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My nervous Portuguese Podengo becomes very afraid when she is around people and other dogs. As a puppy, she was bitten by a bigger dog.
After that, anytime we take her for a walk, she starts barking as soon as we pass any dogs or people, and will try to run away. Although she is a medium-size dog, she has already caused me to fall on one occasion while trying to get away.
She’s very comfortable with my family, but we aren’t sure what to do. Can you give us some hints?
– Teresa, Lisbon, Portugal
Hi Teresa,
Thank you for your question. Here’s a plan of action for you to work toward building your girl’s confidence around other dogs and non-family members.
Keep in mind that you’re working toward two main goals: lowering her stress/fear level and building new skills. So it’s very important to provide a training program that’s focused on success at each level, however long that takes, rather than in terms of quickly changing your dog’s behavior.
It takes a while for dogs, and people, to change behaviors once they’re established. While your dog is learning new skills, she needs to trust you at each and every step to “keep her safe,” from her perspective, so building her confidence at a pace that doesn’t push her too fast, and make her scared, is key. You’ll be using positive reinforcement – no harsh training methods.
I suggest that along with all the training you’ll be doing with her, you bring a very well-socialized, friendly dog who absolutely loves all people and dogs to be her “mentor” on walks when she’s ready. If she knows and is comfortable with a dog who fits the bill, great – if not, don’t force her to meet another dog and add to her stress right now.
Basic Training
Begin building your dog’s confidence by training her to perform basic obedience commands and some fun tricks. This will be very easy with a Podengo! Start by reading my Training 101 instructions, followed by Sit, Down and Go To Bed. These commands are useful, but the main benefit to your dog will be the confidence she starts to get with all the praise.
Build Confidence with Kong Toys
Get your dog hooked on hollow toys that dispense food. Kongs are great for this (see my instructions for stuffing a Kong). This will be a tool in helping her warm up to human strangers. Make sure you present the Kong very enthusiastically from the refrigerator. Buy a few of them to make sure you have at least one at the ready if someone comes over.
Let her watch you stuff her Kongs, act very excited about it, then put them in the fridge. Wait a few minutes, then say, “Where’s Your Kong?” very excitedly, run over to the refrigerator, ask her to sit, then grab a Kong for her. This will transfer her excitement from you saying “Where’s your Kong?” to new people when they come over.
Meet and Greet Friendly Visitors
Ask as many people as you can to come over (one at at time). Explain the Kong routine and what you’re trying to achieve before they arrive. Be very excited and happy about them coming over. The first time someone comes over, your dog may not get excited even though the person’s saying, “Where’s your Kong?” That’s okay. Just ask your visitor to grab the Kong, toss it to your dog, then quietly leave. If your guest is willing, have them knock or ring the bell, and come in several times in a row.
When your dog shows a lessened fear response, stop for a few hours. Don’t do too much at once, but do end with a better response than the first.
After your dog gets to know these people, invite all of them over and give each guest a pocketfull of your dog’s favorite treat. Take your dog out front on leash, and have your friends walk around the block, about 20 feet between them so they come back around one at a time. At the same time, work on Sit and Down with your dog.
When you see or hear the first person coming toward you, get happy! The other person should, too. When they’re a few feet away, have them squat down and start tossing treats at your dog. Don’t make your dog walk toward them. End the session with a better response than the first. Do this as often as possible, adding a few people your dog hasn’t met.
When your dog is happy to see people walking toward her and she’s showing real interest in greeting them, have the person squat down and invite your dog over to be pet. Ask the person to not look directly into your dog’s eyes for any length of time at first, until your dog is really happy to go over and greet someone.
Follow a Mentor Dog’s Lead
Now it’s time to bring the “mentor dog” and head out for a walk! It’s very important your dog see a number of really friendly dog greetings between the mentor dog and “stranger” dogs, so you must control the environment by asking someone with a small or medium sized, very friendly dog to approach you while out on the walk. Save the bigger dogs for later on in the program when she’s much more confident. (Reminder: Be at least a few feet behind the mentor dog.)
When your “set-up” person approaches, have the dogs veer off a bit to the side so that they’re approaching in a sort of arc, rather than straight on. That’s much less intimidating to a dog with a fearful past. Stop and ask your dog to sit as the other dogs sit. Keep her attention and praise her lavishly if she shows any interest in wanting to join in on the greeting.
Continue to stay back for however many sessions it takes until she’s truly ready to say hi to the new dog. You can now start getting closer to the mentor dog during these greetings, with success at each level before moving closer.
Next, have the mentor dog and a stranger dog approach your dog as you walk around the block. When that’s going very well, it’s time for her solo flight! Remember to continue communicating with her; you may feel a bit nervous at this phase, and talk to her less because of it.
Don’t tighten your grip on her leash – this can trigger many unwanted behaviors from dogs. Make sure the first dog she meets without her mentor there be the dog-friendliest dog you know.
Learn to Love the Leash
Another exercise is to slowly change your dog’s mind about how she feels when you put her leash on. As reactive as she is on walks right now, it’s got to be tough for her to even see the leash. So just lay it on the ground, and if she takes a step toward it, say “Yes!” and give her a small food treat.
Continue doing this in short sessions, switching from the treats to her new tug toy to keep it really fun. (The toy stays out of sight unless you’re training or walking her.)
When your dog is glad to see the leash, clip it on and encourage her to walk next to you, keeping her attention with lots of praise and eye contact. Do this inside your house for no longer than a minute. When you’ve reached the point where she loves this, go to the backyard and start over. When she’s very comfortable at this level, the next session will be a very brief session on the sidewalk – just a few house lengths.
If she knows a friendly dog (another Podengo, if possible) who’s not fearful, have this “mentor” dog and its person walk a few feet in front of you. Your dog will see how her buddy reacts, and that will help her change her mind about how she feels about other dogs. Your dog will benefit from seeing another dog anticipate love and affection rather than punishment (such as being bitten) when she sees another dog.
While you’re on the walk, you need to think about what to do when you see another person and dog. Rather than waiting for her to react, get your dog’s attention very quickly, praise her lavishly for looking at you. Ignore the behavior you’re trying to train away; no scolding!
If you do encounter another dog when your dog and her buddy are out walking, stay well behind the mentor dog, praising your dog each moment she’s showing lesser signs of stress, and, of course, when she starts showing interest in meeting the other dog. Since this is her trigger for fear, be sure to really encourage and praise her. Have the new toy in your back pocket and when she’s paying attention to you (because you’re talking to her), take the toy out and have a quick tug session, if she’s interested.
No Pulling
Concerning your being pulled to the point of falling, please refer to my leash-training suggestions in Queen of My Street. I suggest a head harness for your dog as described in the answer. Focus on the “Yes!” you’ll teach your dog for the walking training, and use it throughout her other training.
Join the Club
Check around your area for Podengo clubs or breeders, and if they train using no-force, positive reinforcement methods, bring your dog to one of their events. Easy does it: Stay off in the distance with her if you have to the first few visits, until she relaxes and you can get a bit closer with each visit. The fun the other dogs are having will hopefully win her over to being more curious than fearful after a few visits. Remember to praise her for any interest she shows in meeting the other dogs.
Your dog should meet and become friends with Podengos before any larger breeds. The more she hangs out with well-socialized dogs, the better.
Be a Good Sport
There are Podengo agility events in Lisbon, and this is a perfect sport for your girl. You’ll be around very supportive and knowledgeable people. Some use clicker training, which is a great teaching tool.
As you know, your dog’s breed is highly intelligent and active. She needs a lot of exercise, both physically and mentally, every day to give her outlets for this energy. Look into agility, flyball or any other fun dog sport to help build her confidence along with giving her a positive way to use her energy. It’s crucial to a well-rounded dog, particularly such an active one!
To summarize, always stay chatty and encouraging with your dog on walks, praising all good reactions. Use a “mentor” dog if possible. Let your dog be a part of a very friendly Podengo pack, who’ll teach her how fun life is around other people and dogs. Don’t wait for her to react when you see or hear something that usually sparks a fear response in her by diffusing the situation.
Until your dog is much better with her social skills, get really happy, clap your hands and turn and walk in the other direction if needed, keeping up the “cheerleading” until the fear trigger is out of site.
The very best both of you as you start on the road to her social success!
– Eugenia Vogel
PHOTO: Vwpolonia75
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