Fear Of People

[cycas]

Az came to me as a nervous dog that could not cope with being left. He's been here about 4 months, and he has been fine about being left: I work from home so it's not something we do often, but he shows no signs of stress, and he hasn't seemed particularly afraid of the other things we were told were scary - HGVs, children.

 

We live in a very quiet Cornish village, and my theory is that he found his previous West Midlands town environment just a bit much, and that he is much better able to cope with these things because it's a generally quieter place.

 

BUT - I think he is getting worse about being around people.

 

A couple of weeks back I had to take him along to a show where I was manning a stall: he was clearly very stressed and nervous, and shook like a leaf for the first 3-4 hours, even though he had a bed hidden under the table and Mollydog to hide behind. He did finally calm down and have a doze, and I thought it was just that it was a strange place, lots of people and entire dogs about (he's not wild about dogs with b*****ks). Fair enough.

 

Then I noticed that last time we went to the Coop, he didn't want to get out of the car and walk round the carpark with Mollydog while Mark got the food (Coop is in Callington, it's a tiny place and really not busy). He squished himself to the back of the boot and made himself really small instead.

 

Last night we had chips in Tavistock, and he had to wait with me by the chippy, then walk down the road and wait while we ate our chips on the lawn by the church. Tavi on a Tuesday night is far from the hub of the universe, but there were a few people getting chips, going to the pub etc, and a few cars and bikes around.

 

He didn't want to get out of the car (in a quiet town street) he shook and panted while he was waiting by the chippy and while we ate (and he wouldn't eat his cod or any chips!)

 

I'm sitting here in the house now with the french doors open, and our neighbours just met each other in the lane next to our garden and had a loud and cheery conversation. They were about 50 feet away, outside the hedge - but Az has got in a panic and has just run upstairs to hide.

 

I'm thinking I should make an effort to try to desensitise him a bit, but I'm not sure what the best approach is to that. He is quite a greedy little dog normally, but he forgets about food when he's stressing out.

[Sophie]

I've not got much advice I can give - Sophie is also rather scared of people.

 

If we meet someone when she is offlead on a narrow path, she either runs away and finds a different way to get to where we are going, runs home, or clings to my leg until we are past. If we have guests round, she tries to hide in the garage/furthest corner of the house from where we are. Luckily, she isn't bothered if Morse is around, which he is on most of her walks, so she doesn't get too stressed most of the time.

 

We've been doing a few things. Initially, guests don't get to say hello to her, and if they are pre-arranged guests, we install her in an out of the way bedroom just before they come. She is then free to come down if she wants, or not. For guests she 'knows' (has met with Morse around) - they go to say hello to her, but then she is left to do as she wants.

 

We're also taking her to agility classes for socialisation with people and dogs. We're in the group with the small dogs, as they are less boisterous, and the people know she is nervous. They offer her food without looking at her, and after 3 months she has started taking it occasionally.

 

Thats it for our approach at the moment, so will be watching for replies you get.

[K9Fran]

Is it windy down your way? Missy has been particularly sensitive today, possibly because this morning a couple of doors banged shut in the wind It may be just the weather has upset him?

[cycas]

I don't think so - I've been noticing this over the past few weeks, and it was completely still last night in Tavi.

 

Az will happily play with dogs of all sizes when we are out walking, and will sometimes even greet strangers (cautiously) when he is out on the hillside, specially if they have dogs with them. But if we are walking along a street - even a really quiet street - he's all tense and shaking even if there are only a couple of people visible, and lurches away from them and tries to hide behind Mollydog.

 

He's not scared of cars - cars on quiet country lanes are no problem, even if they zoom past too fast. But he seems to be scared of carparks??? I can't figure it out.

 

What I'm really worried about is that this fear will get worse: at the moment it's distressing for him, but manageable, given where we live. But I really want to try to stop it escalating, if I can.

[staffymonkey]

It does sound like it's people that are doing it... but as for how to desensitise, I'm not really sure what to say... It;s not like desensitising to something that you can easily limit exposure, like say, cars, or men with black hats.

 

Maybe you could do get friends who don;t know him to meet you with him somewhere fairly neutral, but still safe (say, a field where you regularly walk?) , and give him surprise titbits? Really high value ones, to overcome the scarediness?

 

Once he's used to it, maybe you could then go somewhere a bit more public (say, a quiet park?) with an accomplice, who would then grab strangers to do the same, but first explaining to them that he's a scaredy dog, so they're to approach quietly, an not to pat him etc?

 

I'm no behaviourist or anything - this is just what I'd maybe try - so feel free to completely ignore me (and it'd probably save you from getting arrested from loitering in parks )