Have you ever had to introduce your dog to something so that he/she

[iggiboogirl]

wouldn't be afraid?? We own a plumbing business and my Puppy Timber comes to work with me everyday, well i hear him barking and barking outside the shop and i go out there and he's barking at an old incinerator So i had to introduce him to it so he would know it's ok? What have you had to do to get your pet to not be afraid of something?

 

[Thorhalla]

Yes.
When my nephew lived with me for a short time I would have to constantly introduce my dog to his motorcycle every time it was parked in a different place then the last time she saw it. His motorcycle is the only thing she ever had a problem with...I never understood why but once I touched the motorcycle and showed her that it was harmless she'd be fine.

 

[Autumn]

My JR hates one of my favorite halloween decorations. It's a 4 ft tall Frankenstein doll. He would grrr at it and snip at it every time he noticed it on the front porch, it really upset him. At first it was funny, then I realized I needed to teach him it was ok. What if a kid came to the door dressed like that! So I set it down on the ground so it was more on his level and sat next to it with my dog on my lap. He was able to sniff it and check it out safely. I put his paw on it like he was petting it too. At first he tried to jerk away but I wouldn't let him go until he chilled out. I had to do it a few times but after a couple of days he was over it. Nothing else has ever set him off like that before or since. Silly lil dog!

 

[Tolstoy]

My mom had to do something like that with her dog.

 

[Very General]

Put some of his favorite food near it, or even smear some peanut butter, aerosol cheese, etc. on to whatever he's afraid of.

 

[teresa m]

My baby girl she was so afraid of the sliding doors at Petco she would wet herself going through them she was so afraid I would take her out and in and out and in and out over and over to get her used to them and give her treats and praise every time she was terrified until we did about 30 times and now she has it down pat no problems. So it was sliding doors. She is a pro baby now! I wub her so much and her brother too!

 

[Debby R]

yes i have a boston terrier who thinks it is a pitt bull

 

[Inga]

Most of the time, when I'm out walking a dog the dog will get spooked by the following - fire hydrants, guard rails, for sale signs stuck in the ground, moving vans, water puddles, manholes (are they still called manholes?), random children's toys. Especially if it's dark out and the objects are reflecting light. All I do is go near the object and stand still. The dog investigates at his own pace, and when he's comfortable with it we move on.

I have brought several dogs to work with me, there is a lot of machinery in the back that is frightening to a dog at first. So I've had to walk my dogs through the warehouse so they could see where the noises were coming from, then they were fine.

A few more - The ice cream truck, the mail truck, any delivery truck. And of course the school bus. There is tarp hanging on the chain link fence surrounding the baseball field next to my dog park. That has caused a couple of my foster dogs to go insane when it flaps in the wind. It makes a loud crashing noise.

I had a dog once who would lie on her belly and not move if we went passed a fence where a dog was barking on the other side. I was only temp fostering this dog as she was slated to go to a foster home with more experience with anxious dogs. So I never got to find a solution with her. She walked passed one barking dog behind a fence before I took her to her new home, but I still am not sure if it was someting I did that helped her or not.

 

[Aaron]

yea i have just introduced my jack russell puppy to swimming or standing in water just build up trust with him and show him it wont hurt him

 

[-----------------]

I had to do that with my dogs issues with thunder and lightning. Got soaked pretty good a few times but we managed to bring him around to the point where he will ask to go pee during a thunder storm.

He still gets a bit excited if he hears anything that resembles a gunshot but that's okay. He was running from people with guns when I rescued him so that is understandable.