HANDEL THE FEARFUL DOG

   I'm setting up this blog as an online document of Handel's progress from fearful dog to whatever it is he will be in the end.   It's my hope that by witnessing our trials and tribulations someone out there who is living with a fearful dog may gain some insight into how Positive Reinforcement training can help their dogs move beyond their anxiety.
   Handel's average response to new things or the regular things that worry him are big eyes and lots of whining.  However, when his wary warnings are not heeded he will growl, bark, lunge and on occasion (when very frightened) knock people down and snap at them.  When this happens he looks very scary...but in reality he's probably the most frightened thing in the room.   That old saying "he's more scared of you than you are of him," that my mother used to apply to spiders works well here.
   It's true that most dogs if threatened enough will resort to these sorts of behavioral displays, but in Handel's case the things that cause these over the top reactions are objects and events of daily life that most people would consider inoffensive.   Events like sweeping the floor, sitting next to him on the sofa, leaning over him or shaking out a plastic bag...things that happen in our home every day...can be cause for a mini-meltdown if not approached properly.
  We are currently at the beginning of a long road.  Along the way there will be set backs, but hopefully there will also be amazing achievements and discoveries.  How can you begin to describe the small steps that lead to climbing a mountain...I'll let you know here.