JE-UK

I love when I encounter someone who can express something complicated and complex so clearly. She is a great writer and trainer and I totally agree with everything she says here!

Reassurance isn’t the same as reinforcement | Success Just Clicks

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"Yes is so much important than No." Dominique Barbier

liljaker

How true. I can identify with the article since Sunny has been going thru some fear adventures --- I think you may have read. I make sure I do not baby and coo (it's hard, he is such a sweetheart) when something scares him, so he doesn't think I, too, am afraid, but I do calmy and solidy reach down to his collar and provide a little support and say, "that's ok, don't worry about it" and we keep going. It works and does not encourage but instead, seems to put him at ease.

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tokipoke

Good article. I agree that people baby their dogs at the wrong time and in the wrong way. I'm glad there was a time Leroy got spooked and instead of walking away and ignoring it, we tried to face it. We were walking in the dark and he got scared by a dimly lit wheelbarrow. He had never seen one of these so the shape was scary and forgein to him. I started to pull him and walk away but I could tell he was still wired up. We walked back, I approached the wheelbarrow and he tiptoed slowly, ears alert, darting his muzzle around. I then squatted and asked him to come closer. I touched the wheelbarrow and moved it. He jumped back but his nose was still sniffing the air. We were there a couple of minutes. I kept moving the wheelbarrow and touching it to show him it wasn't a threat. My voice remained upbeat. He still disliked the wheelbarrow but I thought the exercise was successful because he remained curious throughout the whole thing. He walked normally after that.

catsaqqara

I agree that soothing is not a bad thing, but I think a solution to fear should be connected to this article.

The family dog is afraid of fireworks and thunder, each time(she is ~10) someone would say "its ok" and put their hand on her or pat her. She did the same thing each time and didn't get worse or better.
During this past summer fireworks I didn't touch her or say its ok, but I started playing with my poodles and tried to get her to join with toys and verbal encouragement. There were fireworks 2 days and by the end of the second she looked like she was feeling better and started doing her version of play/happy. We'll see how things go during the next time.

They need a positive distraction/interaction to make a new association and move past their fear, but I do think If you cant do that, soothing is much better than leaving them to freak out.
I always thought of reassurance as saying something in a positive and upbeat way, like come on, lets go, and even good boy/girl when even though they are afraid/hesitant they are moving forward and curious which is good. would that be called something else?

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JE-UK

I don't think she is saying you shouldn't work on fear issues, just that sometimes knowing someone has your back can alleviate some of the anxiety associated. It breaks my heart when I a fearful dog look hopefully to its owner for support and get nothing.

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"Yes is so much important than No." Dominique Barbier