Remediation for the Hand Shy Dog - Part 1

It is truly sad to see a hand shy dog. The dog will cringe and, possibly, shake from a friendly hand reaching out to pet it. Undoubtedly, the dog has had some traumatic experience / experiences to have such a negative association with the human hand. It is a slow process to correct this problem. However, it is possible. The emphasis is on the ‘slow‘ part. It must have been a cruel lesson for the dog to learn to fear the human hand. It requires patience, time and work to convince the dog that the hand can be a source of comfort.

There are quite a few details about how to address this problem. The method might seem somewhat strange but there are reasons for each and every suggestions. The first goal will be to have the dog take food from the hand. That will be a major step.

Put a small piece of food in the palm of the left hand. Yes, use the left hand. The reason for this is that the left hand will be closest to the dog in the traditional heel position. You want the dog to be comfortable with the left hand. It will make controlled, heel walking easier. If you think this is being obsessively detailed, it is. The dog notices these things. The dog is shying away and is in a defensive mode. You can bet that it will notice all the details - and so would you if preventing bodily harm were involved.

Hold the palm of your left hand flat and rigid. Hold it out for the dog and do not move the hand. Allow the dog to approach. If the dog does nothing but look at the hand, then that is fine. Do not push the issue. Progress is measured only in terms of how much risk the dog is willing to take in trusting you and that cannot be hurried. You are dealing with intangibles such as past memories, fears and such. Progress will be slow but please don’t quit.

When you are holding out your hand, there are some other things that you can do:

• don’t look directly at the dog. - The eye contact will hinder the dog’s progress. The direct gaze will be interpreted as dominance and possibly aggression by this dog. It is trying to overcome fears and you want to eliminate even the slightest possibility that anything will be seen as aggressive on your part.
• approach the dog from a low level. - The mere position of being at a height above the dog can be seen as intimidating. You may want to be sitting, kneeling or prone on the floor. If you make yourself smaller, you will be perceived as less powerful and more friendly.
• do not face the dog directly. - A frontal presentation is interpreted by the dog as a dominant gesture. You do not need that when you are trying to overcome a fear. Present a side view of yourself. You will be seen as less imposing.
• hold your hand lower than the dog’s eye level. - Anything that comes from overhead is seen as a dominance gesture. You do not want that. You want the offer of the hand (and the food) to be a totally friendly gesture. Therefore, present it low.
• try not to move. - Once you offer your hand, try to be still. You do not want to startle the dog. You want to give the dog a chance to be bold and to approach the hand with the treat. In this case, the less amount of distraction as possible is better. Let the dog think. Let the dog think through this problem without added stimuli. The dog is working hard emotionally.
• be quiet. - Yes, be quiet. Do not be exuberant. And yes, this is contradictory to being told always to give enthusiastic praise. In this case, you want to keep the possibility of startling the dog to a bare minimum. When you advance to the point of giving praise, do so in a whisper first. Shhhhhh … quietly.
• move slowly. - This is also to prevent a startle reaction. You do not want to trick the dog into moving toward the hand and then startling it. That would be self defeating.

As you can see, this is a slow process. However, it is only fair that this problem be addressed. The hand can be a comfort to the dog. The dog can re-learn this bad association with the human hand. And it is an absolutely necessary preventative measure to preclude future problems from happening. A dog who is afraid of the human hand is simply dangerous. It will defend itself - and so would you if a weapon approached you.

To be continued…

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster:  http://flyinghamster.com/