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The All Dogs Blog

Fear and your dog: Yes, you can help!

7/17/2019

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Have you ever wondered what the cause of your dog's fear might be, and  how you can help him overcome those fears? This blog is designed to help you identify fear in your dog, what to look our for that might be causing fear, and what to do when faced with something that makes your dog afraid. 

This issue is often misunderstood among dog owners because the way dogs express fear (reactivity to include, but not limited to: growling, lunging, barking, staring, piloerection (raised hackles), pulling, or alternatively, cowering, running, and hiding) is often termed "bad behavior."  These expressions do not make your dog a "bad dog", they're just the only way they know how to express how they're feeling in a fearful situation. 

Need some help for your fearful dog? Book a training session with Camille today!
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​Left to cope on their own, these behaviors in your dog can become habits. As we well know, habits are really tough to break! The stresses of living in a human environment can be extremely stressful for our dogs, particularly when they just don't have the tools to cope. So, what can we do to help?

The first piece to this puzzle is learning to see the world through your dog's eyes. We want to become kind, benevolent leaders in their world who respond appropriately to their fear. Remember, emotions cannot be reinforced. Consoling your fearful dog is OKAY. When your dog is reacting out of fear, you can think of it a lot like a panic attack we humans might have. The dog is incapable of processing information normally, and therefore trying to train our dogs during these times of panic is simply impossible. 

Our best course of action is to desensitize a dog to that which he or she fears. Desensitization is all about gradually and incrementally exposing our dogs to what they fear in a controlled way. We want to expose our dogs at a very low level of engagement (read: before they react) and slowly, over time, increase the level of intensity. By pairing what the dog fears with something they love, we can help him or her overcome these fears. Depending on how long the fear has been left unattended, the desensitization process can take weeks, months, or even years. The goal here is to change the underlying emotional response to that which the dog fears from panic and dread to positive anticipation. 

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​When searching for the right trainer to help you desensitize your dog, you're looking for the following things:

1. A trainer that uses positive rewards.

2. A trainer that uses science-based training methods.

3. A trainer that is proficient in canine body language.

4. A trainer that specializes in helping fearful dogs. 

If you can find these things in your trainer, you're on a great track. Move forward, tackle these issues with positivity and hope, and you and your dog will be well on your way to changing those fears for good! 

If you are looking for help with your fearful dog, look no further. All Dogs can help!
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    Camille Salter is the founder of All Dogs Pet Services and a certified, knowledge-assessed dog trainer (CPDT-KA)

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I cannot say enough good things about Camille and her team. A few months ago, I had to temporarily close my own dog walking business due to an unexpected and debilitating health issue. Camille's team not only stepped in to cover a significant number of "my" dogs, they did an exceptional job. This would not have been possible without Camille's management capabilities and her walkers' skill level. I don't know if there is another company that could have done this. Camille and team, thank you for taking such good care of "my" dogs, "your" dogs, and giving me the time to heal. If you are looking for a walker, there is no company I could more highly recommend than All Dogs Toronto." - Kate Fink

We have been sending our Goldendoodle to All Dogs for over a year, ever since Zoki was a young puppy. While we are at work we know that Zoki is in a safe and supportive environment where she has learned to interact well with other dogs. Ben and Camille have made it possible for us to continue to have active, professional lives, and a young dog. Since Zoki is so at home there, it has been easy to leave her for a week when we have both had to be out of town. We highly recommend their thoughtful and well-informed care. - -- Christina Kramer and Richard Franz


I cannot say enough positive things about Camille Salter, the owner of All Dogs. From the moment my rescue dog and I met Camille, I knew she would work wonders. Her demeanor, grace and confidence made my dog fall in love her instantly. She is so incredibly knowledgeable that I try to soak up as much information as I can from her.


I highly highly recommend Camille Salter and All Dogs. Whether you are looking for a professional trainer or walking, she will provide you with all of the tools needed to ensure your dog is set up for success.

Camille is truly a pillar in the community of canine training within Toronto.

Thank you Camille!! - Tessa Vaskas


Camille and All Dogs have been amazing for our Basset Hound, Columbo. We have been using the service for the last six months. Columbo started with puppy training with All Dogs and he has learned all the commands. Training has been reinforced during Columbo's puppy visits which has helped greatly during his growth and development. Camille and her team are on-time, attentive, supportive, great with our Columbo and our house. We appreciate everything that she has done and recommend her to anyone. " Andrea Suhay


"Camille is amazing. Really understands each dog’s unique personality and applies individual techniques based on it. I use their daycare, boarding, training, walking... my dog always comes back better behaved & full of love and Camille is so insightful that I learn about my dog, too! My dog adores her. Super trustworthy and effective." Kathryn Kearns


"I highly recommend Camille and All Dogs Pet Services. I recently used All Dogs Pet Services to walk my dog for two weeks while I was out of town. Camille was able to accommodate walking my dog on short notice. Camille is very pleasant and cheerful to deal with and from the first meet and greet Camille had with myself and my dog Charlie I felt confident that Charlie would be safe and in good hands. I will definitely call Camille again and recommend her to all my dog owner friends." - Richard Fernandez



Overall, Camille definitely made being away from my babies a far less nerve-wracking experience! I trust her and would hire her again in an instant." - Amanda Factor


"I can't say enough positive things about Ben and Camille!  Camille (and her large  support of other trainers) have assessed Bax, and we are all happily working through his (fearful aggression, "spoiled Prince" and bulldog tendencies) and MY issues.  Thank you, Ben and Camille, for your patience, care and love for my sweet fat Baxter. I know that he is in the best hands whenever I have to go out of town!"
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"—Camille looked after our diabetic Cat and did a fantastic job. He was going into remission right when we had a 1-week vacation scheduled. Camille was more than up to the task. She had to measure his blood daily and give him the corresponding amount of insulin. It was very reassuring knowing we had a real professional looking after our critter. She did a great job of looking after our apartment also and we didnt even know that was something she would do. Couldn't possibly give a stronger recommendation for this company." - Holt Mansfield

“I adopted Frank not even a month ago. I’ve been training him myself, and got him to do ’sit,’ ‘down,’ ‘come,’ and ‘wait,’ at home. But when we went outside, it was a different story: he got a bit too excited, and that led to pulling on the leash, which wasn’t a pleasant experience for either of us. He never made eye contact with me, and calling his name and offering treats of all sorts didn’t do much, either. Working with Camille turned this around after just one session — she was so patient and calm with both me and Frank, and taught me how I could get Frank to connect the dots between paying attention to me and getting food. Since then, he comes and sits upon command even in the most distracting situations like being surrounded by other dogs in a park with firetruck siren blaring in the background. It’s been so rewarding to start developing this bond with Frank that will last a lifetime. Thank you Camille!” - Maythe Han


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