The Fearful Dog Thread

48713 Views 903 Replies 55 Participants Last post by KBLover, Sep 19, 2012

MissMutt

Discussion Starter · Apr 24, 2009

Would love to hear your prior success stories and current works-in-progress with dogs that have behavior problems which are fear-based. What fears did they have and what did you do/are you doing to get them through it? How long did it take to see drastic improvement?

I'll be back with mine tomorrow...

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Dunixi

· #901 · Mar 17, 2010

Things with Tiberius are sorta at a lull. He still has his moments, but is doing better. The weather is warming up here, and its time to start taking him for walks again.

Tomorrow its been a year since I brought him home. We will be going for a walk in the morning so he can show off his St. Paddy's Day beads and socialize.

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TxRider

· #902 · Mar 17, 2010

Kaya is getting better with people and kids.

I've been doing a lot of socializing work with her, and she gets to watch Hope react to people and kids and approach them freely and without any fear at all and she does watch her closely. I get as many people to pet her as possible, and as many to give her a treats as possible.

She'll now take a treat from a stranger, and kid as well, but she still has ears down and tail tucked when she gets a pet and very very lightly takes the treat.

The group class I'm taking her to has a couple that brings a few kids, and they play a little distance from the dogs while we do exercises. The kids even get to weave through the dogs while they are in a sit stay in a row for distraction. The seems to be helping Kaya a lot.

Her issue with other dogs is another matter entirely. She's so always on guard it sets too many dogs off on her, or gets them to snarl at her, and it's going to be tough to change.

I was in a bit of shock when she barked, play bowed and initiated playing with the Lab last week, totally out of her character. Maybe because he's more likely to stuff his head in her crotch and wheel barrow her around the yard than ever lift a lip at her.

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BellaRio

· #903 · Sep 19, 2012

I have a stray Fox Toy dog (about 2y old) that I took in 2 months ago. It is stray but must have been lost from a family, it is house broken, and behave very well. Only thing, it look like it is a little scared for a couple of things, like the light in the ceiling, lamp in the ceiling even when it is off, Small sounds from the upstairs neighbor, loud noises outside/inside, TV with flickering light and noises... She look all scared and go hiding under our bed..
I have read different things, do not comfort her.. get her used to the noises or buy a crate where she can be in/hide in..

Have anyone had success with behavior like this?

Bella

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KBLover

· #904 · Sep 19, 2012

BellaRio said:
I have a stray Fox Toy dog (about 2y old) that I took in 2 months ago. It is stray but must have been lost from a family, it is house broken, and behave very well. Only thing, it look like it is a little scared for a couple of things, like the light in the ceiling, lamp in the ceiling even when it is off, Small sounds from the upstairs neighbor, loud noises outside/inside, TV with flickering light and noises... She look all scared and go hiding under our bed..
I have read different things, do not comfort her.. get her used to the noises or buy a crate where she can be in/hide in..

Have anyone had success with behavior like this?

Bella

Have you tried the Look-At-That game? Whenever the dog looks at whatever is scaring her, give her a treat/reward and praise her.

What this attempts to do is slow change the fearful object/event into one that can predict something good happening to her, lessening her fear.

Start at a distance where she can still see/hear the sounds/light but not so much to where you're seeing the fearful behavior if at all possible.

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