Hey everyone! Was just wondering whether your dogs actually had any major fears. My dog had an unbelievable fear of new people, especially men. She had only ever known two people when she was being trained and they were both women. She also has a scar on one of her legs so we though she may have been abused. We overcame it by introducing her slowly to outsiders - one at a time. She slowly began to ignore people as they visited and then began to go up to them. Because we didn't overwhelm her by having several people over and built her trust in us she is now a lot better. I was just wondering if anyone had any tips as to how to get her to the next stage where she feels comfortable with a few people at the same time. Any help would be gratefully received! Hi! I\\\'m 24 years old and have a greyhound called Molly. She\\\'s 4 and a terror, but so sweet and loving! I love dogs in general and my parnter has a long list of dogs he wants - including a Great Dane! As I\\\'m 5\\\'2\\\", that may be a mismatch! Look forward to getting to know you all!
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Re:Overcoming Fears
Date: 2006/12/27 20:43
By: KiC
Status: User
Karma: 2
Chief Canine Commander
Posts: 56
Hi Louise – after reading your post, I was thinking about dog behavior. I read the article on aggressive behavior on the site and couldn’t help but think about dogs and Christmas. We got our dog from a shelter and the first Christmas we had her she got really aggressive towards us and basically went on a rampage, ruining the decorations and ripping our furnishings to shreds. We worked out that it was because she was so overwhelmed and had never had the experience of Christmas before. This year, we’ve done it differently and tried to include her as much as possible and toned it all down a bit. So far, so good although the tree is still up. Tina's determinedto get it in the end - she never gives up. NC all the way! Can't beat a run on the beach with the best dog in the world for company!
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Re:Overcoming Fears
Date: 2006/12/27 20:46
By: LouiseC
Status: Admin
Karma: 2
Admin
Posts: 95
I read that article too, more for training ideas than anything else though. I know quite a few people that have dogs from shelters and have problems over Christmas. I suppose that’s why a few get rid of them afterwards.
Some people don’t bother to train them properly. That’s why I loved the article so much. It just goes to show that if you do train them then good things can happen.
I suppose you've never had the same probelm as me then! Sounds like your dog didn't spend too long in her shell! Hi! I\\\'m 24 years old and have a greyhound called Molly. She\\\'s 4 and a terror, but so sweet and loving! I love dogs in general and my parnter has a long list of dogs he wants - including a Great Dane! As I\\\'m 5\\\'2\\\", that may be a mismatch! Look forward to getting to know you all!
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Re:Overcoming Fears
Date: 2006/12/29 20:19
By: rose12
Status: User
Karma: 4
Chief Canine Commander
Posts: 60
There is a method I have heard of that is extremely successful. You've said that your dog responds to food so use that. Get a few people Molly is unfamiliar with together and introduce them into a room one by one to fuss her. If she responds well she gets a treat. When you have introduced them seperately, slowly introduce them together, increasing the number of people every few minutes. She will start to relax more and get used to their company, therefore solving the problem of fearing strangers. It can be used to curb aggression too. Works wonders I tell you! Hi! I'm Rose in the UK. I love all doggies and love to chat, so message me! Looking forward to getting to know you all!
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Re:Overcoming Fears
Date: 2006/12/30 23:08
By: LouiseC
Status: Admin
Karma: 2
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Posts: 95
Thanks Rose! I tried that with a few friends today and it began to work, although we didn't expose her to it for too long in case she got anxious. She really started to respond well to it. She does have a tendency to zone out if she feels scared or threatened and she did that to start with but then began to relax a bit later on. We've said we'll give her a week or so and then try it again.
Worked a treat, thanks again! Hi! I\\\'m 24 years old and have a greyhound called Molly. She\\\'s 4 and a terror, but so sweet and loving! I love dogs in general and my parnter has a long list of dogs he wants - including a Great Dane! As I\\\'m 5\\\'2\\\", that may be a mismatch! Look forward to getting to know you all!
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