Episode #219 The BIGGEST Mistake People Make When Their Dog is Fearful

If your dog is scared of something—like the vacuum—DO NOT force them to face their fear head-on! This common mistake, called flooding, can actually make things worse and cause long-term fear issues. 😨

In this episode, we break down:

✅ The #1 mistake dog owners make when dealing with a fearful pup
✅ How to gradually help your dog overcome their fear using positive reinforcement
✅ The importance of socialization and why it’s crucial between 8-16 weeks (and beyond!)
✅ How to recognize fearful vs. confident body language in dogs
✅ A step-by-step socialization field trip guide – where to go, what to bring, and how often to do it!

🎾 Need more fun ways to socialize your pup? Visit our Games & Activities page for field trip ideas & checklists! 📝 👉 https://www.baxterandbella.com/games-and-activities (For Members)

Chapters

• 0:00 The Biggest Mistake With Fearful Dogs
• 1:52 Gradual Exposure is Key
• 3:18 Socialization: Preventing Fear
• 4:40 Planning Successful Socialization Outings
• 6:04 Reading Your Dog's Body Language
• 7:20 Episode Closing and Resources

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

The biggest mistake people make when their dog is fearful is forcing them to face their fear head on. We're talking all about it on the podcast today. Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter Bella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started. Hello and welcome to the podcast. I'm so glad you're here. Thanks for listening. If you know of somebody who's getting a puppy soon or maybe they just got a dog let them know about the podcast. It's free. We have over 200 episodes full of tips and tricks to help you teach your dog how to behave and live in a human world. That can be daunting and sometimes scary, which is what we are talking about today. So if you've noticed that your dog or puppy is fearful of something, what do you do? How should we handle it? The audio today comes from our recent YouTube video. To see the full video, head on over to YouTube at Baxter and Bella. Enjoy. The biggest mistake people make when their dog is fearful is making their dog face their fear head on, expecting them to just get over it. That's like expecting you to get over your fear of public speaking by having you give a TED talk in front of 10,000 people. Yeah, didn't think so. If your dog is scared of the vacuum, let's say, then turning the vacuum on and running it right next to them is not going to be helpful. We call this flooding. It's the dog version of throwing someone who's scared of spiders into a room full of tarantulas Not cool. So what should you do instead? Great question, and the answer is gradual exposure. Using positive reinforcement, little by little, we can help your dog see their fear as something that's not that scary.

Speaker 1: 2:03

Step two start small. We want to begin by having the vacuum in the room. Just set it in the middle of the room, let your dog play. Maybe you scatter food rewards on the floor so that they're in the presence of the vacuum. But it's just sitting there, it's not on, it's not running, it's just there and your dog's having a good time. Step three slowly increase exposure. So I might start moving this around a little bit. My dog's having a good time. Step three slowly increase exposure. So I might start moving this around a little bit. My dog's still having a good time. I'm still entertaining them with a toy or I've got food scattered on the floor that they're finding. I'm not trying to scare them with this, but I am going to start to add some movement, then turn it on in a different room so your dog's over here In the other room. You turn on the vacuum so they can hear it, but there's some distance between them.

Speaker 1: 2:46

If your dog's showing good body language and they're okay with it, then we start to bring the vacuum closer. When it's on, always reward calm behavior. If your dog wants to go check out the vacuum, they look at it, they sniff it. Toss them a little food, reward for that and over time your puppy will not mind the vacuum. The key is baby steps, not an all-out fear fest. If your dog wants to move away. Let them Never force your dog to go face their fear. I promise you that'll just make it worse.

Speaker 1: 3:13

There's another huge factor in preventing your dog from having fears in the first place. It's called socialization. The first 16 weeks of your puppy's life their brain is like a sponge. It is soaking up experiences and deciding what's safe and what's not. This is the prime time to introduce your puppy to all sorts of experiences in a positive way, and socialization is not just for puppies. We actually want to make sure that we're continuing this throughout the life of our dog, but that early window is really important. Here's a quick list of things you should socialize your dog to Different types of people hats, sunglasses, beards, kids, tall people, short people you name it.

Speaker 1: 3:53

Other dogs make sure they're friendly, of course. Various surfaces grasses, pavement, metal grates, hardwood floors, sand, mud Okay, maybe not the mud. Loud noises, sirens, cars, vacuum cleaners, garbage disposals, garage door openers Things your puppy's going to hear on a daily basis Vehicles, cars, trucks, bikes, buses Things that your dog's going to see and hear moving around. Expose them early Veterinary visits. Make these fun and positive, always bringing food rewards, and help your dog enjoy the visit. Different environments.

Speaker 1: 4:30

Wherever you're going to take your dog as an adult, we want to take them as a puppy. Just make sure you carry them before they're fully vaccinated. Are you wondering what a good socialization outing looks like? Let me give you an example. Choose a location where you want to take your puppy. Maybe it's the pet store. Maybe it's just a dog friendly store, or maybe it's the pet store. Maybe it's just a dog-friendly store or maybe it's a park.

Speaker 1: 4:48

How long should it be? Make sure you keep it short. 5 to 10 minutes, honestly, is ideal. We want to walk our puppy around the area, feed them some food rewards, let them hear, smell, see, experience the environment and then we go home. Make sure you bring high-value food rewards. I also like to bring a little cleanup kit, especially if my puppy's fully vaccinated and they're now walking on the ground. If they happen to have an accident, I need to be prepared to help clean that up. So a leash their harness, favorite food rewards, a little cleanup kit with maybe some wipes and poop bags in it. That's great. And make sure you don't forget your positive attitude. I like to do these three to four times a week. Again, super short, five to 10 minutes. I'm in and out my puppy's experiencing the environment without too much stress. If I see my puppy is stressed, we just create distance and maybe we leave the store or we walk further away from the park.

Speaker 1: 5:41

If there's a group of people that's causing a lot of chaos, always pay attention to your dog's body language. That part's next. For more detailed field trip ideas, check out our games and activities page. I've listed a whole bunch of ideas for you. I've even included little scavenger hunts for you to find along the way. The more positive experiences your dog has, the better their confidence will be, and confidence is key to preventing fear-based behaviors.

Speaker 1: 6:04

But, amy, how do I know if my dog is confident or fearful? Dogs talk with their bodies, so let's break it down. A fearful dog may show the following signs Tucking of the tail, pinning their ears, avoiding eye contact, licking their lips, yawning when they're not tired, cowering or trying to hide or get away, trembling or excessive panting or freezing in place. On the flip side, a confident dog is going to show these signs Tail held, naturally wagging loosely, a nice, happy, friendly, open mouth, soft facial expressions, soft eyes. They move around calmly, willing to explore their surroundings. Look for loose, noodley body language. Think of a wet spaghetti noodle. Well, if you take that noodle and wiggle it around, that's the kind of body language we're looking in a nice, happy, confident dog, just happy-go-lucky, bouncy movements.

Speaker 1: 6:57

Knowing these signs can help you know what to do and how to help your dog in any given moment. If you see your dog showing signs of fear, we can give them space. If you see your dogs happy and confident around a new experience we can positively reward them. So let's make a promise no more tough love when it comes to dog fears. Okay, let's be the patient, understanding, treat-dispensing humans our dogs need us to be. Thanks for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast. I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog. Remember, with a little patience and consistency, you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with fellow puppy parents. For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online. Until next time, happy training.