Fearfullness?

[corgi_love]

So I really don't think this is a fear period, Regis is 2 in March and been scared for the past 6 months of EVERYTHING. If he's laying on the couch and the purse falls, he jumps off and runs, if you pick anything up he runs, if you lift your shirt, he runs. Everything terrifies him, like it's going hurt him.

I'm absolutely positive nothing bad ever happened to him, nothing fell on him, nothing hurt him, nothing.. He's with us all the time and when he's not he's in his pen, and it has never toppled down. I have no idea why he's like this but if he's on the floor with something and it moves, he's terrified!

He got his CGC and I really wanted to do TDI, I was about to start classes but one of the tests is beig around wheelchairs and walkers, and I know Regis would be absolutely out of his mind scared so I didn't go :/

What do I do to fix this? All I know is not to talk like "It's okay, baby" or "Poor Regis, its okay"- so we don't do that. And I try to pet him and slowly move something towards him saying what a good boy he is but nothing is actually helping. He's still scared of everything. I have no idea what to do with him

Help? Suggestions? Could it be a super long fear period?

 

[lizzybeth727]

I don't think it's a fear period at this point, it kinda sounds like his personality now. Maybe others will have better ideas!

 

[PWCorgi]

You could try working with a clicker to build his confidence towards the stuff that scares him.

Frodo is like this. Every time I help him overcome one fear, another crops up. I've just learned to live and deal with it.

 

[FoxyWench]

im wondering too, ruby is the same way, shell be 2 in february, is CGC and is a working service dog and when working shes very good unless its somehting huge like a leaf blower 3 feet away) but about 6 months ago she just started this weird fear thing where she just spooks sooo easily.

now cresties are known for being standoffish but like your boy, its the sillyest things like osmoene drops something, 7 moths ago shed have jumped a little and gone baout her buisness, now though shell bolt under the table and shake. she was out of my care for aprox 1 week when she was 5 months old and abused during that time. but after that beyond fears of what had actually happend, nothing phased her...now though...
its so strange. mabe it is somehting about the age...or mabe its something else...

 

[DogstarAcademy]

Carlee - I'm going to disagree, I *have* seen late fear periods in two Cardis (from different lines), so it COULD be a fear period, except for the time that it's lasted. That said, I'd be treating it like it wasn't. I would consult a behaviorist to work on the fear issues because I think they're bad for his quality of life (being anxious all the time SUCKS ROCKS, just saying.). The "Sudden Environmental Change" type games from CU might be useful- they're useful for another dog in my class who is anxious and sound sensitive. (We're going to start working on "Look at that scary noise!" next week.) You might also think about teaching him a targeting behavior and asking him to walk towards scary noises (start with SLIGHTLY scary things with the target not too close), nose touch them (work up to the target ON the item till you can send him to check something out, but start with it further away), and get food 'from' them (on the target).

FoxyWench - given that she's a SD? I would consult a behaviorist IMMEDIATELY and get this worked out - or start training a replacement. SDs can't be spooky. (And unfortunately, small breed SDs get a bad rap on even a LITTLE bit of spooky behavior.)

 

[Doberluv]

I agree with Dogstar Academy in regard to the attempted treatment plan. However, regardless if this is a fear period or not, it is extreme that he's afaid of absolutely everything. Even an unsocialized, or under stimulated puppy, if it were raised in a house would still not be afraid of everything. If he were raised in a barn, in a cage with absolutely no exposure to anything, then I might expect that. If he were raised in a home as a very young puppy, he would have gotten used to things dropping on the floor, pots and pans rattling, people bustling around or the other things you mentioned. At least he'd develop some bounce back after an initial startling with regular house hold goings on. Even dogs in fear periods, I've never seen as extreme as you're describing. It does almost sound like this is a poor temperament...something he was born with and would be difficult to change significantly.

But I agree getting a behaviorist to help would be the best step. By the sounds of it, I have my doubts as to whether this particular dog would be able to be molded into a stable TDI dog. I don't understand how he got his CGC if he's terrified of everything. They have to be stable around moving or wheeled things or other commotion. Did he get this before this personality started manifesting itself? I think that if it's a temperament thing, it would not necessarily show up as a full blown thing right away...that it could just now be rearing it's head so to speak.

And last but not least, has he been to a vet? I would discuss this with your vet as well because it could be something more sinister going on. It might be some form of OCD or something wrong between the synapses in his brain. Or maybe even something organic. Maybe some kind of beta blocking drug might help. I don't know...but it would be covering all bases to talk with your vet or see if he knows a specialist that would be appropriate.

 

[corgi_love]

Thanks guys.

Dobieluv- His CGC.. you mean the test where people around us walk around in circles, etc? He's not scared of that, nor is he scared of people. He's excellent around people, he also was in an advanced training class where he did EXCELLENT. He got his CGC perfectly fine. He's scared of things when they drop/fall down/suddenly move towards him. He's not aggressive or anything, I wouldn't go as far as calling him unstable..

I also think saying his temperment is wonky is off, because he was fine until about 6 months ago. So I'm not sure how he could suddenly have a poor temperment :/

When we move I'll have to do research into finding a behaviorist, thanks yall

 

[Romy]

Thanks guys.

Dobieluv- His CGC.. you mean the test where people around us walk around in circles, etc? He's not scared of that, nor is he scared of people. He's excellent around people, he also was in an advanced training class where he did EXCELLENT. He got his CGC perfectly fine. He's scared of things when they drop/fall down/suddenly move towards him. He's not aggressive or anything, I wouldn't go as far as calling him unstable..

I also think saying his temperment is wonky is off, because he was fine until about 6 months ago. So I'm not sure how he could suddenly have a poor temperment :/

When we move I'll have to do research into finding a behaviorist, thanks yall

I know someone with an aussie like you're describing. He goes to classes 2x a week, three years old and has been going since he was a small pup.

He's really great with people and other dogs, but has that startle thing going on, and it's everything. And he'll be really suspicious of certain objects, even if he's seen them every day.

The trainer suggested his owner have him cerfd and he turned out to have vision issues, which combined with his naturally suspicious temperament made him startle easy and be anxious a lot. There could be something relatively simple like that which is making his behavior more extreme than if his body was functioning 100%

ETA: he also has his CGC, they're working towards a TDI but he isn't ready yet. It's more of a personal goal for them, to get him over his fears.

 

[Doberluv]

I'm sorry. I must have not interrpeted your post right. I thought you said he was scared of everything. When Lyric took his CGC test, they wheeled bikes and wheel barrows and things around close in addition to just people milling around close. Anyhow, as far as temperament.....I don't know....sometimes things don't manifest themselves right away. That's why I was grasping at that straw. I really don't know. I hope you can find someone to help. Best wishes.

 

[FoxyWench]

see the wierd thing with ruby is that shes only spoky when shes NOT working, when were out and about even in strange places, the only things that realy bother her are lawn mowers and leaf blowers and only if there close/blowing in her direction (she was abused with a vacume cleaner)

her spookyness is ONLY in my own house when shes not "on duty"

loose leash outside and shell flintch at the sound a little and then keep on her way...
in our house though shell hide under the table and shake...

its reay weird, its like shes 2 different dogs, when working shes steadfast (though she still refuses to let anyone she doesnt know pet her, this is normal for the breed)
but t home in her "free time" shes spooky...

we keep working on it, and untill shes absolutly perfect the "in training" tag stays on.

 

[Miakoda]

I would personally have his hearing checked by an audiologist and also have his eyesight checked. A problem with either one of those things could be an underlying cause.

 

[corgi_love]

KK, thanks

I would personally have his hearing checked by an audiologist and also have his eyesight checked. A problem with either one of those things could be an underlying cause.

I'll do that then, thank you

 

[ihartgonzo]

I swear... Fozzie and Regis might be distant relatives!

Fozzie suddenly started acting fearful around when he turned 2, as well. He had NEVER growled at another dog up until around that point... and he suddenly started getting growly on-leash, randomly spooking at random things (like, for instance, a christmas tree in the gutter), and pretty much losing a lot of the confidence that he used to have. I'm in the same boat as you.

What really, really works for him is using the clicker and lots of extra special treats, working on desensitizing him and building his confidence. Have you read "Control Unleashed"? It's awesome, a lot of the training techniques in the book are good for building confidence in spooky/fearful dogs. As for what to do while he's acting frightened, I would quickly redirect his attention, run through some commands, give him lots of praise and treats, and just ignore the fearful behavior. Try to keep tabs of what noises/things scare him and desensitize. For instance, if the sound of a blender freaked him out, he would get a jackpot of treats for every second the blender is on. Just go very slow and build positive associations with the things that scare him. It's strange, because Fozzie is normally such a solid, laid back dog, and it seems like Regis is the same way. I'm also worried about the TDI test... but I bet Regis will do really well, with a little confidence building. Agility classes also seem to make Fozzie feel more confident, have you tried that with him?