8 Steps To Help Your Fearful Dog Learn in Different Contexts

Last winter, my sons noticed some slight movement under the ice of our small, shallow pond. Upon investigation, they determined that a snake had become trapped under the surface, and that it needed to be rescued from certain hypothermia and an icy grave.

Recovery efforts were successful, and the limp victim was rushed into the kitchen and placed in a clean spaghetti pot with a heat lamp. I held out little hope that that it would recover from its ordeal, but much to my surprise, the little snake began to revive a short time later, at first sluggishly, then more rapidly.

In the transfer to a more robust containment system, the snake escaped from the spaghetti pot and ended up in our sink, which is when I went from calm, commanding snake whisperer straight to a screaming, hysterical mess. My husband came charging up the stairs ready for the Apocalypse, heroically manhandled the 12” escapee back into the pot (now with lid) and deemed it healed from all trauma. Husband and kids headed out to find a rock wall far away from the pond as the snake’s new home, while I tried to calm my shaking hands and racing heart.

What had just happened? I am not afraid of snakes, and actually enjoy seeing them in our yard and gardens, nor did the snake recuperating in the spaghetti pot bother me. Then it dawned on me: I became completely unhinged because of the change in context. I could handle the snake in the pot, but when it unpredictably slithered into the sink, it changed its context and I didn’t have any coping skills.

Context is important when it comes to asking dogs to perform behaviors, whether trained or innate. Our shy and fearful dogs may feel comfortable in one room of the house, but fall apart when we bring them outside. They can go up to the second floor if you stand to the side of the stairs, but retreat if you stand in front of the stairs. They may love a walk in the woods, but freeze when a hiker strides over the rise in the hill.

Fearful dogs are masters of nuance, and the only way to expand their world is to introduce them very, very slowly to new contexts (or environments), with as little coercion and drama as possible.

Here are 8 steps to help your fearful dog learn in different contexts:

1. Any distraction (which alters your dog’s environment) changes the context. Adding a person, taking away a piece of furniture, the sound of traffic at rush hour or sitting in a different position on the couch all change the context for your dog. And when the context changes, you need to go back to the basics, and train whatever behavior you’re asking for in the “new” context.
2. Allow your dog the time she needs to master a new behavior in a calm environment, devoid of distractions.
3. Your dog must be in her “ thinking/learning” brain to be able to learn new behavior. If your dog is showing signs of fear or anxiety, she will not be able to do the behaviors that you are asking for.
4. Break every piece of the behavior down into its smallest component, and practice just that piece until your dog can happily and successfully complete that (small) part.
5. Once your dog is fluent in one piece of the behavior in a distraction-free environment, add the next piece of the behavior. String the individual components together until your dog can happily(!) complete the full behavior in a that environment before moving to the next.
6. Now it’s time to add just one small distraction, which changes the context. Go back to the beginning and break down the components of the behavior into small steps. Teach one step at a time, and string together with the added distraction. Chances are that your dog will move through the steps faster (since she’s already familiar with the process).
7. Change the context only after your dog masters the behavior. Some dogs may start to generalize and offer the behavior in new contexts, while others need to be “coached” in every new context.
8. A sudden change in context can be managed by giving your dog the distance she needs to feel safe and offering her high value treats as long as the change occurs. Treat until you can calmly remove your dog or until the context goes back to normal. Counterconditioning and desensitization are critical in getting your dog comfortable in different contexts.