Nervous Dogs

[juice]

twice this week i have come across this, and need advice .

i client of mine adopted a rescue 8 months ago, she has asked me to look after her for 4 days while they go away, so she brought her round for a "meet and greet" with my boys.

"trikki" is 10 months old, bcx kelpiexcattle.

i suggested the 5 acres behind my house, sent her round first, and then took my 3 round, let them off ,one at a time, they had a sniff, then mine went off, playing and sniffing.

"trickie" spent the whole time hiding behind the husband, who kept bending down to pat her, and at one point picked her up

i tried to explain, to keep walking and ignore her, that he was rewarding her for being scared, and that if he was relaxed she would feel secure?

he kept doing it :rolleyes:

was this the right thing to do?

any advice?

at soccer yesterday, a swf pup, sat behind us, and everytime a child, another dog, or anything else scary walked past it lunged barking and snapping the owner kept bending down and patting it, surely this is rewarding the dog for its behavior? what should they be doing?

at one point a small child( 2/3) came to pat my dally ,( dad asked first), my boy sat and was happy to be patted, then licked her smack on the face but they then went over to the swf, who backed away, owner picked it up and forced it toward the child

any advice on what they should have been doing?

[sheree_e4]

A nervous dog should never be patted or picked up while in that state of mind.It should be ignored totally and not be allowed to "hide".It should be rewarded whenever it is sitting calmly or lying down.

I would never allow any child to pat a nervous dog IMO its too unpredictable and by pulling it towards the'scary' thing will make it worse.

It would have been better for the child to sit down calmly and not talk,touch or look at the dog but allow the dog to go up and have a sniff then be rewarded for good behaviour.

With the lunging and snapping the owner should have told the dog to sit or given it something to do,If it was my dog I would have said "HEY" to get their attention, along with a quick 'check' of the lead, then told the dog to sit and rewarded for sitting.

This dog would probably be much better when the owners are not around,but remember the same as above would apply do not talk too or make a fuss if it is acting nervous wait for it to come to you.

If this dog tries to scramble up legs the person who it is doing it too should not take any notice of it,you can walk toward the dog which makes you claim the area and the dog has to move away,once the dog sits or lies down it can then get a pat.

I could write heaps more but I need to go to work :rolleyes:

Edited April 6, 2008 by sheree_e4