# Training my scared shiba!! So, I have two shiba inus, and im having problem with only 1. The girl Momo. Ive had her for about 9 months, and she's 1 yr old. She's is terrified of people!!! she's a little bit use to me, and at least doesn't pee all over the place when she sees people. But she does love dogs alot. so, my qu… ## Thread In General · started by Wolfii · 3 replies - **Category:** [General](https://nihonken.org/community/c/general) - **Forum:** [Nihon Ken Forum](https://nihonken.org/community/) ## Wolfii · 2009-05-04T19:48:26.000Z So, I have two shiba inus, and im having problem with only 1. The girl Momo. Ive had her for about 9 months, and she's 1 yr old. She's is terrified of people!!! she's a little bit use to me, and at least doesn't pee all over the place when she sees people. But she does love dogs alot. so, my question is... how do i walk her!? She lunges forward when we walk. ( not pulling... like stopping then jumping forward) and sheever she hears a lot of noise, sees people ( even across the street), or fast cars passing by. SHE WILL GO CRAZY. i mean like.. jet all over the place, tug in the other direction (she almost got out of her harness once, beacuse of that) is there a different kind of leash to use? Im using a harness with a 4 ft leash. sometimes, I create a loop with the end of the leash, and use it as a choker. But, pretty much the same things happen... =/ please help!!! * i dont want to use a haltie, cause i heard its bad for the spine* ## Calia · 2009-05-04T20:05:48.000Z First let me state that the haltie is only harmful when not used right. Some halti users also attach a second leash to the collar to serve as a buffer should the dog lunge. I have had no issue with it as has made walking a pull crazy Siberian Husky manageable. When it comes to fear of things, positive experiences while exposing her to these things can be very helpful. To get an idea of some methods used to eliminate these fears, watching practically any episode of "It's Me or The Dog" can be very helpful. Some of the methods used are positive exposure and diversion. One method for helping her from fearing people is to have a few human friends just walk past her, dropping treats along the way. Another method is, with the use of treats, maintain her attention on you while scary things such as cars and people. A method some forum members have used to help with over coming loud noises is playing a cd of similar noises at a low volume and slowly, over the course of days or even weeks, raise he volume. ## sunyata · 2009-05-04T23:01:18.000Z Has your girl had any obedience training? Clicker training is a great tool in not only obedience, but also in helping dogs get over their fears. Dave's (dlroberts) Shiba, Joey, has had some fear issues with inanimate objects. He used clicker training to help Joey see that boxes are not a threat. Check out the thread regarding this issue, along with the videos here: http://www.nihonken.org/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=2587&page=1#Item\_16 I am not sure how you would translate this to animate objects such as people, but I am sure it can be done. Something to try would be to have a few friends come over and give out lots of yummy treats. Or you could take her to a park and sit at a bench a good ways away from the majority of the people traffic and just let her watch. (My two LOVE to people watch) After a while, if she seems calm, you could move a few feet closer and continue this until she is more comfortable being around people in close proximity. Whatever you do, do not rush her into things. That could cause even more problems. I hope some of this advice is helpful, if not, I am sure someone else will be by soon to offer some other ideas. Good luck, and keep us updated on how she is doing! ## _dlroberts · 2009-05-05T02:08:24.000Z I echo Casey's advice on rushing her into things. The key to training a fearful dog is to establish trust with them. You want to teach them to look to you for guidance in situations where they don't fell comfortable. Teaching the "watch me" command is a must IMO. Get to know as many of your dog's triggers for fear behavior as possible and preemptively put them in a sit and watch me before they can escalate. Reinforce the behavior with lots of yummy treats (like cheese or hot dogs). You want to reward your dog for two types of behaviors: 1) being brave in novel situations; and 2) looking to you for guidance in situations that are known to be stressful. Also, with a fearful dog, NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER use any training method other than positive reinforcement. Punishment only perpetuates the fears. As for the walking, I would teach her a version of the "hide" or "follow" command. First teach her "touch" where you hold out your hand and she will touch it with her nose. Then, gradually being moving away from her while holding your hand down by your knee and ask her to "touch". Once she has that, begin to require her to touch your hand repeatedly before getting a treat. Then, progress to lifting your hand away between touches. And so on. Eventually, she'll walk right beside you knowing there are yummy treats to be had. --- **Navigate:** [Forum home](https://nihonken.org/community/?format=md) · [Sitemap](https://nihonken.org/community/sitemap.xml)