My dog is very skittish. How do I help him overcome his fears?

Question

Hi, my name is Eunice, I have a 3yr old Lab Mix, he's very skiddish and afraid of everything, he was never abused, I had him since he was 3 months old. how can I brake him out of his skiddish ways....Regards Eunice. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 2 years and 9 months old | 72 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

I certainly sympathize with your situation. My own 2 year old dog is the same way. The key to training him is to expose him to situations that are not too scary for him, but improve his confidence. This is not a quick or easy process, and will need to be continued long term. I have found the best method to be a desensitization and counter-conditioning system. When Max encounters something that is slightly scary for him (not too overhelming at first), ask him to sit or lie down for a treat. The goal is to get him to do something that he is comfortable with and receive a treat (positive reinforcement) for doing that behavior instead of being afraid. Do not give him any reinforcement (verbal or otherwise) for fearful behavior, but try to ignore it. Instead reward the behavior you want to see. It would be a great idea to have a trainer try to help you start this type of training program, so you might ask your vet for a recommendation on a trainer. I have been using this on my dog, and it works well, but requires a lot of work. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My dog is very skittish. How do I help him overcome his fears?

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