Episode #219 The BIGGEST Mistake People Make When Their Dog is Fearful

If your dog is scared of something—like the vacuum—DO NOT force them to face their fear head-on! This common mistake, called flooding, can actually make things worse and cause long-term fear issues. 😨

In this episode, we break down:

✅ The #1 mistake dog owners make when dealing with a fearful pup
✅ How to gradually help your dog overcome their fear using positive reinforcement
✅ The importance of socialization and why it’s crucial between 8-16 weeks (and beyond!)
✅ How to recognize fearful vs. confident body language in dogs
✅ A step-by-step socialization field trip guide – where to go, what to bring, and how often to do it!

🎾 Need more fun ways to socialize your pup? Visit our Games & Activities page for field trip ideas & checklists! 📝 👉 https://www.baxterandbella.com/games-and-activities (For Members)

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The biggest mistake people make when their dog is
fearful is forcing them to facetheir fear head on.
We're talking all about it onthe podcast today.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical

(00:23):
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hello and welcome to thepodcast.
I'm so glad you're here.
Thanks for listening.

(00:43):
If you know of somebody who'sgetting a puppy soon or maybe
they just got a dog let themknow about the podcast.
It's free.
We have over 200 episodes fullof tips and tricks to help you
teach your dog how to behave andlive in a human world.
That can be daunting andsometimes scary, which is what
we are talking about today.
So if you've noticed that yourdog or puppy is fearful of

(01:06):
something, what do you do?
How should we handle it?
The audio today comes from ourrecent YouTube video.
To see the full video, head onover to YouTube at Baxter and
Bella.
Enjoy.
The biggest mistake people makewhen their dog is fearful is
making their dog face their fearhead on, expecting them to just
get over it.
That's like expecting you toget over your fear of public

(01:27):
speaking by having you give aTED talk in front of 10,000
people.
Yeah, didn't think so.
If your dog is scared of thevacuum, let's say, then turning
the vacuum on and running itright next to them is not going
to be helpful.
We call this flooding.
It's the dog version ofthrowing someone who's scared of
spiders into a room full oftarantulas Not cool.

(01:49):
So what should you do instead?
Great question, and the answeris gradual exposure.
Using positive reinforcement,little by little, we can help
your dog see their fear assomething that's not that scary.
Step two start small.
We want to begin by having thevacuum in the room.
Just set it in the middle ofthe room, let your dog play.

(02:11):
Maybe you scatter food rewardson the floor so that they're in
the presence of the vacuum.
But it's just sitting there,it's not on, it's not running,
it's just there and your dog'shaving a good time.
Step three slowly increaseexposure.
So I might start moving thisaround a little bit.
My dog's having a good time.
Step three slowly increaseexposure.
So I might start moving thisaround a little bit.
My dog's still having a goodtime.
I'm still entertaining themwith a toy or I've got food

(02:31):
scattered on the floor thatthey're finding.
I'm not trying to scare themwith this, but I am going to
start to add some movement, thenturn it on in a different room
so your dog's over here In theother room.
You turn on the vacuum so theycan hear it, but there's some
distance between them.
If your dog's showing good bodylanguage and they're okay with
it, then we start to bring thevacuum closer.
When it's on, always rewardcalm behavior.

(02:54):
If your dog wants to go checkout the vacuum, they look at it,
they sniff it.
Toss them a little food, rewardfor that and over time your
puppy will not mind the vacuum.
The key is baby steps, not anall-out fear fest.
If your dog wants to move away.
Let them Never force your dogto go face their fear.
I promise you that'll just makeit worse.
There's another huge factor inpreventing your dog from having

(03:17):
fears in the first place.
It's called socialization.
The first 16 weeks of yourpuppy's life their brain is like
a sponge.
It is soaking up experiencesand deciding what's safe and
what's not.
This is the prime time tointroduce your puppy to all
sorts of experiences in apositive way, and socialization
is not just for puppies.
We actually want to make surethat we're continuing this

(03:39):
throughout the life of our dog,but that early window is really
important.
Here's a quick list of thingsyou should socialize your dog to
Different types of people hats,sunglasses, beards, kids, tall
people, short people you name it.
Other dogs make sure they'refriendly, of course.
Various surfaces grasses,pavement, metal grates, hardwood

(04:00):
floors, sand, mud Okay, maybenot the mud.
Loud noises, sirens, cars,vacuum cleaners, garbage
disposals, garage door openersThings your puppy's going to
hear on a daily basis Vehicles,cars, trucks, bikes, buses
Things that your dog's going tosee and hear moving around.

(04:20):
Expose them early Veterinaryvisits.
Make these fun and positive,always bringing food rewards,
and help your dog enjoy thevisit.
Different environments.
Wherever you're going to takeyour dog as an adult, we want to
take them as a puppy.
Just make sure you carry thembefore they're fully vaccinated.
Are you wondering what a goodsocialization outing looks like?
Let me give you an example.

(04:41):
Choose a location where youwant to take your puppy.
Maybe it's the pet store.
Maybe it's just a dog friendlystore, or maybe it's the pet
store.
Maybe it's just a dog-friendlystore or maybe it's a park.
How long should it be?
Make sure you keep it short.
5 to 10 minutes, honestly, isideal.
We want to walk our puppyaround the area, feed them some
food rewards, let them hear,smell, see, experience the
environment and then we go home.

(05:02):
Make sure you bring high-valuefood rewards.
I also like to bring a littlecleanup kit, especially if my
puppy's fully vaccinated andthey're now walking on the
ground.
If they happen to have anaccident, I need to be prepared
to help clean that up.
So a leash their harness,favorite food rewards, a little

(05:23):
cleanup kit with maybe somewipes and poop bags in it.
That's great.
And make sure you don't forgetyour positive attitude.
I like to do these three tofour times a week.
Again, super short, five to 10minutes.
I'm in and out my puppy'sexperiencing the environment
without too much stress.
If I see my puppy is stressed,we just create distance and
maybe we leave the store or wewalk further away from the park.
If there's a group of peoplethat's causing a lot of chaos,

(05:44):
always pay attention to yourdog's body language.
That part's next.
For more detailed field tripideas, check out our games and
activities page.
I've listed a whole bunch ofideas for you.
I've even included littlescavenger hunts for you to find
along the way.
The more positive experiencesyour dog has, the better their
confidence will be, andconfidence is key to preventing
fear-based behaviors.

(06:04):
But, amy, how do I know if mydog is confident or fearful?
Dogs talk with their bodies, solet's break it down.
A fearful dog may show thefollowing signs Tucking of the
tail, pinning their ears,avoiding eye contact, licking
their lips, yawning when they'renot tired, cowering or trying
to hide or get away, tremblingor excessive panting or freezing

(06:28):
in place.
On the flip side, a confidentdog is going to show these signs
Tail held, naturally waggingloosely, a nice, happy, friendly
, open mouth, soft facialexpressions, soft eyes.
They move around calmly,willing to explore their
surroundings.
Look for loose, noodley bodylanguage.
Think of a wet spaghetti noodle.
Well, if you take that noodleand wiggle it around, that's the

(06:51):
kind of body language we'relooking in a nice, happy,
confident dog, justhappy-go-lucky, bouncy movements
.
Knowing these signs can help youknow what to do and how to help
your dog in any given moment.
If you see your dog showingsigns of fear, we can give them
space.
If you see your dogs happy andconfident around a new
experience we can positivelyreward them.
So let's make a promise no moretough love when it comes to dog

(07:13):
fears.
Okay, let's be the patient,understanding, treat-dispensing
humans our dogs need us to be.
Thanks for tuning in to thePuppy Training Podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to

(07:37):
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.