FEAR IN DOGS

The fear system, according to Panksepp (2005, 2006) , manifests in the midbrain and stays there and manifests fear whether there is or is not something to fear, perceived fear i.e. thunderstorms. This is where long-standing fears stay and are hardest to rerhabilitate. page 94 Stress Release: For Dogs, The Canine Emotional Detox

Fear can be debilitating. Recently, working with two high level fear cases, a herding dog mix and a pitbull mix, both females and presenting some of the same behaviors. They are quite different individuals, however, as discovered in their functional assessments and resulting stress release protocol.

While both are fearful, one is biddable and one is not. One can actually work with strangers, the other will attack making it hard to get close to her to instruct her guardians or work with her in any constructive fashion. Both dogs fear of humans is real and both are rescues who in a past life obviously experienced setting events that exacerbated their fears.  As scientist LeDoux would say, they see the world as a matter of life and death.  Both of these girls have high prey drives. One is fearful of all humans and has a bite history, the other of men, making life with the male in her home tricky.

The behavior modification for both of these girls will be similar, yet vastly different. One will be solely short, quality sessions just working on trust with the trainer, me. The other we can work and start on confidence building exercises, and focused behavior change. Both will need short sessions and so a half hour in length to begin with quality of working with them at forefront.  

A day in the life of a dog trainer means assessing the individuals you are working with so that progress can be made and results unfold. Setting clear milestones with these dogs, and ultimate goals will be important. Assessing and re-assessing and paying close attention to body language of all concerned, to include the human end of that leash.  Safety in working with dogs like these is always at the forefront. What the future holds for these dogs, depends on clarity in how behavior modification proceeds.

Stress Release: For Dogs, The Canine Emotional Detox can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other bookstores in ebook and soft cover formats.

There is a Facebook group, also title The Canine Emotional Detox.