DogPaddle Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Kavik has always reacted strongly to fireworks, the vaccume cleaner and people arguing but now things are getting worse. He is terrified of the umbrella, the mop and . . . when people blow bubbles with gum. He has added to his list of scarey things fairly steadily for the past 6 weeks. Someone said there was a second stress/fear period, Kavik is nearly two though. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Laurel is also very fearful, of everything but me....I have ordered a bottle of Bach Flower Remedies called "Rescue Remedy", which is supposed to help with fearfulness...I'll let you know how she does, maybe it will work for Kavick too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pei obssessed Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Hippo was sort of scared when she first saw and heard a vacuum cleaner, but I just run it without moving it and let her approach and sniff it--once she saw it won't bite her, she calmed down :lol: And another time I also recall her being spooked--of two big garbage bags that were in the street--I touched the bags myself and she then came over with small curious steps to check them out :D Now I realize that some dogs are easily scared (and she's not one of them), but I think if they're also very curious and think everything is their business, then their curiosity might help them overcome their fear. Just a thought, don't know how/if this would work with Kavik... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted November 22, 2003 Author Share Posted November 22, 2003 I tried desensitizing him to the umbrella, slowly. We don't appear to be making good progress. I'm thinking about putting a dab of penut butter on the plastic part of the mop (that's the item he seems least afraid of) and working from there. :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarFox Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Wow...Zebra is afraid of almost all of thoes things you mentioned. Fireworks (the worst of all his fears), Unbrellas (thanks to my brother opening them in the house! :x ), arguing (thanks to my dad :x :( ), and the vacuum cleaning but he is getting better with that. Is Kavik afraid of the unbrella only when it is open or when it is closed to? maybe you can just open it and put it on the floor and just leave it alone and ignore it. And have kavik sniff at it. Maybe he will relize that it isn't so bad. DP what does Kavik do when he is scared? Does he run away or does he get agressive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted November 22, 2003 Author Share Posted November 22, 2003 Thanks StarFox With most things he hinds behind people he trusts, or in his crate or on another floor. With the vaccume cleaner he barks and attacks it. He is afraid of the umbrella both opened and closed, we have been hanging it on the downstairs doorknob (this is somewhere he has no reason to go but he passes it on his way to the kitchen.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 I have found that most dogs are either A) afraid of the vacuum and hide, or B) hate the vacuum and attack it. there deosnt seem to be a comfortable middle for most of them. Laurel is afraid of it, Freebee attacks it....I think it's because of the high whining sound they make, I bet it hurts their ears....Freebee will attack it if I move it into the room, before it's even turned on.... Kavik sounds, except for the gum, like he doesnt like things with handles, that extend out from someon's hand, like the mop and the umbrella... did he ever get hit with a stick, or a wiffle bat or something? even in play? Freebee gets hysterically angry if anyone picks up a rolled up newspaper or magazine, or if I roll up the papers to put them in the recycle bin. My ex used to tease her with them, popping her on the nose and butt, and now she attacks them and tears them to shreds if she sees one.....stupid ass thought it was funny to see her get all worked up over it..... He always got home from work an hour or so before me, so I didnt even know he was doing it until I saw how she reacted to it. He tried to punish her with rolled up papers when she was a puppy and I made him stop, then he turned it into a "game" that he would only play when I wasnt there. so it could be something happened to Kavik that you're not aware of, you're only seeing the outcome.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke_3 Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 My dogs afraid of tv tables, lighters, candels, mirrors, and stuff like that. Most dogs are afraid of things because they dont know what they are like storms, there big fast, loud, it freaks them out, or vacumes, loud and moving toward them, and stuff like that, i think you should wait for COURT to try that stuff and if it doesnt work, then just wait and see if your dog says the same or keeps getting more and more afraid. but keep us poted!!!! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted November 23, 2003 Author Share Posted November 23, 2003 We have tv tables that sit in a rickety stand in the living room and the mop nook is exposed. Kavik frequently ran into them when he was tearing around as a puppy - they did fall on him a couple times, he is still leary of the tv tables when they are folded up so maybe that explains some of this. I don't recall any other issues with sticks, umbrellas etc, however my brother has a jo (?) (stick) and he practices with and occaisionally he drops it while spinning it, he has never dropped it on the dogs and I insist he practice when they are not in the room (and when I'm not in the room) but perhaps he is negligent when I'm not home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 Hi, Just a word of advice. You might be teaching your dog to react this way, hence why he is fearing more and more things. Its human nature to baby our dogs when we see that something has frightened them. You know: "What's wrong baby? Its ok?" Get down and hug the dog, speak in a high-pitched voice, try to comfort them. This is supposedly the opposite of what you should do. By comforting them and speaking in a high pitch voice you are validating to the dog that yes, this is something you should be afraid of, and that this is the way to act. What you should try to do instead is simply ignore the dog's behaviour, or if something has suddenly startled your dog, act happy. Laugh. Go over to the object, play with it. Make it a game By doing so you will show the dog that their is nothing to fear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peng1zrule Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 mine weren't afraid of the vaccum until I got the bright idea to vaccum them...now they're more cautious than scared Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosebud Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 :D Sally could care less about the vacume, she just quietly leaves the room, Rocket use to be o.k. with it until one day he was trying to walk around it and I accidently bumped his paw-paw, now he thinks it's going to try and eat him and he runs from it. I treat every fear of things as if I was saying to them "Why are you afraid of THAT?" it works and they get use to it. :angel: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holz_Boomer Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 aww has anything lately happened that made him so scared of these things? poor boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted November 24, 2003 Share Posted November 24, 2003 My housedog is afraid of one thing... and it isnt the vacuum or anything extra loud. She HATES my nieces wind up bouncing feet toy. You know, the plastic sneakers you wind and they kinda walk/bounce across the room. She goes completely nuts trying to hide behind me until they are put away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted November 25, 2003 Author Share Posted November 25, 2003 Eric - I might be guilty of babying him a bit when he is afraid, I will have to cut that out completely. Holz_Boomer - I can't think of anything new happening that has caused this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DogPaddle Posted November 25, 2003 Author Share Posted November 25, 2003 OK . . . just now the dog food delivery came and Kavik was freaking out at the door, raised hackles, stresssed. Brother was in other room and came into scold him. After this a noticed some urine dribbled in the area he was in. Fear/stress/submission urination is not something Kavik has ever done and I'm not sure if it was because of the person at the door or because of B scolding him. This is too strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 It's correct to NOT comfort them when they are afraid...rather do something fun that distracts them, then praise and treat. Even basic obedience is good in this situation. When Laurel gets all wound up because Kyle is around, I give her a stern "CHILL"!! and when she does then I pet her. The I take her outside and lt her run in the yard. It's taking a long time, but I am also giving her rescue remedy, and it appears to be working. She is a lot "looser" then she was at first, getting up and checking things out...fear overcoming is hard, and takes a long time. It's a primal instinct, one that is so deep rooted that in humans it requires psychological care and drugs...it's what has kept us alive all these millenia... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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