Fear of Height/Unstable surfaces

Question
Hi, Lee,

Regarding my Newf with Unstable surfaces-

I did try to do the pushing exercise last night- and he wouldn't do it.  He is trained as a show champion and also has a CD to stay when offered food (and in showing, not even to lunge with his head).  So he just gave me his best sit when I had food in my hand and waited patiently when I pulled my hand away....no pushing at all.

So I think I'll give up on that- I am training him for his CDX and don't want to undo what I've taught him, which is not to lunge, and he is doing what I've taught him to do, so he seemed very confused when I was trying this exercise.

As for your suggestion of tug-of-war, this struck me as a bit odd, because my problem is that I'm having a tug of war now to get him to go up and down the steps to get a bath, and also to get on his grooming platform.  Why would playing with him with tug-of-war improve that behavior?  Wouldn't it have the potential to make it worse?

As for picnic tables, I'm in the upper midwest and we've had so much snow I can't even find them...but if he is now very hesitant about getting up on his 8 inch pause table, I can't imagine that he would jump up on a picnic table, even in play.

-Mary

Answer
Hi again.

If the dog is hesitant about following your hand when you pull it away, you have to start slower; just get him used to eating from your hand. I can't tell you how many fearful and/or aggressive dogs have been helped with just this one little exercise. To me, giving up on that exercise means you're giving up on your dog's happiness and well-being, and you don't strike me as someone who would do that. I simply don't understand how you can say, "Well, I'm not going to do this. What else do you have?" This is the single most important thing you can do for your dog's happiness. And personally I don't give a damn about his titles. I'm only concerned with the fact that he's scared of being thrown off-balance.

As to your comments about playing tug, I'm also somewhat baffled by them. Did you read the link I sent you about "Swimming Upstream?" Among other things, for a dog playing tug is all about losing one's balance and regaining it on a moment-by-moment basis in a way that feels totally invigorating. (And I'm talking about the kind of game of tug where the dog is pulling with all his might to win that toy.) That's your dog's problem: he doesn't like the feeling of losing his balance. Both tug and the pushing exercise will put him in a position where he's almost deliberately or intentionally losing his balance in order to go after something he wants. If you build his desire to a high enough level, he'll overcome any obstacle that presents itself.

Same thing with the picnic tables, or whatever surface you choose. If you just try to lure him up onto something with a treat and a coaxing voice you'll get nowhere, but if you turn it into a game where he wants to chase YOU and catch up to YOU, it won't matter where you go, up on a picnic table or the hood of a car. You can climb a trellis or a drainpipe up to the roof of your house and he's going to circle the damn building, barking, and looking for a way to get up there to be with you. That's the kind of motivation you should be giving him. Once you DO that, all his fears will melt away.

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but maybe it's time to decide what's more important to you, your titles or your dog's happiness.

LCK