My Dog Runs and Hides From Strangers
Question:
Hello,
I have a 3 year old King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. He is very loving towards all the people in his life that he sees on a regular basis but runs and hides from any strangers, and even will bark at them. He is the same with with other dogs. Do you have any tips on how I can help change this behavior?
Thank you,
Tracey
ANSWER:
Tracey, thanks for this question, this is a great topic. In nearly all cases I see humans deal with their dog’s fear in such a way that the fear worsens and deepens.
The natural tendency of most people (I’m not saying you have done this, necessarily) is to coddle such a dog or attempt to entice him with baby-talk or treats. This is the last thing your dog needs. Your dog needs the confidence that comes from steady leadership and learning to face fears rather than run from them.
What your dog needs is to take the stress that he feels, confront it, and have victory time and time again. As he achieves victory over and over you will help him build self confidence and help him learn that he doesn’t need to be so afraid.
The problem that you must fix right now is that your dog is achieving his own brand of victory through his hiding. New people and dogs stress him, he runs away, and sure enough he doesn’t have to deal with the issue. In his mind there is no surer way to handle a new individual than to run off; after all, it works every time!
Here is what I would recommend. Keep him on a leash when he is faced with new people. Don’t allow him to run away. Instead, require him to sit and stay. If you can focus his mind on sitting and NOT running away you will give him a different alternative to his flight response.
Control and fear are opposites, they don’t get along well. When you allow fear to take over the control goes out the window. If you can control the situation through obedience that leaves very little space if any for fear to reside. Increase his level of control through obedience and you will be able to help him overcome his fear issues.
Ty Brown is an expert dog trainer, author, and speaker who specializes in obedience training, behavior modification, protection dog training, and narcotics dogs. To learn more about Ty and the dog training services he offers, visit www.dogbehavioronline.com
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There is not a single thing in Ty’s answer with which I agree or that is accurate. You CANNOT change a truly fearful dog’s behavior unless you change the emotion first. Rather than forcing the dog to face a fear (a strategy called flooding) or using “obedience” to gain “control,” I would recommend looking into relaxation protocols, where dogs learn through gentle training, to sit & stay in the presence of a variety of stimuli.
Seriously, look up Relaxation Protocol online, and you’ll find a much better solution than what’s offered here.
To require a dog to sit and stay through his fear is not only outdated, but it is also unnecessary and borders on cruel. If I’m afraid of spiders, do you think you’ll help me overcome my fear by forcing me to stay in place, while you walk toward me carrying one? No! Not only will I become more fearful, but I will also begin to dislike *you* because I now associate you with the thing I fear.
Force and fear do NOT go together.
Try science instead: counterconditioning and desensitization.
Poor dog – being forced to stay (and do obedience!!) while fearful…
Check out Dr. Sophia Yin, Patricia McConnell, and Dr. Karen Overall for some solid science in this area.