Comments on: How to Calm a Fearful or Reactive Dog with Desensitization

By: John

John — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 16:15:50 +0000

My dag is scared to bits of bicycles. This fear has come out of nowhere. I am trying to alter his reaction to bikes at the moment and gathering as much info as possible.
Clicker training with rewards seems to be helping but a long way to go yet.

By: Ellie Zacko

Ellie Zacko — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 18:28:37 +0000

I have a 5 yr old Shihzu and is constantly looking to the front door like someone is going to come in and do him harm. Spends most of his time under the bed or behind the couch. Marks his territory every where. He whines at me to be at the TV and when I do, he goes behind the couch. I have a doggie door, but he wants me to stand by the door while doing his duty if I walk away , he rushes in through the doggie door, or if there is a loud noise he runs in the doggie door.
Would appreciate suggestions.
Thank You

By: Miss Cellany

Miss Cellany — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 14:36:46 +0000

Good points, except the bit about having a friend sitting under a tree – to my dog that would set her off because the person would look like he is “hiding”. Anyone who has their body partly obscured by an object or is in a shaded or darkened spot appears to be hiding or being sneaky to her and it makes her fearful and aggressive. If someone peeps out of a doorway or appears from around a car it makes her freak out. I would have to have the person out in the open clearly visible to try this 🙂

By: Holly

Holly — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 02:33:12 +0000

In reply to Lorelei. Hello. I have been searching for a good solution to end some problem behaviors in my dog. He is a 9 or so year old rescued Australian Cattle Dog. His name is Ben and he is mostly the sweetest lovable dog. We have adopted him when he was about 1 or 2 years old from a ACD rescue. It may have to do with his breed but he has a high prey drive, high level of herding instinct. He is also to excitable to loud noises and groups of people or sometimes a loud person. His reaction is sometimes stalled and sometimes imediate. He hears a loud noise and he will nip or (heel) people near him. I am guessing he is startled? He responds the same way to loud people and has nipped several people at our house while we are visiting in a group. Never actually biting or causing cuts or brusies. But obviously this is not acceptable behavior. Should I work with him on exposure? Thank you! Holly

By: Lorelei

Lorelei — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 06:42:22 +0000

hi there! I have a one year old aussie and she has been trained to some degree, is very good around my friends and family, sleeps on a bed in my room at night ect. she is however an outside dog, and is most of the time, outside with my three other dogs, she is the only one allowed inside. she does okay on our jogs, she doesn’t bark at dogs that are behind fences, or people doing yard work (too much) unless I get tense, but she really has issues when we are running and there are other dogs or people on the street. she barks and backs away, not sure if that means that she’s afraid or if she’s just being aggressive from a distance? either way I’ve had her since the day she was born in a litter of puppies that we had as rookie breeders, she has become very bonded to me and only me. That’s probably a bad thing. recently we had company in town and they brought their 4 month old puppy, this was the first time I had ever seen her be truly aggressive. It honestly made me really sad seeing her behave the way she did. she played nice with her when we were all outside but as soon as we brought her inside with the pup, (both of them were on leashes) the puppy just wanted to play and my dog who was standing next to me started stepping back and growling, I corrected her with her training collar but she kept repeating the behavior, I really want her to be a dog that I can take everywhere with me, and that will behave when I do. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

By: Carol

Carol — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 15:07:02 +0000

In reply to bethany. Best of luck with your shih tzu, Beth. I have the same situation with my Sheltie, Ida. She was a breeding dog for a back yard breeder until she was five, then dumped at a rural shelter when too old for use. I have had her for a year and a half now, and she is still extremely reactive to everyday situations, even ones experienced on a daily basis. She has become somewhat attached to me, but will still flinch when I first touch her. Other people still terrify her. When someone gets a puppy from a puppy mill, I wish they could see the damage and pain to the mothers left behind. Keep doing your best with your little dog, but you may have to accept that some of the damage can never be undone. At least she is safe with your family and will never be harmed again.

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 15:13:05 +0000

How do I stop a dog for going for other people

By: Stacey

Stacey — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 01:38:08 +0000

I have a 3 year old Aussie/Collie mix who we adopted from an acquaintance. When we move the couches in our living room he gets excited and wants to jump on you and sometimes barks. He doesn’t like it at all. Recently he tried to bite my mom when she moved the couches, she is scared of him now. I’m not sure how to approach this. Either to desensitize him or put him out whenever we move the couches. I don’t want my dog to be able to fly off the handle at such a small issue. Any suggestions out there? TIA!

By: Danielle

Danielle — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 13:44:58 +0000

In reply to bethany.

Hi beth,
I’ve had a few pound dogs now..and honestly…I just think it’s time. The more mistreated they were…the longer you have to give them. But to give you a time frame…the dogs I’ve cared for took anything from 8 weeks to a year to come out of their shell. They eventually trust and figure out you’re a good guy..but some I think will forever have trouble with sounds, other people etc…but they all have come good to me as an owner.
Treats and patience x

By: Kitty

Kitty — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 05:14:22 +0000

Hi! My daughter has a greyhound and recently he was attacked by another dog while walking in a local park. He is recovering well from his substantial wounds but is refusing to walk in the local park anymore or anywhere from home location but will happily walk if we drive him to amother suburb. What can they do to regain his confidence to use the local park again. This has been going on for about a month now and he just does not move from the front of their apartment. What can be done? Moving house is not an option.