To keep in mind when training or playing with fearful dogs:

Just like us humans, dogs are born with different personality traits, and being generally fearful can be one of them. If you have a fearful dog, it is very important that you don't encourage his fearful behavior by trying to soothe or cuddle him whenever such behavior is displayed.

Your response would signal to your dog that there is indeed something wrong and that his fear is justified. Instead, the more fearful your dog is the more confident and calm you have to be.

Patience and positive reinforcements are critical. You need to take your time and help your dog to overcome his fear by showing him there is nothing to worry about. For example, if your dog is afraid of people, you can start out by inviting a friend to your home (your dog's safe house) and calmly introduce your dog to this new friend. Have your friend stand still, avoid eye contact (at least initially) and offer your dog a treat. When your dog approaches, take your friend's hand and offer the treat. Once this works, you can gradually remove yourself from this exercise and have your friend take over in the same calm manner. Desensitizing takes time, so don't push your dog or you will achieve the opposite result. In my opinion, they only way to successfully train a fearful dog is with positive reinforcement methods (more detail in the following sections)

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