[barley]

can I just pick your dog cacology brains 

my gracie can sometimes get nervous but just lately silly things are starting to cause her to panic

for example  I have just brought a hand whisk to make gluten free cakes for my husband  and every time I switch it on she goes into a shaky panty frenzy

its so bad she hides up in the shed  I 've tried to ignore it and reward her with cheese ( her favourite ) when she calms down but its not working

do you think it's cause she's getting older ( she's 7 ) or is it me doing something I might not realise --- I tried just a quick burst of it on and off  but as soon as she hears it she's off on one !!!! she is nervous of other things like gun fire ( blooming farmers ) and she tries to hide if she hears that too

 I have a crate up covered with a blanket but she is still on edge if I put her in there too - is it me




.

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[LotuSeed]

Is she a rescue?

[maxyboo]

I was wondering that.  Also you say  things have worsened recently so has anything happened that perhaps you did not think much of at the time that scared her. This site seems quite informative. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/fear-noises
A friend was telling me recently there is some kind of coat for dogs that is supposed to work with noises like fireworks and thunder. It has a swaddling effect which they find comforting. Don't know much else but someone else might have tried one.

[LotuSeed]

I was wondering that.  Also you say  things have worsened recently so has anything happened that perhaps you did not think much of at the time that scared her. This site seems quite informative. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/fear-noises
A friend was telling me recently there is some kind of coat for dogs that is supposed to work with noises like fireworks and thunder. It has a swaddling effect which they find comforting. Don't know much else but someone else might have tried one.

You say that she has been more panicky in general? Has there been a change in her normal daily routine at all?  If she's already stressed for whatever reason, the sound of the new gadget might be more pronounced or extreme because she's never heard it before and she's stressed and scared. If she is a rescue, it may be that the sound triggers a traumatic experience from her past. Our Saint is a rescue and he gets frightened if I try to take a picture of him. He will physically leave the room and gets visibly upset. For part of his life he freely roamed someone's property out in the stix and I often wonder if his fear of the camera stems from having had a gun pointed at him and having been shot at in the past.



Maxyboo I think you mean the "thunder coat"? We considered one for our Saint because he's terrified of thunderstorms. His teeth chatter an all We opted not to get one bc we didn't think it would work as his anxiety just skyrockets every time there is a thunderstorm. We talked to our vet and were told to give him Benadryl if we know one is coming. Otherwise we sit with him and hold him and offer him places to hide so he'll feel more comfortable.

[tosca100]

Our rescue lab is getting worse as she gets older. Coming from a violent home she has always been worried about slamming doors and shouting, and when she was a pup she and her sister and mum escaped and the others were hit by a bus and killed, so lorries and busses and any vehicle at night is also a no-no. We have had her nine years. Now buzzers and phones on the TV are a real problem and she will hide and shiver is we accidentally leave the telly on and a quiz show comes on she is in a state. UK fireworks used to be a major worry but over here in the villages they are cheap bang bangs with no whiz so she tolerates them as they are more like guns, which she is OK with (but not starter pistols)

We use valerian drops to help her cope with things that really bother her, but the storm season is when she gets stressed day after day, bless her. But it's all worse since she has got older. She is 12. I dread the day when she will not be around to worry.

[Agatha]

If she has got worse recently, it might be worth getting her checked out with the vet in case she has an underlying health problem that is making her extra nervy/sensitive to noise.  But failing that, it might just be a fear issue.  You are doing right not to fuss her when she is upset, as that will be interpreted as praise for being frightened, so ignoring apart from treats is the best way.

An animal behaviourist friend once told me that dogs don't learn when they reach a certain 'stress threshold' so what you have to do is to introduce them to things at a point where they are able to cope, and then as they adjust to that, you can increase the proximity/noise level or whatever.  For example, my dog was terrified of cars to the point where she was out of her mind.  I started walking her on a loose lead a field away from the road, giving her lots of favourite treats.  Gradually, we started moving across the field, then onto the road, and she is now ok jumping into cars but still unhappy with being driven. 

You could try getting your OH to sit with Gracie in another room with the door shut, feeding her cheese while you operate the whisk.  (If she is too stressed to eat, she is too stressed to learn, apparently) If she is ok with that, then try with the door open, then moving nearer the door, into the kitchen etc.  It is really important to take the stages slowly as if she is pushed too far and panics, it will set her back.

This has helped my dog with loads of issues, although some have taken longer to get used to than others.  I picked the one that was causing her most stress, work on that until she was ok, then move onto the next, so she is not dealing with too much at once.  Hope this helps!

Oh, and try (easier said than done!) not to stress about her too much yourself, as she will pick up your anxiety!

[barley]

thanks guys  x

yes she is a rescue , apparently she was abandoned at 4 months by being thrown from a car 

she was strayed for 4 weeks before a dog warden managed to catch her with a noose and then she was placed in the pound to serve her 7 days before the lovely rescue saved her from there

here she is in the pound - very pitiful isn't it



so no doubt that start in life has left it's mark    she is very nervous of strangers but as long as they let her approach in her own time she is ok after a while

An animal behaviourist friend once told me that dogs don't learn when they reach a certain 'stress threshold' so what you have to do is to introduce them to things at a point where they are able to cope, and then as they adjust to that, you can increase the proximity/noise level or whatever. 

You could try getting your OH to sit with Gracie in another room with the door shut, feeding her cheese while you operate the whisk.  (If she is too stressed to eat, she is too stressed to learn, apparently) If she is ok with that, then try with the door open, then moving nearer the door, into the kitchen etc.  It is really important to take the stages slowly as if she is pushed too far and panics, it will set her back.

Agather that sounds good advice - I will try that this week

these cruel people that give dogs a rough start in life don't realise what damage they do 

[Agatha]

Good luck with it - don't despair if it takes a while.  I have been dealing with my girl's peculiar behaviour for years and while she is a totally different dog now to the way she was, we still have our stressed moments.  Rewarding good behaviour, ignoring bad and giving her space to make up her own mind about things has tended to work with everything eventually.

[tosca100]

Barley did you get her from lab rescue? If so they will probably have a site with a forum where you can read many a story of how people have overcome or learned to live with problem and traumatised dogs. Contrary to popular belief labs are very sensitive beasties but also very loyal and lovable.

Our Bonnie was a private rescue, but Bella, even though a cross, came from lab rescue and also has issues, bless her.

[barley]

Good luck with it - don't despair if it takes a while.  I have been dealing with my girl's peculiar behaviour for years and while she is a totally different dog now to the way she was, we still have our stressed moments.  Rewarding good behaviour, ignoring bad and giving her space to make up her own mind about things has tended to work with everything eventually.

Thankyou Agatha  will let you know how we get on

Barley did you get her from lab rescue? If so they will probably have a site with a forum where you can read many a story of how people have overcome or learned to live with problem and traumatised dogs. Contrary to popular belief labs are very sensitive beasties but also very loyal and lovable.

Our Bonnie was a private rescue, but Bella, even though a cross, came from lab rescue and also has issues, bless her.

no Tosca she is a private rescue - she is a spaniel / lab cross we think , very lovable dog - whoever abandoned her they didn't realise what a lovely dog they chucked away 

[maxyboo]

As Agatha said, you have to go at her pace. We have a lovely dog at the sanctuary who was a stray. The poor thing was terrified of nearly everything and everyone. 18 months on he is happy with his doggy friends and a few of us humans but we still have a long way to go and I doubt he would be rehomed now as it might set him back. Good luck, she is a lovely little thing.

[joyfull]

you can get adaptil sprays, plug in diffusers and also collars - some rescues use the collars to help the dogs in their care.
Also you could try a thunder coat/jacket, these help by acting like swaddling clothes and gives them the effect of being hugged. These fit very tightly. If the cost of the thundercoat is probitive (yes unless you shop around they can be very expensive (my Rosies came from America which including p&p was still cheaper than buying over here) you can try a kidies t-shirt but do make sure it is tight (if necessary wrap a crepe bandage around to tighten it).

[Agatha]

Don't leave your dog alone with the collar on until you are sure she is alright with it- my girl was ok with the diffuser and spray, but when I tried the collar, she collapsed about six hours later with breathing difficulties - the only thing that had altered was the collar and she started to get better very quickly after it was removed, so it seems there was some kind of allergic reaction.

[chrissie B]

I think giving a reward isnt the correct thing as your dog might think its ok even if it carnt  help the shaking , my pooch is the same with sudden bangs fireworks even she jumps when she breaks wind and often shoots out of her bed when she f***s , i was giving a cuddle but have stopped and she has improved a bit , its hard but nessesary.
chrissie b

[Agatha]

You are right not to fuss over your dog when she is scared as she will think that means being scared is the right behaviour.  But you would be ok giving her tasty food if she is not too scared to eat it.  Reassurance is interpreted by the dog as praise for its behaviour (i.e. being scared at this point is good), whereas giving food treats changes the dog's expectation of what the 'scary thing' means.

When my dog is scared of something, I give her treats but don't say anything, or touch her or make eye contact.  It really does work, although some things have taken longer to overcome than others.  Sudden noises like fireworks are some of the hardest things to deal with as it is hard to predict when they will come.