Big Scary

[Amie]

This is Kai (now don't laugh) but he has developed a real fear of Flies/wasps.

 

It has got so Bad that he wont go in the Garden unless I put him on his lead and than he will only stand there look for them and if he sees one he is off.

 

This has been going on for a few years after getting a bee tangled in his coat(don't think he got stung)

 

Please has anyone got any advice....this is only a problem in the Garden... he is happy to go on walks.

 

But he is missing out, while all the others are enjoying the sun he is stuck in the House.

 

So any help will be greatly received by myself and Kai the tiny 60kg Leonberger

[boosboss]

Sorry no advice, as I'm in the same boat with Gyp. Except that her fear is of flies etc in the house. She was stung by a wasp a few years ago and ever since is terrified by anything flying and buzzing.

[kirisox]

So is Jay, he goes and hides in the bath or under the toilet, or if the garden door is open he will go and hide at the end of the garden

[dirtychicken]

All of my dogs have always been obsessed with catching flies - Bailey was an expert - so I'm afraid that I have no advice to offer, but I am going to move this over to Training and Behaviour where hopefully the Experts will be able to help

[Amie]

Thanks

 

Kai will join in with the rest, trying to catch them in the House(which is some thing else I'm trying to stop them doing ) but in the Garden..Im sure, in his mind they turn into killer flies.

[summersun]

wow Amie your dog is *gorgeous* !!!!

 

dogs are what is called "situational learners" that is when they learn about something, it is tied to that situation specifically. it sounds like something happened when that bee got all tangled in him - maybe not stung tho

 

can you remember what you did or how you got the bee out again ?

 

it might be that if you got quite worried and anxious he associates that with buzzing and garden and feeling anxious. if it is something like this (or something similar) you should be able to "undo" it again.

 

claire x

 

p.s. mine who know "leaveit" so well they'll leave wild rabbits alone in a field - wont leave buzzing things in the house they are devils for them!!

Edited May 26, 2008 by summersun

[ReikiAnge]

Sno hates flies, he can react to them the same as to thunder and fireworks Not much fun now there are flies about, "fortunately" he is worse in the house with them than outside, I guess he feels more able to get away from them in the garden and while out.

 

I don't know whether something happened in his past or not but he's a collie and has very sensitive hearing and it's the noise he dislikes as other insects can fly around and not make a noise and don't bother him.

 

Even one fly in the house will drive him mad, so we try to keep the house clear of flies and check it is clear before we go out anywhere without him. Obviously you can't keep them out of the garden, but Sno and I do empathise It might sound like a silly problem but it can be really distressing to watch - especially the evening there was a fly stuck in a card in the sitting room but he was the only one that could hear it and we couldn't work out why he was freaking out.

 

I have started using TTouch on Sno which has helped him in general I feel, so maybe that is worth trying for Kai? I have found that Sno's recovery time from fears is much better now than it used to be and that I can get him to come out of his hiding place with food (not using it to reward his fear of course) and do some little bits of training to help distract him, maybe that's something you could do with Kai in the garden and see if that helps?