Fear.... it can spurn you on or hold you hostage

Fear.... it can spurn you on or hold you hostage. What has been your experience with fear?
Let me tell you about Doug. When Doug arrived for his board and train he was frozen by his fears which included stairs, vehicles, laminate flooring, and walking through doorways to name a few. In most situations Doug would freeze, pancake to the floor and shake. But in other situations, like when he saw another dog out on the walk, he would become loudly reactive lounging and barking. Now these two reactions look completely different but they stem from the same place... insecurity. Doug believed that if he behaves fearfully and won't move, someone will carry him. He has also believed that if he put on a reactive show, the dog that makes him feel threatened and insecure will go away. These are super common behaviours in a lot of dogs because a dog will do what works... especially if it works fast. So in their minds, the more extreme reactions get quicker results. But how do we cut through all this emotional chaos that the dog is feeling? Well the way I do it is by remote collar training. When the dog is comfortable and relaxed and in an environment with no distractions (I use my house) I develop a communication system with the dog through remote collar training so that I can tell him what's good, what's not and give him support and feedback. Once the dog is fluent in remote collar language I start to move our sessions outside of the dogs comfort zone, but because I can now communicate with the dog in a meaningful way I am able to support and guide him through the situations that would have previously shut him down or made him freak out. I can advise him on his behavior and make him feel safe and secure. This is the elegance and the depth of low level remote collar training. It has the ability to unlock a dog like Doug so that he can feel comfortable in his skin and interact with the world in a healthy and confident manner. I got you Doug♥