Fear Stage

[Ben Curtis]

You'd think I'd remember 6 years ago when I had my last Corso pup, but I'm having trouble comparing Enzo to Leo, and their fear stage, and how I handled it before.

Enzo, almost 6 months, is still very scared of anything new, as I expected. His confidence is growing. I met with a trainer last night that told me I should not let him back away from fears. Not sure how I feel about this advice. I've been trying to introduce him to as much as possible, but also letting him trust things at his own pace.

I think there is a fine line between forcing him towards something he fears, to overcome the fear, but I can also see this going the other way and creating a long term fear if you push too hard.

What are you thoughts on how to deal with fears?

An example... he has a toy he loves to chase down. I rolled it yesterday and it rolled into a large plastic vase, which made a noise, and the tall grasses in it shook. He was terrified, and wanted no part of the room it was in. I didn't force him at all to address this fear. Later that night I called him to the area. He was hesitant, but came. I got him to eat a prize on the floor close to it, and another one closer to it, and one more very close. I would not say he has concurred his fear of the vase, but can at least be near it.

Thoughts?

 

[Boxergirl]

How exactly did your trainer want to you handle dealing with his fears? Depending on the answer, I might be inclined to suggest you look for a different trainer. Perhaps the trainer wasn't suggesting flooding? I think you handled the vase situation perfectly. Calmly, matter of factly, and by encouragement with positive rewards. You're not only building his confidence in himself, but in you as well.

This is one of my favorite articles on socialization and what it really means. Maybe you'll find something you can use, although I suspect you're doing fine all on your own. He's really beautiful, btw.

https://www.clickertraining.com/dont-socialize-the-dog

 

[TylerDurden]

I think you are right about your description, and about considering it a fine line. Our EM was similar when he was really young. Although we confronted him with his fears, we always wanted to make sure it happens naturally. No forcing, no pressure etc. In other words, we integrated those things as part of our routines, and introduced them slowly. You can‘t be prepared for every possible sounds, so your approach makes perfect sense. At 13 months of age, it is totally gone. He did have another, very short, fear stage about 2-3 months ago, which lasted for a couple of weeks. In Enzo‘s case, it‘s probably not a stage, but simply part of the regular development process. Keep us posted and good luck.

 

[Ben Curtis]

How exactly did your trainer want to you handle dealing with his fears? Depending on the answer, I might be inclined to suggest you look for a different trainer. Perhaps the trainer wasn't suggesting flooding? I think you handled the vase situation perfectly. Calmly, matter of factly, and by encouragement with positive rewards. You're not only building his confidence in himself, but in you as well.

This is one of my favorite articles on socialization and what it really means. Maybe you'll find something you can use, although I suspect you're doing fine all on your own. He's really beautiful, btw.

https://www.clickertraining.com/dont-socialize-the-dog

It was just an evaluation with the trainer so we didn't get into it too much. She mentioned training dogs to do a ramp and not allowing them to go backwards only forward. We actually tried this technique with Leo and he never really mastered the skinny ramp. We have a ramp to get Enzo into our SUV and I allowed him to avoid it, until one day he wanted to get out of the vehicle and he just did the ramp, somewhat on his own. Now he does it perfectly.

We did decide to go with another trainer. Not really because of this. She was charging $100 per hour (private classes), and a trainer we feel equally comfortable with (group classes) charges $110 for 6 classes. We prefer the group classes, because we are doing this as much for socialization as the learning. It doesn't hurt that its $490 cheaper.

I'll check that article out for sure.

Thanks,
Ben

 

[Boxergirl]

I like group classes too, and that's a very reasonable price. My daughter is just finishing up her training certification and she's working with her boy to be a service dog. Otis doesn't attend most classes to learn the skills other dogs are learning. He's there to work on other tasks in an environment that is very distracting for him. The trainers running the classes have always encouraged each person and their dog to work on their individual areas of need rather than sticking strictly to a schedule. I don't like the set up of petco type classes around here. There doesn't seem to be any flexibility with working on individual issues.

Good luck. Keep us updated on how things are going. I'll enjoy watching your boy grow.

 

[Zeela]

I think Enzo will get over the fear stage, no need to push, it will happen in time...step by step, he is still a baby & learning....nothing to worry about...enjoy this fun stage of teaching & his reaction to something new, it's Fun!!!

 

[DennasMom]

When Denna would show fear at an object, I would stop, give her a curious "whaaat??" and "let's go check it out!"... then I would approach the object (leave her behind as-is), coo and goo over it, play with it, invite her over to be with me near it, and "show" it to her. Then give her a big shake down reward with a "silly girl" pat on the head and jump up to go to something she loved (like go "outside" to play) to make sure she didn't dwell on the experience too much.

From what you say you did with the vase, it sounds similar... I maybe go a bit overboard on the baby talk - to the OBJECT (not the dog)... to make the object more interesting... it all depends on the dog's reaction to your approach. If it's working, keep at it!

And definitely keep it fun!

 

[Ben Curtis]

When Denna would show fear at an object, I would stop, give her a curious "whaaat??" and "let's go check it out!"... then I would approach the object (leave her behind as-is), coo and goo over it, play with it, invite her over to be with me near it, and "show" it to her. Then give her a big shake down reward with a "silly girl" pat on the head and jump up to go to something she loved (like go "outside" to play) to make sure she didn't dwell on the experience too much.

From what you say you did with the vase, it sounds similar... I maybe go a bit overboard on the baby talk - to the OBJECT (not the dog)... to make the object more interesting... it all depends on the dog's reaction to your approach. If it's working, keep at it!

And definitely keep it fun!

I like the idea you had of playing with the object. For the most part i'd say he's moved passed that phase. His becoming confident... until an apple drops out of a tree unexpectedly.

Thanks,