We’ll never know why.
Why does my dog hate umbrellas? Why does my dog react to women with hats? Why does my dog not do stairs? Or chase cars? Or eat poop?
For all the million and one things that we hear – there’s no answer. And it’s really, really hard, but you have to let it go.
Dogs can’t talk
Your dog will never be able to tell you why she loves the UPS delivery person but hates the mail carrier. Or why he cringes when you pick up a magazine. You can speculate. “He’s a rescue – maybe somebody did something at some time that caused it.” But that doesn’t help. And, at this point, it’s an excuse.
Don’t excuse
Whenever you try to justify whatever the behavior is, you’re excusing it. Be honest with yourself. If you accept any behavior that’s not ideal; fearfulness, shyness, even aggression, you’re making an excuse. To help your dog live his/her best life, you have to deal with what is.
If your dog is afraid of something, turn it into something terrific. A few years ago, the training hall where our obedience club held classes had an overhead heater that was noisy and turned on with an explosive sound and fan. One of the Golden Retrievers in class would shy away from it, refusing to go anywhere near it, almost frenzied to get away from that part of the room.
We made a plan and turned it around. Whenever the heater came on, Sassy’s owner would stop whatever she was doing with the class, move far away from the heater, and start giving Sassy treats. Telling Sassy she was wonderful, and brave. When Sassy calmed down, she would rejoin the class.Over time, they got closer and closer. By the end of the session, when the heater fired up Sassy would run to sit right underneath it to get her treats.
Make a plan
You can modify your dog’s reaction to any situation. All it takes is a plan, and time. Think about the reaction you want from your dog, and the steps you’ll need to climb to achieve it. You can do it!
