The Nervous Dog. And What To Do.

25 May

We’ve all met that dog. The tiny one, that shakes like a leaf & barks when you get near him.
Why do they do this this? And how can you stop it?

Meet Tim Tam. Aka Timmy. He’s a beautiful 2 year old Manchester Terrier.
Isn’t he cute as a button?!
Yes, he is, but he’s very nervous little guy.

Tim Tam, aka Timmy!

Timmy put everything I’ve learned over the past couple of years in action; from reading his calming signals, to giving off ones that will bring him closer, trust me and start off on a positive foot.

Dogs live in a world of sensory input: visual, olfactory, auditory perceptions. They easily perceive tiny details – a quick signal, a slight change in another´s behavior, the expression in our eyes. Pack animals are so perceptive to signals that a horse can be trained to follow the contraction in our pupils and a dog can be trained to answer your whispering voice. There´s no need to shout commands, to make the tone of our voice deep and angry – what Karen Pryor refers to as swatting flies with a shovel.
- Turid Rugaas

I am his new dog walker, after all …. we’ll be spending a lot of valuable time together, and I want it to be a positive experience. I didn’t want his first interaction with me to be a frightening one, as these are things that can really stick with a dog.

How do you approach a dog that shakes & trembles?

Our initial meeting

Timmy’s mom and I set up a meet & greet, where I met Timmy very casually. I was outside his building, sitting on a slightly elevated slab of concrete, and I strategically angled my body so he didn’t approach me head on; I sat with my legs and shoulder to the side. When I saw Timmy come out of his lobby doors, I saw his tail scooch under his bum. He was instantly overstimulated. This was also my first clue as to how I was going to act ….

As his mom approached me to say hello, and I made NO EYE CONTACT with Timmy, and kept my voice very calm and quiet. I also came loaded with a pocket full of special tuna treats, that I rubbed all over my fingers, so i was approachable and yummy smelling. *I had asked his mom in advance if he’s allergic to anything, as this is something you MUST do before you start shoving food in an unknown dogs’ mouth.

I wanted Timmy to see (&meet) me as non-threatening as possible.
I started very slowly, offering him little bits of my treats. Again, with no eye contact. He started off at a good arms length, but he quickly came in closer as I offered him more treats. I kept treating him, teenie tiny little bites, while I remained talking to him mom in a calm, quiet voice, and continued with no eye contact on Timmy. He quickly realized I was the source of unlimited treats! I knew I had one the little one over, when his tail went back up to an alert position, and his body posture relaxed and he was visibility not as tense, which only took about 3 minutes. I was now interesting but non nearly as threatening to Timmy! Yippee!
He was now right by my feet, taking treats, and nudging my hand for more. Bingo!
By the end, I was itching his bum, which he loves, again, keeping my eyes away from his. I knew this was very important.

This was a longer than usual meeting, but it was unbelievably rewarding.
It’s always incredible to apply things I’ve learned from Caryn, at the Whatta Pup! Professional Dog Walking Course I attended. She was the one that taught me about yawning and licking my lips as a calming signal. And why this is so important. As weird and psycho as you feel, licking your lips, and doing very exaggerated yawns, it’s something I’ve applied to a couple of my very very nervous boarding dogs, and now, to Timmy.

Learning to understand the language of dogs is essential, so that we can understand what our dogs are telling us. That is the secret of having a good life together.