11/11/2026
Trainers Thought: Fear
Recently while bushwhacking on a hike, we came upon an abandoned moped that was laying on its side. It was very out of place for where it was, deep in the bushes very far down a logging road.
Whisper, to my surprise, was afraid of it! Maybe because it was so out of context, maybe because she'd never seen something of that shape and material on the ground before, maybe because it was possessed by an evil spirit, who knows. All I knew is that she was afraid of it and didn't want to go past it.
I could've clipped her on leash and made her walk by, I knew the moped wasn't going to attack her. I also could've used treats to bring her closer to it, but that would run the risk of creating conflict with food.
Instead, I crouched down, started touching the moped, and talking to it. "Huh, look at you! I haven't seen a moped in the woods before, how interesting." If anybody would have come around the corner at that moment in time they would have thought I was a lunatic.
What I was doing though, was removing the pressure off of her to interact with something she was afraid of and allowing her to see the normalcy with which I interacted with it. She was able to hear in my tone that I was not afraid of it, and she was able to see that it didn't grow a mouth and eat me when I touched it.
After a couple of seconds, she came over and sniffed it, and then we moved on.
This summer, I started hiking a dog who showed fear around water. The first time we had to cross a creek together, I dropped her leash and waded across with the rest of the pack. The water wasn't deep, and I had full confidence that she would be able to walk through it without so much as getting her belly wet.
By taking the pressure off of her and acting like the situation was no big deal at all, she gained enough confidence to cross the creek. Giving her an opportunity to observe myself and the other dogs and realize that this was just a normal part of the hike was all she needed to work through that fear.
Often times when our dogs are afraid of something, the best thing we can do for them is be normal. They look to us for guidance, and if we are making a big deal out of the thing they are scared of, it just tells them that they were right to be worried in the first place.
By putting treats on something scary and encouraging them to come take it, we are inadvertently creating a conflict with the food while also telling them that the thing is indeed a big deal. While food can certainly be helpful in some situations, using it to entice a dog closer to something they fear is often not a good idea.
If we put our dogs on leash and use pressure to force them near something scary we are telling them that not only is that thing a big deal, but we have no regard for how they are feeling. In certain situations, removing a dog's ability to flee may be beneficial, but forcing them to interact with something that they fear often creates mistrust.
By demonstrating normalcy through your own behaviors, your dog can observe the thing they are scared of, observe you interacting with it in a totally normal way, and observe that nothing catastrophic is happening. It takes all of the pressure off of them and allows them to shift towards curiosity.
Next time your dog shows fear towards something you know isn't scary or harmful to them, try interacting with it like it is no big deal, and let your dog draw their confidence from your lack of concern. It may make all the difference!
*disclaimer that not all fear is equal, and some situations may require a more nuanced approach. If you are unsure what the best approach is for your dog, feel free to reach out!
