nervous dog

1Tony1

Hi everyone, i have a 2 year old yorkie x chihuahua, he has always been a nervous dog and im just wondering does anyone have any suggestions with how to help with this, we are very calm people have never hit him or anything like that but sometimes he jumps as if he is terrified, its very strange, i know it can be in the chihuahua nature to shake etc but im just wondering is there anymore i could be doing?

Zapperzy

Do you or did you reassure him when he was scared, like pet him, pick him up or just talk to him?

Whispered

Are there any particular situations where he acts particularly afraid. What do you know of his upbringing? Did you get him as a pup? Where did he come from and how was he treated before you got him? That can have a huge impact on the dog as it gets older. If it's only a new behaviour be certain to rule out any medical possibilities

I would suggest crate training your dog if not already done. It will give him a "safe" place to go, I know your whole home is safe for him but the crate would be his own little space he can go to get away from it all.

You can get his little head busy with some gentle obedience training. Then when he's stressed you can distract him with some commands too. (depending on level of stress of course!) Making him think is a great way to distract him, so games where he learns the name of toys or people might help.

Could you increase his exercise? Routine can help nervous dogs. A calm tone of voice is a good idea too. While we think we're being nice with a high pitched tone, it could make a nervous dog a bit more nervous. Try stay calm and soothing.

SingItOut

+1 ^^

There are also anxiety vests you can get for her, they are a coat that is very tight on the body. This helps them feel more secure and relaxed. I have one for my jack russell and it has worked wonders with her confidence. Maxi zoo stock them.

Thunder Shirt

Whispered

SingItOut wrote: »

+1 ^^

There are also anxiety vests you can get for her, they are a coat that is very tight on the body. This helps them feel more secure and relaxed. I have one for my jack russell and it has worked wonders with her confidence.

Same with my fella and the car, the thunder shirt helps brilliantly. But a trainer advised me to make sure the dog is actually calm and not just shut down. I'm happy it works on mine as it should, but something to be aware of I suppose.

1Tony1

Thanks everyone for the comments, we got him as a puppy and the lady seemed nice enough so i dont think he was abused or anything, he randomly gets jumpy like we will be sitting on the couch and he will jump up and run around, we joke that its as if he sees ghosts or something! he does get nervous when strangers approach him unless they go down to his level then he is much better. Ya maybe i could up his exercise along with some training as a distraction i had never thought of that!

suziwalsh

I second the thunder shirt, they work wonders for anxious dogs ....

http://www.thundershirt.com/