You will probably find my next statement strange, but
I LOVE nervous puppies!!
I love them & I adore them! My favorite part of my job at the animal hospital is when a new puppy comes in and it’s got its tail between its legs and won’t walk up to people. {{ADD A SENTENCE HERE}}
I love helping that puppy come to realize that it’s going to be okay. I want to teach them that I am not something to fear, because the vet can be scary, but we don’t want them to be scared.
My technique for these occasions comes from Dr. Sophia Yin. After studying here methods, I’ve had a lot of success calming the nerves of scared pups walking through the door. And you can learn the same method!
Here’s the steps:
1. Look away from the dog.
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2. Stand sideways with your shoulder towards the dog.
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3. Talk gently and kneel down a few feet away from the dog.
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4. Slowly reach your hand out in a closed fist.
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Typically, they will naturally become curious about you. Since you are in a non-threatening position, they may walk over to you to for a sniff. Progress! Yay! But…
Do not jump up in excitement! That’s scary!
You can slowly get back up and if the owner says its okay, give the dog a treat. Sometimes that works, but sometimes nervous dogs won’t eat. So don’t get your feelings hurt.
Feel successful that you at least got the dog to sniff you. That is a really good experience for the dog and that is what matters most.
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