Lead terror

Whispered

I asked before about Harley not wanting to go on walks when he was a lot younger. This fear went away, a bit, but he always hated having to get his lead put on. He has never yet acted excited about going walking or anything.

This "resistance" is slowing turning into fear again, and yesterday, he hid under a thorny bush in the garden when he realised we were getting ready for an outing. When we finally got him, he was shaking like a leaf. Really really terrified.

I had to put his harness on to strap him into the car and he was so scared. He as never had a bad experience in the car or out walking, I don't know where this fear is coming from.

We try to ignore it, and carry on as normal, lead on, walk out, no big deal sort of thing. It's still getting worse.

I think the fear could be of the car, and he's not sure when being put on a lead if it's going to be a simple walk, or a drive. But when he goes in the car it's always to another doggy household where he has a ball.

(I've tried giving him treats in the car, they are ignored. I've also tried giving him a treat before leaving for a walk, also ignored)

Sorry for the long post, any suggestions?

star-pants

I was asking our groomer about similar situation with our Lhasa, she's 2 and half at the mo, she was 2 when we got her. And we reckon she was never played with, never brought for walks, and anytime in a vehicle, was in the back of a white hiace and left to slide around.

Thus she was always scared when walking, jumped at anything. As for getting in the car, she'd shake like crazy the whole way no matter where we were going. She's begun to settle slightly, with more trips in the car.
But we were asking about how to deal with this, as it was rubbing off on our Lhasa pup.
They said, imprinting (as such). Bring them out to the car, don't turn it on, just have them on your lap/on the seat, play around for maybe 5-10mins, praise, and bring them back into the house. Do this a few times, some times with the engine on. Then start little drives, literally barely 2mins in the car, just drive to the end of the road and back. Again, praise. Make these trips a bit longer each time, not necessarily going anywhere, just a quick run out in the car and back home. Lots of praise and reassurance.
Then you can start bringing them places/longer trips - as bascially what this is doing is making the car a safe place for them, not associated with anything bad or scary, they go in the car, they have fun, they get praised. We've done this and it does seem to be helping.

I don't know about whether you use a lead all the time and harness only in the car? We use a harness (because they're small they pull on the lead and choke themselves) and it gives you more control and might give them more comfort?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Well I've no sugestions for a solution I'm afraid, as my younger Staffie (Ruby) is the very same - and I've had her since she was ten weeks old.

Sometimes I think it comes from the Staffie's strong will and their wish to do things their way or nothing at all, I really don't know.

In the end I persist, she settles down and when she can run free for awhile she doesn't mind it going back on for the car journey home.

I'm taking 'em up to Portmarnock beach for a walk later (and meeting someone from here who wishes to meet some Staffies) and I'll go through the very same ritual again

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Whispered

Thanks star pants, The only problem with imprinting is that to socialise him we have to bring him out in the car, we visit my parents and their dogs, and an aunt with her dogs. So I'd have to cut off his nose to spite his face (and he has sucha cute grey bit on the tip of his nose I really don't wanna do that. ). We use a head collar or lead when walking him, and we only use the chest harness when going in the car so I can strap him in. He gets upset at the sight of any of them really.

Makikomi, we're the same, we've had him since he was very young, his first ever trip in a car, besides being dropped to us with his siblings, was a rush to the vet when he got very sick. I wonder if this could have marked him?

I feel so bad for him, it's absolute terror and I try not to pander to it, but to see a usually confident happy dog cower at the sight of a lead is awful, anyone would swear we batter him.

Blueprint

My guy is completely terrified of going in a car, to the extent that the last time we drove anywhere (a fun day out at the beach with some other dogs) we had to walk home as he wouldn't even go into the car park and he was panicking every time a car pulled up in front of us for weeks after that. The guy who gave us a lift that day (this was 10 months ago) has always been viewed with suspicion since and my dog won't come out to see him if he parks in our driveway (despite the fact that he really likes him).

I don't have a car, so I can't slowly train him out of it, so we're stuck in the immediate locality. Luckily he is a smallish dog and the vet is a 15 minute walk away, so he can be carried in an emergency!

I've actually considered buying an old banger and parking it in my driveway just to get him desensitised...

Whispered

Blueprint wrote: »

I've actually considered buying an old banger and parking it in my driveway just to get him desensitised...

what people wil do for their dogs. And the funy thing is, my initial though was "oh thats a good idea". Haha you could have a set up like the relatives of hyacinth bucket in Keeping up apperances with the dog living in a car with no engine out in the front garden.

Do dogs go through another "fear" stage when they hit 8 or 9 months? I can't remember where I read that, maybe I'm totally wrong. TBH I'm worried that he is so scared it could manifest as agression as he gets older, with such a strong and agile dog (not to mention one well versed in the art of wrestling thanks to the OH :rolleyes:) I need to sort it before it gets anywhere near that stage.

Blueprint

I think you're right about the fear stage thing, I just looked it up and it says: 6 to 14 month - In large breeds this period could extend longer since it is tied to sexual maturity. Incidents may occur more than once.

My guy is going to be three in October, so with him it's definitely downright phobia. I only got him at six months as he was a rescue and he had a long drive to come to my house, so maybe he still has some idea in the back of his head that he might be taken away again...

I'm pretty sure he would get over it if I had a car to work on, as he had a few other things he was scared of at first (like crossing bridges!) that he's happy to do now.

Have you tried doing fun stuff with him in the car? Just bring him in several times a day and feed him treats or play his favourite game. If he won't eat them in the car at first, try next to the car with the door open and move on from there.

If anyone wants free parking in Galway in exchange for getting their car covered in scared dog hairs, let me know!

arybvtcw0eolkf

You say you strap him into the car?.

At the risk of rattling the cages' of those on horse back who feel morally superior to the rest of us - but, maybe he HATES being in the harness!.

Although Ruby hates the lead, like all dogs she loves the fun of sticking her head out the window and catching flies!.

Have you tried making the car ride fun for him?.

And what does he associate a car ride with?, mine know that 9 times out of 10 its to the beach for an hour or two of charging freely about an empty beach.

/Puts on thick skin & digs a hole to hide from the high horsey ppl.

You should see my car atm, we're just back from a very rainy Portmarnock beach and between muddy paw marks, sand & wet dog smell my car is minging!.

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cowzerp

helena.ryan wrote: »

his first ever trip in a car, besides being dropped to us with his siblings, was a rush to the vet when he got very sick. I wonder if this could have marked him?

I think you are right with this, he see's the car journey as when he was ill, you need to change this mentality-the how to is the thing now..

maybe like cesar milan says, your getting anxious when you's are going on the car journey and its transferring to him.

gypsygirl

Haven't read through the entire post so sorry if I cut across any replies, OP, use the harness on everyday outings with the usual leash, your dog seems to associate the harness with the car, use it as much as possible for pleasurable outings and soon he'll get the message and look forward to the harness. Best of Luck.

Whispered

Vihaan Shallow Jogger wrote: »

Although Ruby hates the lead, like all dogs she loves the fun of sticking her head out the window and catching flies!.

Have you tried making the car ride fun for him?.

And what does he associate a car ride with?, mine know that 9 times out of 10 its to the beach for an hour or two of charging freely about an empty beach.

/Puts on thick skin & digs a hole to hide from the high horsey ppl..

He doesn't move in the car at all. He spits food back out when you give it to him, even when travelling with other animals, he seems to switch off and shake. He associates the car with visiting friends with dogs, so he can play and get some rough and tumble in. Well thats usually where we go with him.

cowzerp wrote: »

maybe like cesar milan says, your getting anxious when you's are going on the car journey and its transferring to him.

thats the thing, he did have a problem going out, I ignored it, he had to go out that was it, no big deal was made, within a week he was doing better. So we had no anxiety about the car, this just seems to have sprung back up out of nowhere.

gypsygirl wrote: »

Haven't read through the entire post so sorry if I cut across any replies, OP, use the harness on everyday outings with the usual leash, your dog seems to associate the harness with the car, use it as much as possible for pleasurable outings and soon he'll get the message and look forward to the harness. Best of Luck.

He shakes with the lead too.

If I didn't know better I'd think he'd had a terrible experience outside. But this isn't the case (not counting the time he almost drowned and K had to strip and jump in after him in the middle of the town (LOL) but he's shown no fear of water, so I assume thats not it)