Supporting a Fearful Dog

Supporting a fearful dog is a long game. Some weeks, progress comes in leaps and bounds. Others come with setbacks and plateaus.

This sweet Collie is Finney, who was part of a puppy mill bust and adopted by two dear friends. One of them is also an extremely skilled and talented dog trainer.

At first, Finney stayed in his "safe spaces." Over weeks, he felt safer, and his curiosity, playfulness, and need for companionship surfaced. Counterintuitively, helping him feel safe was the fastest way to Casey and Olga's goal.

Finney benefits from meds. (If any of you have ever struggled with panic or anxiety, you know better living through chemistry. I know I do!)

When I asked Casey what she thought Finney would like other fearful dog guardians to know, these were her responses:

*Please let your dog decide when it's safe to come out without coaxing, cajoling, or pressure.

*If you coax dogs or pressure them to come out of their safe space to meet a guest, for example, or to get in a car, or even simply for you to pet them - and what happens is scary - They're not going to trust your sweet words again for a while. Better to let them decide what's safe on their terms, on their own time.

*Dogs don't need a dog whisperer; they need advocates and allies.