we’re fostering our first pit bull (shelter sprung) right now and he’s a lot like this – pensive and apt to just tuck tail and roll over if he gets nervous around people. My heart breaks for him – but instead of pity we’re working to improve his confidence.
Thanks for the video – it helps!

Look at it from another perspective, Larry.

“Who do you want working for you? Who’s going to make you look better?”

We do a lot of rescue and one of the things that is very important when rescuing a nervous or unconfident dog is allowing them to make their own decisions.

Fearful dogs are unable to make a decision between safe and unsafe. Even when it’s something as silly as a plastic bag rolling by in the wind.

Handlers that lead their dogs too much, ask them to avoid the object, keep them busy with tasks, or keep them focused on the handler, are avoiding the problem.

The dog still can’t make a decision about safe or unsafe when it comes to addressing something as innocuous as a rustling plastic bag. The more they are led, the more they depend on that leadership to help them through situations that are abnormal. The dog has to have strong leadership to be normal.

I see this all the time.

The problem with this is that no handler’s perfect, and no handler is always there.

At best this is treating the symptoms instead of the disease, at worst it can cost the dog a normal life.

If you have a nervous dog reward them for making their own decisions, simple ones. Let them sit at the door on their own instead of cuing it. Mark and reinforce the release of the scary stimulus instead of recalling or distracting them. Play the look at that game with no cue.

The more decisions they can make the better they get at making decisions.

Great topic, Larry.

Peace,
Ron

Really nice and succinct.

Peace,
Ron