As dog owners, we all want the same thing: to raise happy, healthy dogs who are neutral in all different situations. Today, we are talking about how you handle fear in your dog, whether it’s a puppy or a fully grown dog, and why that is so important. Tune in today to hear why the first sixteen weeks of a puppy’s life are so crucial to managing a dog’s fear, and what you can do to support them as they grow. We unpack the six different things to focus on with regards to exposure: people, places, sounds, unpredictable movement, dogs, and handling exercises. Learn about desensitizing your dog through exposure to their fears, and understand where the fears stem from in the first place. Jeanette answers a series of questions about managing your dog’s fears and educates listeners about the role of owners and breeders alike. Tune in today to hear all this and more!
Key Points from This Episode:
- How, as dog owners, we all want the same thing: happy, healthy dogs who are phobia-free and neutral in all situations.
- Lack of exposure and negative experiences as causes of long-term fear in your dog.
- Why the first sixteen weeks are so critical for managing your dog’s fear.
- Jeanette’s goal is to train owners to manage what happens within the first eight weeks, and owners for the second eight weeks.
- Why it is appropriate for dogs to fear certain things, but we don’t want it to affect their life.
- Managing protective behaviors based on the results you want.
- Finding a healthy balance between healthy exposure and negative exposure.
- Six different things to focus on with regards to exposure: people, places, sounds, unpredictable movement, dogs, and handling exercises.
- How negative experiences produce fears and phobias in your dog.
- What to do to manage these: create positive experiences and stay put until the dog is no longer afraid.
- Desensitizing your dog through exposure to their fears.
- Genetics as a cause of certain fears and how to manage this.
- Why you should never rescue your puppy when they show fear.
- Jeanette’s ultimate goal: empowered breeders, owners, and puppies!
- Why you should take your shoes off when you enter the house with a new puppy.
- How to prepare your dog for the Fourth of July through sound exposure and fun.
- Socializing with other healthy dogs and monitoring their behavior.
- Teaching your dog standing and understanding that assertiveness is a stable trait.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jeanette Forrey
4E Kennels
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jeanette Forrey
4E Kennels
4E Kennels on Facebook
4E Kennels on Instagram