matter of keeping its focus through distraction which you have made infinitely stronger through training and communication. you are then truly desensitizing it to the distracting environment outside that causes it anxiety, and not just taking it out and exposing it to new things while letting it make its own decisions and hoping for the best. this is where people fail. don't set your your dog up for failure by never letting the dog make its own decisions. it's a dog. it's far more often than not going to make a bad one.
in the end, the dogs anxiety and fear may always exist, but you need to get the dog to understand that ignoring it is the *ONLY* way to alleviating it, and that great things happen when it does. after a long enough period (usually a few months if worked on every day), this becomes habit and the problem doesn't manifest, on top of that, you'll have a bloody well trained and behaved dog that will impress wherever you go.
sorry for the long post, I felt like replying with just "structure" wasn't enough as it's hard for people to understand how that leads to curing specific issues like fear and reactivity. with respect to your leash issue - the tool doesn't matter. but personally i'd use a slip lead for convenience. if the dog is trained, you won't need it to slip often if at all, or very hard. if it's not trained, it's not ready to be walking outside.
i think often people see these videos on youtube and think such problems can be fixed in a session or by focusing on them specifically, but that could not be further from the truth. we aren't seeing 90% of what Joel is telling his clients off camera that is the real meat and potatoes of the long term rehabilitation process. sometimes its fastest to target a specific behaviour, but regardless - it always stems from the same issue - a lack of structure.
all the best.
@@alxhiding Thanks for the detailed reply. This is my second dog and my inexperience is showing. ❤️ I am worried that I'm in over my head with the help she needs to over come her fears. I agree that if control in the house is not attained then it won't be anywhere where there are distractions. I just want her to be free of her fears so she can be a dog and enjoy her life. Thanks again for your thoughtful reply.
Yep...i had first acupuncture session for fearful anxious foster, hoping to do a few more.
Suzanne Clothier's Automatic Check In should help. Nose work or scent work also helps build a dog's confidence - treasure hunt through the house with a stuffed animal or something the dog really likes at the end of the hunt. See if the dog follows the same path you took or does it just sniff for treats? Snuffle mats help with energy levels especially if it's too hot or too cold to get them out for a walk. Sit for everything - nothing in life is free. They don't get petted, no leash put on, no supper unless they are sitting. And use a release word - something other than OK because everyone says it and you tend to say it more when you get nervous and something other than praise because you want to be able to praise the dog without the dog getting up. I use Free. Can try Break, Peace, Recess, Take 5, okie dokie. Pick one or make up your own. Something that means it's ok for the dog to stop doing what you asked. Hope that helps. Keep a journal too - dates, times, circumstances, any improvement, how long since the last time, etc. If aggression, might want to check out Dr Jean Dodds and get a full thyroid work up next vet visit - only if it's a new issue though.
Shut down dogs need patience and not too much pushing or they become flooded. Read a fantastic book that will help called ‘On talking terms with dogs’ by Turid rugaas. My dog was shut down and she became a happy confident dog. It takes time. I’m afraid that the techniques in this video aren’t helpful for shut down anxious dogs. They erode the traumatised dogs trust in you and actually set them back.
Me and my wife are getting an Aussie in November. She thinks I’ve been watching your videos because she’s under the impression I think our dog is going to be out of control or something. I really just enjoy your confidence and want to emulate that when it comes time to be the leader for the pupper. Thanks so much!
I have no dogs nor plan to get anything but I watch these all the time
Sooo informative, especially your point about pushing the boundaries. I've definitely come to notice people coddle their dogs more than they coddle their human children, which is insane to me. Can't wait to see more of this puppy's progress, especially when she's in the board & train! I hope you will film more videos with her!
Helicopter parent! For pets too
You're exactly right. I'm surprised the dog even ate treats because 95% of fearful dogs will not take them, and obviously the counter conditioning didn't accomplish anything. My prescription for this dog would be... forget the patience. NO picking the dog up. NO affection. Push the boundaries even at the risk of overwhelming it and make the dog deal with it on her own. Apart from that... LOTS and LOTS of structure.
Board and Trains Do Absolutely NOTHING to Teach the Owners!!! I Despise that Model when dogs already have owners!!! It’s the “ Owners” that Are the ones who NEED to learn!!!!! Dogs don’t take long to rehabilitate either! If worst comes if there’s a dog that needs a bit of rehabilitation before bringing the owner in, do One Week of Rehab Only and Theeen bring on the Owners!!!! It’s the PEOPLE who need to Learn!!!! I have such a Huge Issue with those “ Board and Train” facilities!!!! How does that Help Anyone? And HOW is it even Supposed to Help the Dog either when the Owners are Usualy the ones that have “ created” the situations to begin with, and they are gonna go right back to the same ole lifestyle as before.. so HOW is that supposed to Help ????!!? 😫😫😫
Thank you for explaining something that is very complicated.
Thanks for all the you tube videos Joel! They are so valuable to me. I have a 3 and 1/2 year old high drive black shepherd pup. He is doing amazing! We group walk with my other three dogs every day and he walks beautifully. I don't have to hold the leash during our walks. I have a 15 foot leash dragging on him for safety. I've been working with him this way since he came home. I brought him to Home Depot yesterday and he was greeted by people and kids, sliding doors, noisy forklifts, all sorts of stuff. He was very curious and showed no fear of anything. We did sit-stays in the aisles while folks walked by. I had hot dog with me to help with distractions and to reward. Just want to say thanks for the good training videos. I watch them every day.
Love the content as always, thank you for doing what you do!
Hi! Could you do more videos about adult shelter dogs (5+ years) that need some re-education? Is it possible to fix leash reactivity (lunging towards females, barking/aggressiveness towards males) on a dog that has misbehaved for YEARS and probably never socialized with any dog before?
absolutely it is. its only hard to teach a dog that truly isn't motivated by food *and* play, but these dogs are rare, and you can create the conditions to build these motivations so that it's not a problem. existential feeding etc.
but to get rid of specific behaviours, it's no different regardless of age (except for puppy) in terms of what options you have available. positive and negative punishment discourage behaviours. reinforcement encourages behaviours.
the thing with shelter dogs is that you want to go back and teach the foundation, because you do not know what their current foundation is. if their reactivity is coming from being coddled or abused for example, and you go out to nail them with positive punishment - you are going to have a bad time.
where as if you have instilled the correct foundation and understanding, nailing them with positive punishment might be precisely the right thing to do if they do something that is unacceptable (reactivity)
so your answer is: structure through functional obedience, so you can communicate and allow them to understand what it is they are meant to do, and the expected outcomes of their decisions... then be consistent in your follow through.
no matter what age, its all a process that takes time to build a more complex and general understanding, and then more time to form a habit. its not something you can just fix immediately... but the process is the same.
Most of my dogs over the years were shelter dogs. The first thing we teach in any of our classes is Suzanne Clothier's Automatic Check In. You can even use their meal rather than treats, but want higher level usually, just so they know more and better treats come from this person. Check out Joel's Rottweiler video on the loose leash walking video. He also has small dog videos and puppies for the loose leash walking method. I always fwd the Rottweiler video for the basis then add the other videos if they have a smaller dog or a puppy. Loose leashes, muzzles if you have to, use the fence as a barrier if you have to, check out their body language. Once they're good on a walk in the neighborhood, try a different area, or go to a park where there might be a dog park but don't go in. Start at a time when the park is not crowded if you can - scope things out ahead of time. You're seeing how the dog does just seeing other dogs. Watch their body language and try to get them before they react if you can. If they react, do 180 degree turn, correction is down and to the side - BEFORE the pulling starts. If they're already pulling, it's too late. Do the proactive stops to be sure they're on your page. If they're not successful, go back to the last part where they were successful and build from there. Hope this helps. Check out the local dog club to see if that's something you might enjoy. If you do private lessons, remember Joel can do everything without a prong collar and/or a shock/ecollar. They tend to mess the dog up and it's difficult to get a true read from them whether they might be ok with other dogs. Joel also has videos on using a front correcting harness and the gentle leader. Susan Garrett has an awesome video on conditioning the gentle leader.
This is one of the most helpful videos I’ve seen training wise. Thank you, my cane corso gonna be amazing, she’s very scared of cars at the moment and a little bit much for other dogs little in there face and exited and doesn’t read other dogs very well but she’s learning she’s only 2 months so I have a lot of patience with her but push her if everything’s safe and it’s just a bit of nerves because she’s doing things for the 1st time still. I’ve had her sit next to the road on the furthest part of the path away from the road sat there and tried to make her realise that she’s safe then she was way more confident on that walk. Each time she goes out she kind of gives the same reaction, to start with she’s terrified then I play with her in the front garden doing a bit of obedience with treats and then she walks fine but whenever a car drives past she completely stops or she tries running the opposite direction
Love your work! So refreshing to see a trainer who talkes common sense... thank you and keep it up! :)
You are so positive and spot on with your advise. I have 6 mo pup and your videos are great. “Have fun with your dog, don’t sweat the little stuff.” Thank you
Im super excited to see how my Aussie matures. Kinda nervous some days, hope all the hard work pays off.
Thanks for all of the dog help!
I think when the pup cross the water, she can go out without asistance of the lady and the congratulations were not necesary. They could just stand up in front of her like a reference and a stimulus. I think that little things make the huge advantages in this kind of cases. Best wishes for everyone !
Thank you, Joel! Another great, informative video. Will definitely be using the tips you mentioned for our fearful one. *Please* give an update on this puppy during and/or after her board and train!
You are awesome Joel! Thank you so much for this amazing video🐾❤️🐾🙏
So true about pushing dogs' limits and being patient. We adopted a shelter dog who was around 4,5 years at the time (spent most of her life in the shelter) and she didn't leave the house for days at first. Everyone told us we had to be slow and let her take her time, except a trainer who showed us how to push her a little bit. We ended up pulling her out the house door with the leash (jerking it, showing her the direction she had to go in) and it worked wonders. We're obviously still working on many fears with her, as is normal, but pushing her boundaries has worked really well.
Thanks for the tools to help people manage their pups.
Always great watching!
Excellent video! Going through this with my 4 mo old poodle. Patience is the key!
Thank you for this advice. It's very helpful!
My 5 month old puppy does great in her training besides people, she is so fearful of people approaching her it’s fine at a distance but approaching her or coming too close she gets very fearful. Hopefully this helps her!
Awesome to see the progress in just a short while, thank you for sharing. Also thank you for including transcripts 💜
I really like your approach to training thank you
This is an extraordinary video. Every day I learn a lot from you and experts like you about the behavior movements of the members of my pack. Again thank you so much you are a great human been !
Appreciate what you do & putting it out here. This is how I train & I get very excited when I come across others still doing the same thing. These "positive" trainers out there are exhausting the dog world both mentally & FINANCIALLY. months & months of "training" that should only take a matter of day to weeks absolute tops!!!! Just crazy
I'd love to see this dog later on, once he's calmer:)
You are amazing. This is the best advice delivered consisely and in steps in the whole internet. You deserve more views!
Thanks gave me some hope
So much of this channel carries over to humans.
Big reason why I like it.
We just rescued a 7yr old Iggy from Greeders, I don’t know what they did to him but the poor chap is absolutely petrified of us humans. Luckily we have a greyhound and whippet, which he loves. However, he won’t allow us anywhere near him. It doesn’t look like he has ever know love and care. So saddening
A really nice video. Patience, so important!
Thank you for this video! I bought a dog to be a therapy dog, and he is the exact opposite. I'm hoping he can become more social with people.
Hahahahha my “ therapy dog” is also riddled with anxiety!
Very useful video, thank you very much!
I liked that I could watch the dog almost the entire time. I also liked seeing the main points itemized on screen. And, as always, I liked seeing what is accomplished in a session as opposed to seeing one brief encounter that has apparently magical effects. Thanks.
Thank you for this video.
Thank you great information.
Prince seems so sweet. Thanks for the refresher.
I have a 9 month old pitsky pup and he's very scared of new surroundings and have been working with him taking him on walks and having him experience the different world than he's used to and it's a long process so far but getting there and lots of good information in this video to help out
This one good footage sir
Thanks
Great video. Thank you Joel.
We adopted a fearful dog from a shelter almost 18mnths ago. She is now 3,5 yrs old. She was found around 6mths old in the streets, stayed in the shelter till 2yrs old where we found her. At first she was peeing herself when I was getting ready for a walk, pulling like hell, shaking from fear like a fish out of the water. She was afraid of humans mostly men and city noises. She had diahroia the first 2,5 months. It was just her fear, nothing wrong pathological.
The 1st trainer advised us to avoid fearful situations and meetings. We decided against this method and we seeked help from another trainer . Now after 7mths she can enjoy long walks with 20! Well trained dogs (like Prince) and their owners.
We made her confront her fears.
I will continue with method of training, along with a lot of patience and love.
Thanks Joel for Yr videos and advices.
BR,
Elly
Athens / Greece
What a great video! So informative 👏
I would love to see a follow up on this puppy when the parents pick her up
I really like your videos ! First let me say thank you for all of the hard work you & your team do to help our little 4 legged friends !
I just recently began a journey with a 10 mth old, mixed breed that I was fostering, ( now adopted) , who is also terrified of everything ! Him & his 2 siblings were dropped off in the mountains before they were 6 mths old, found, penned up & left to starve. By the time they reached the shelter they were imaciated and covered in mange. So then add 4 mths of shelter life on top of his already rough beginning ; that makes for one sketchy, broken little dog.
Lucky for him my last dog, Sasha, who I had for 14 yrs had a very similar story. Tipper has only been with me for a few weeks and we have, for sure, had some rough times ! The great thing is he is SUPER smart !! When on the lead he has already learned to stop, turn, and pretty much has heel down !! 😀 This morning we conquered a bridge that a walkway is made out of wire you can see through !🥳🥳 I am so proud of him but we have a very long way to go....maybe months we'll see ! Thanks again for all of your hard work, it's much appreciated !! 😁
That is so true. I did counter conditioning to get my 3 month cane corso to get use to the robot vacuum. Long story short, I eventually i put treats on the robot while it cleaned and he couldn’t resist. Now robot vac comes on he doesn’t care! 😎
thank you! this was really helpful
i have a 1 year old miniature aussiedoodle, and she is THE EXACT SAME! thank you so much for this video!!! helped so much 🥰
I have my friend's 4 yr old Blue Heeler that has been with me for a month. Your videos on leash walking have been amazingly helpful. I realize that she is not well socialized. She's getting better with people but still not great when meeting other dogs. Yesterday, she was meeting 2 smaller dogs that live on my street - very friendly but in retrospect too energetic for Sadie at this time - and she ended up lashing out. I'll keep working on introducing her to other dogs and look for a trainer or opportunites locally to help further her socialization. Thank you so much for the information that you are sharing!!
Great video. Thank you for your insight. I will use it on my frenchies ❤❤
Thankyou for all your videos I had a fearful reactive kelpie on leash thanks to your training methods he is improving incredibly . He is so smart but most of the problem was coming from me not being relaxed enough and being confident so Thankyou
Thank you for the video - "Desensitisation and patience is the key and of course pushing the boundayry!"
A very helpful video. We just adopted a 10 month old chihuahua, not from a shelter but from a home with poor training was terrified the first day with us. He still is not house trained at 10 months so when I started the potty routine, he would just sit in the yard, frozen in place. Even though I would take all of his #2 outside for him to smell, he would still shut down. I decided at some point to turn my back to him and within 30 seconds he started sniffing around. His routines have been improving that trick which tells me he still doesn't trust me yet. This is our first home-to-home rescue.
Good stuff, thanks.
Great work. We've got a fearful dog in our family. I will put this lesson to good use.
I am blessed with a 8 month old Border Aussie Healer mix I am observing with her that the 2nd or third exposure to the scary thing the fear reaction is gone. Learning that different environments get different reactions. Love your video. Thank You.
great stuff thx
Great advice! Love the younger puppy videos Joel!
You got what you got….words to really live by! If I had the money I would fly out to CA and bring my dog to you. Wish you lived in NYC
Building confidence. Play, obstacle courses, distraction, walking with the other dogs. Didn't hear any of these as ways to help.
Very well spoken. Same view I was having
What a great video.
I'm 100% sure my dog has went through multiple fear periods yet. I only learned about them with her.
But shes on and off scared of things.. now at 9 months shes been freaking about everything.. even just random noises. So it's really good for me to know this is a big one. I've been reassuring her and I push her by making her sit and deal with things and give treats if I cant avoid it but I'm hoping we get through it soon.. luckily my pup isn't scared of dogs or people as she was socialized alot as a very young pup. But now it's just new, unexpected things that get her running back to the porch. On the upside, she knows home and always runs there.
Love this videos
Thank You!!!! Your methods and suggestions saved this adoption!
We just adopted a 7 month old Aussie mix. We really didn't need or even desperately want a 2nd dog, but strongly felt our 2 year old Sarplaninak/Anatolian mix "Sahra" needed a buddy! Based on the profile from the rescue group, "Archie" seemed like a perfect compliment for our dog and likely a good addition to our "family". He had been taken to the groomer on the day of the adoption -- this was apparently NOT a positive experience for our new little man, as he was cowed and visibly shaking when we picked him up. The rest of the evening he displayed major fear -- even as far as threatening to bite! All of this (per the rescue group) was previously never witnessed behavior.
On the ride home (about an hour) I held his 60# in my lap (now that was fun for me! -- NOT!) I wanted him to get my scent in a non-threatening way. By the time we got home, at least the severe shaking stopped. Our dog Sahra was so happy to greet her new "little brother" and welcomed him in a friendly but controlled way. Even so, a terrified Archie just about ripped her throat out! We tried working with them for about an hour, and things just seemed to get worse. So I put Archie in a secure place for the night and we settled in front of the computer to watch some of your videos.
Armed with some principles and tips, I worked with him 1:1 then next morning for about an hour. When I went to put him away again, he indicated an interest in meeting Sahra again... So.... cautiously (again, adapting your strategies to our environment) I re-introduced them. It went famously! And they've only gotten more comfortable and friendly with each other since. Today ended Archie's 2nd full day with us, and we could not be more pleased by the transformation we've seen. Archie is happy to see us when we go outside. He has overcome his fear of coming inside and has now twice crossed that threshhold on his own. He and Sahra play almost non-stop. She is sharing her toys with him and they peacefully swap out supper dishes in the evening! Wow. What a transformation from that 1st night!
Again -- thank you for sharing so much of your experience with us. It made a huge difference in the lives of these two new best friends!
This video is so helpful! I'm almost in tears, my lil puppy all of a sudden is super distant and seems scared of me, but this was helpful. Thank you!
My wife and I have just taken in a rehome Bocker (Beagle/Cocker Spaniel cross), she's 4 years old and gradually getting over her anxiety. Thanks for the video.
I have a 9 month old German shorthair and she’s fearful of people. This is a very helpful video
Our 29 yo son is staying and our 6 yo border collie barks continuously and runs from him. Our 3 yo pitbull mix is fine but the scared dog is influencing pitbull to be nervous also. Never saw a dog so nervous. Our son is tall and deep voiced but sweetheart. I will try your tips. Takes patience. Thank u.
I took on a timid fearful dog a few months bk…she’s scared of my hubby from day 1…he’s never harmed her.
Everyday is like ground hog day we do positive reinforcement we feel we are doing good then the next day it’s back to the start again 😮💨
She’s 2.
Thanks for the information.
She’s really living her best life now we will have a normal dog one day…she’s experiencing many things now.
Thank you have given me hope, I was doing what you shouldn't and coddling her. She will not leave my side. Will start with you 5 keys. TODAY!
I would add to redirect that fear or nervous energy, especially for a working breed dog like this one. Playing fetch or hide and seek or any of other number of games could really open up this pup and build confidence. And do it all alone with people and around the other dogs, with the other dogs, perhaps. Positive associations, doing the treats while also desensitizing, for example.
seems really powerful stuff, thanks for this vid..my dog is just like this
Thank you.
My Kelpie is “weird” with ppl. Fine at the dog park, if someone reaches to pat him he used to jump or shy away from them. Now - not as much but will still do it occasionally.
I’m the home he is really fear aggressive - his threshold is so low, rushes, lunges, barks, growls it’s nuts unless he’s leashed and corrected. Just doesn’t get when it’s ok. Never ever had a dog like this before.I’ve seen your clips of this. It’s helped me to understand him & what work I need to do to try fixing this dog.
Very good video 👏🏽
I have a mini Australian Shepard. She’s 4 months now and I’ve only had her a month. She barks at my mom everytime she comes out and then she tried to attack her earlier when walking by her. So the struggle has been real and it’s stressing me out. My mom is hot headed and I think she stresses me out more then the dog 😂😂 my dog isn’t a very big hot dog person lol
Thank you this video is helpful
Thank you so much for this. I just rescued an 8 month old lab/pit mix who was severely abused by a female. He came from a prison dog training program and obedience wise, he is smart as a whip but definitely need to work on his socialization with people. He takes well to treat but I needed more options in case it doesn’t always work. Thank you so much for this
Another helpful video, thx!! And a big «merci beaucoup» you for all the great stuff you teach us every day..!!
Btw great hoodie! I love your videos and what you stand for so much that I would order the same right now and proudly wear it here in Geneva 😎 (just checked on your website, no Bdt items for sale yet, I’ll wait lol)