help with anxious dog

[Anonymous]

My 2-3 year old rescue dog is terrified of her own shadow. Many times walks are cut short when she sees another dog on the sidewalk or a loud group of kids or virtually anything else. She's not aggressive in those circumstances, but will turn around and run home. If I try to pull her to keep walking, she'll sit down and refuse to go anywhere other than toward home.

How can I help her overcome her anxiety?

[Anonymous]

You should look into "Leash Reactive" dog training at the Washington Animal Rescue League/Humane Society. It's a great course for this type of behavior. You can also google it and get some tips. Basically, you need to use high value treats (e.g. hotdogs) during these incidents so the dog focuses on YOU while you simultaneously walk by anything that spooks him or her. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should look into "Leash Reactive" dog training at the Washington Animal Rescue League/Humane Society. It's a great course for this type of behavior. You can also google it and get some tips. Basically, you need to use high value treats (e.g. hotdogs) during these incidents so the dog focuses on YOU while you simultaneously walk by anything that spooks him or her. Good luck!

Thanks, that sounds like something we can do.

[Anonymous]

Important to start treating before she gets too anxious, so keep the distance, step aside, sit her down depending on the situation.

[Anonymous]

A trainer can help with management techniques- my dog is extremely fearful and deals with seeing other dogs on a leash by lunging, barking, trying to look menacing and generally making an ass of herself- it's so effing embarrassing- she weighs 15 pounds.

We took her to a behavioral specialist who said that she would benefit from doggie prozac (we're thinking about it) and showed us some wonderful distraction techniques.

Consider a veterinary behavioral specialist in lieu of a trainer. Anxiety is very hard to manage and there is no "cure"- so you need someone who knows what they're doing. We used a trainer a year ago, and everything he taught us (think Cesar Milan style) made things worse.