Targeting exercise for scared dogs

Teaching a fearful dog to target objects to help it learn a recall.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• dog
• training
• fearful
• scared
• shy
• texercise
• dogs
• teaching
• recall
• come

[pamelapy]

Which one is Sonny?!

[sabumitz]

Sunny is the heftier dog that I am handling. The other is Finn, who brings me the frisbees. Sunny doesn't bring the frisbees back, he just likes to chase them! You can see more of Sunny on the other videos I have posted about him and how to work with scared dogs.

[sabumitz]

My concern is that the pop culture has adopted flooding as the primary technique for working with fearful behavior and it often just makes the behavior worse. When A dog is afraid it is not in 'learning mode' so rewarding it or not rewarding it for a particular behavior doesn't matter. If rewarding or comforting it makes it 'feel' better, then the behavior is going to improve, whether or not you reward it. Use counter/classical conditioning for these dogs anytime.

[sabumitz]

Just an FYI for folks working with a fearful dog. I started the targeting exercise with Sunny while he was hiding under my desk. It was a good way for him to begin to learn how we were going to communicate. I would use the clicker to mark his nose touching my hand. I also began to move my hand around, to the side, over his head, etc., just to get him used to hands moving around his head. We are now using the exercise as a way to get him to approach other people.

[Subfightr]

a year and a half just to come to you, wow that is amazing.. You have some patience, I just fostered a dog from a mill who has never been around people, it's REALLY hard to help her. I'll be sure and check out your site, thanks.

[EchosFromaBlankMind]

I agree with you partially,every dog should be assessed seperatley to determine the extent of their fear and if one person is more beneficial,or if additional people can be used. It is amazing sometimes on how some dogs overcome thier fears if we as humans do not try to dwell on the dogs problems too much,sometimes we are our own enemies. Patience with kindness and letting them know what you want of them,and rewarding them when they comply,is about as simple as I can get in these short comments.

[sabumitz]

It's best not to let other people do the rewarding to begin with, a dog that is afraid can be lured close them and may bite or just get spooked and that's not what you want. Classical conditioning works even if the owner does the rewarding. As far as not comforting the dog when it is scared, you CANNOT reinforce fear. This is not about operant conditioning at this state, it's about classical conditioning and helping the dog feel better, however you can, is the right thing to do.

[EchosFromaBlankMind]

Get some friends to help you out and use this same targeting method with treats at first (Let them know what you want them to do). Do not try to comfort the dog if she/he shys away, only reward when the desired response is achieved (Going to the people and touching thier hands for food). After the dog gets comfortable, have the people take a few steps back when the dog approaches, after awhile you can make it a game. This is used to build up confidence. Then just keep doing it throughout the day

[superman3221]

nice video i need to know how to make my dog not scared of people because my dog right now is. I got her from the shelter and since she is a pitbull i think she got abused and i need to know how to teach her not to. if anyone knows please tell me.

[Bdrcolliez]

Very Nice explaination of targeting.