Comments on: 15 Calming Signals and What to Do When You See Them

By: Ben Team

Ben Team — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 18:57:03 +0000

In reply to Amy Cullinan. Hey there, Amy. It's hard to provide detailed advice from afar, so don't hesitate to reach out to a certified dog behavior consultant if you'd like some professional help. That said, it certainly sounds like you're taking the correct general approach. Give him plenty of space, keep things calm and reassuring, and slowly build up that trust. It may take months, but he'll likely adjust over time.

By: Amy Cullinan

Amy Cullinan — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 15:53:28 +0000

I rescued a dog from the Texas/Mexican border a month ago. He was found as a stray. The vet thinks he is around 2 yrs old. Sadly, he is afraid of life. Just afraid of literally everything. He does not growl, bite or show his teeth. He is very sweet but very scared. We give him his space almost all the time but lately we have been bringing him over to us on the sofa every once in a while . He will relax and fall asleep. Otherwise, he chooses to lay in the corner in the hallway off of the kitchen. He would stay there forever if we let him. After walks I keep him on the leash for a few extra minutes and walk him around with me in the kitchen and family room. We do give him treats. Sometimes he will take it from us and other times he won’t. In that case we put it down and he will then eat it. He has shown some improvement and will wag his tail and sit up once in a while when he sees me. I just don’t know if what we are doing is right or not. We are trying to go slow and give him time. It’s just so frustrating.

By: Ben Team

Ben Team — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 11:15:05 +0000

In reply to Ella. Hey, Ella. You may want to speak to a canine behaviorist about your pooch -- mostly because it sounds like you're dealing with a few different issues. Honestly (and I'm neither a trainer nor behaviorist, nor have I even seen your dog), it sounds to me like he may just be sleepy/grumpy for his last pee break. Especially if he normally allows you to wash his paws when returning inside. Best of luck!

By: Ella

Ella — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 05:04:59 +0000

Hello.
Thank you for your reply.
He doesn’t reject me all the time. The only time he doesn’t come to me is when he needs to go out for his last peepee (never had this issue before, it’s my dog’s new issue). Sometimes he come after calling his name few times and others, he just stays in his bed and sleep (as if he is ignoring me) is can he be afraid of me? But as of now, he has been going to his last peepee without any issue. But he does not allow me to wash his paws. He goes out 4 times a day and I wash his paws all the time. Now that last peepee issue is gone, he wont allow me to wash his paws after his last peepee. Other 3 times, he allows it. Do I need behaviorist trainer?

By: AdminLogin

AdminLogin — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 13:52:25 +0000

In reply to Ella. Hey Ella! If you see your dog displaying calming signals, you'll want to back off and give them space. Whether you turn around or not doesn't really matter. Folks that are saying not to show your back because it shows the dog has "won" are spouting ridiculous, totally outdated nonsense about dominance theory that's been 100% debunked by science. Please don't listen to people who say those things, they really don't know what they are talking about! When a dog is showing calming signals, they are nervous and afraid. Backing off and giving them space is the appropriate action to show the dog that they are safe and that you aren't going to force them to do anything they don't want to. Usually it makes sense to back off stepping backwards simply so you can continue to keep an eye on them and monitor their body language. Stepping towards the dog is putting spatial pressure on the dog. You are being the aggressor, pressing forward into his space and making it harder for him to escape if need be. This is basically a challenge. Your dog sounds like he is backing down, but stepping towards your frightened dog is a problem because A) He one day might decide not to back down and might feel he HAS to resort to biting to get you to back off and give him space and B) it's using intimidation and fear tactics on your dog, which is really bad for your relationship. If you're calling your dog and he is refusing to come to you, it sounds like he might be really scared of you. I'd suggest working on building up your relationship and teach your dog he can trust you - we have some great info on teaching a scared dog to trust you here.