The Cautious Canine: How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears

by Patricia B. McConnell

Many fear-based problems can be overcome by learning how to apply desensitization and counter conditioning. Whether fear of strangers, vacuums or objects, by identifying triggers and creating a step-by-step plan you will improve the quality of your dog's life-and yours.

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals, Reference, Textbooks, Amazon

30 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, (CAAB) has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals. She is known worldwide as an expert on canine and feline behavior and dog training, and for her engaging and knowledgeable dog training books, DVDs and seminars. Patricia has seen clients for serious behavioral problems since 1988, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, teaching "The Biology and Philosophy of Human/Animal Relationships." For fourteen years she dispensed advice about behavior problems, and information about animal behavior research, on Wisconsin Public Radio's Calling All Pets, which was heard in over 90 cities around the country.

Patricia received her Ph.D. in Zoology in 1988 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison researching dog behavior and communication between professional trainers and working domestic animals.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fabulous McConnell book!

Review to come.

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[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a fantastic training program for reactive dogs. Start at the very lowest level of reaction, create a positive association with whatever it is that creates the anxiety and work from there. I know first hand that when your dog reacts, it's easy to let yourself also get anxious and excited. After reading this book, you can stay calm and stay in control of the situation so that you can best help your dog. Sully (Pembroke Welsh Corgi) was fear aggressive toward dogs and severely shy toward strangers, children, loud noises and more. Using methods from this book and a couple of others, he now has several obedience and rally titles and is comfortable being away from home, greeting people and is no longer reactive toward other dogs. This book makes sense!

[Rebeka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of very good points, and also quite a bit of outdated information. The title is also misleading on the contents of this booklet - this is not about overcoming general anxiety in dogs, but rather specifically conquering human fear reactivity and leash reactivity - Patricia B McConnell focuses on a dog that is agitated on walks and a threat to visitors and delivery personnel.

A lot of the information inside still is good to know and applicable to most dogs - let's be honest, which dog isn't sometimes a bit apprehensive of a stranger approaching during a walk, and which dog ignores the doorbell on their own? However I was hoping for something that is a bit more general for nervy dogs.

Here's some very good quotes I'd like to highlight:

No matter how you slice it, your fearful dog will also make you take a good hard look at yourself. Dogs are masters of reading body language, and you have to conquer your own fears and mental instability to be better able to help your dog.

Dogs are brilliant at reading tension in their owners, and if you are nervous, your dog will pick up on it.

Also true. And it is harmful and humiliating to the owners of fearful dogs to propagate the myth that it is all in how you raise them.

Most “shy” dogs are not afraid because of some abusive incident, but because they are genetically predisposed to be afraid of unfamiliar things. Some new things are scarier than others. Shy dogs most commonly are afraid of: unfamiliar people; men more often than women (especially large, deep voiced guys); people with funny looking silhouettes (carrying bags, wearing hats, etc.); people who charge up to them; hands that reach over the top of their heads; young children who move and speak erratically, and people who are themselves afraid of dogs.

An amazing point, emphasis mine. We often fail to look at events from a dog's much narrower point of view.

Do keep in mind that SPECIFIC events that initially set off a dog can become generalized: perhaps the most common example is the dog who feels threatened when delivery people come. It’s probably not the uniform that bothers him at first; more likely he learns that people with uniforms are territorial intruders. After all, they barge in and dash out, never stopping to perform a greeting ceremony like a polite dog would. Since delivery people always leave right after the dog barks, the dog is reinforced for barking by the withdrawal of what makes him anxious — the intruder. After months or years of this, dogs begin to generalize: people with uniforms are territorial intruders who are best dealt with by aggressive barking.

And finally:

Dog training is not something that nice people just automatically know how to do right. It is a science, a sport and an art.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very short, straightforward book on how to countercondition fearful dogs. The booklet deals specifically with the example of a fearful dog that barks at strangers, but the method is intended to be used for any fearful behavior (mostly in dogs, but applicable to any species).

Most of it is fairly common sense if you are already familiar with this style of dog training, but it's a great reminder and a clear walk through of the process.

I do recommend reading it in tandem with other books on canine behavior and positive reinforcement training if you are not already reasonably well-versed in the topic, but I suspect most readers will come to it either by the recommendation of a trainer or through McConnell's other books (or those of other trainers with similar methods).

[Marília Domingos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia McConnell sabe o que diz quando fala sobre cães, sendo uma das melhores treinadoras da actualidade, a meu ver. Este pequeno livro fala acerca de cães que demonstram ter medo, quer reagindo com agressividade, quer fugindo. Ter um cão medroso em casa não só não é engraçadinho como pode ser perigoso, sendo que muitos ataques de cães derivam de um caso de medo. Neste livro podemos aprender como tratar o medo em cães, alterando a forma como o cão se sente e não apenas disfarçando os sintomas visíveis. Escrito de uma forma simples e compreensível por todos, este livro é uma boa ajuda para quem tem um cão que demonstra ter medo de alguma coisa.

[Rod Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good resource for understanding doorbell reactivity

Decent resource for understanding fearful, reactive dogs, especially for those who react to doorbell. I do like how the author dissects the doorbell scenario to make owners aware of all triggers involved. I expect the outlined plan would be effective but I struggle with the practicality of steps for most owners. I much prefer Sophia Yin's books...takes you through the actual steps for teaching your dog to consistently sit and focus.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this was longer and gave more specific advice. It talks about fear-based bad behavior, and how to help your dog get past it. (Mainly, feed treats when the dog is exposed to a very low level of whatever she's afraid of, then slowly up the exposure). But each dog is probably so specific that it's hard to write a general manual.

[Puma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way McConnell writes. She is simply, straightforward, humourous, and absolutely accessible. I picked up an ecopy of this to refresh myself on classical counter conditioning because it's the most simple how to I've ever seen for counter conditioning in fearful dogs and the most accessible.

[Niasaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given to me by my cousin when asking about dog training and behavior management. Very simplistic but very informational and straight forward. This was a very short read but I think it was just the right length for everything the author wanted to say. No fluff, no crap, just the tools and techniques for training. She gave examples and made sure the advice was open enough for any situation your scared dog is in. Recommend it to anyone worried about there dog's anxiety and wanting some training tips.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helping a reactive dog

Although I currently do not have my own dog I am volunteering at a dog rescue and several have dog on dog problems and want to try to help them so maybe they can be adopted. Also since I will be adopting a dog in the future I want to be prepared should it be a reactive dog. This book has shown me it is possible to train a dog to get along with other dogs and strangers. How much better for the dog and owner. Never give up.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short book (30 pages) with no illustrations and no extra text. It's great if you already have a foundation with dog training and are at least somewhat familiar with the idea of triggers and rewards. But I would probably recommend reading Behavior Adjustment Training (B.A.T.) by Grisha Stewart if you're not.

[Lynne Fedorick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little guide for helping your cautious or reactive dog to learn to be calm and focussed. Pat's to the point writing style makes the delivery of her training concepts easy to read and learn. A recommended read for dog trainers and dog owners.

[Aria von Dimple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a MUST read for all dog owners, even the ones who do not have a reactive / fearful dog. Also, as this booklet is so short, it should be ready again in every once in a while as it packs some seriously good and concentrated advice.

[Meg Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a five star book for me when used together with The Other End of the Leash. As a standalone book, it may not have quite enough detail, but the two books together are a game changer for parents of fearful dogs.

[Degan Walters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really more of a pamphlet but working through it with your dog takes time. Everything is straightforward but there is a bit too much chatty narrative and anecdote for something that is meant to be a short step by step guide.

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.. Very short, almost a pamphlet. It gave specific instructions for dealing with a dog who reacts to strangers coming to the door and dogs or strangers approaching you on a walk. If that isn't your dog's triggers, then it is not as helpful.

[Cynthia L Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great beginner level book to build positive associations with anxious dogs. It is geared for owners to help their own dogs. I'll need to keep this book in mind for when I'm helping people understand positive associations and working with anxious dogs.

[Alex Amos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strange book. After reading “the other end of the leash” I was really looking forward to this one. The advice in this book is really low level. Nice positive ideas but some holes in the training. A decent start point for managing reactivity but lacks a lot of depth.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and simple

This aligns with everything that our trainers have told us. We use the techniques in our big dog who is afraid of strangers and it's worked pretty well so far.

[Florence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very useful technique that I used to help a puppy overcome her fear of other dogs.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice booklet on all that I have researched about how to train a fearful dog - Watch me, Distract/Mark/Treat, etc

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. McConnell's counter-conditioning advice is practical, intuitive and so, so helpful.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing little book/pamphlet that will help you help your dog overcome fears.

[Katherine A. Levensailor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasted $4.00

Almost the entire book was about giving treats..even though that is common sense my dog doesn't even respond to treats. So BUMMER!

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful, but could have been more comprehensive.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some good ideas I hope to be able to implement along with our obedience training.

[Alannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, easy, to the point. Good reference book.

[Katie DeAngelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-written and easy to understand. Looking forward to reading more by Patricia McConnell in preparation for CCPDT exams.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* rounded down

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for beginners, however it is basically the engage disengage game.