Dog with an irrational fear of boxes

Binka

Has anybody come across dogs with an irrational fear of boxes and got to the bottom of it. We took in a rescue 7 years ago who had a lot of issues. He was advertised as a special case. He was terrified of people, had no socialisation or interaction with people and bore all the hallmarks of a puppy farm dog. He was roughly 12 months old and had been straying so was also malnourished. He only trusted other dogs.
He’s a pointer, but a little on the small side for a dog. He’s more like the size of a pointer bitch so not the perfect specimen and may have been kicked out of the puppy farm for that reason.
So, 7 years on Jacob is the sweetest, happiest affectionate boy but still terrified of strangers. We no longer go out of our way to make him meet people as it just traumatises him, but in his own home with us he’s perfectly happy. His tail is always wagging and he gives his old lurcher housemate the run around all day long. They love each other and he really looks up to him. We now walk him in places where he won’t meet many people which isn’t difficult around here.

There is just one thing that really freaks him out to this day – if one of us it carrying a large box of any type, wooden/cardboard he goes into complete meltdown. He become completely terrified and runs for his life. As with all rescues we know nothing of his history pre us and have no way of knowing what made him so fearful of people but can guess. But the box thing leaves us mystified.
Has anyone on here come across this before or have any idea what could have caused it? We try to reassure him but the next time we bring a box into the house it happens again. He still has a lot of fears in general but mainly external situations.
Our vet says he has never encountered such a scared animal and can’t begin to imagine what he has been through.
We are just curious really so if anyone has any theories I’d be interested to hear them.

sillysmiles

No theories, but bless him! Poor pet.
Also, I love that you have accepted that he isn't a people dog and aren't trying to force him into being the poster child for socialisation etc.

sillysmiles

BTW - what happens if the box is on the ground? Is it only when you are carrying it?

VonVix

I have a dog like that. He's not a rescue, but had a more outdoorsy life as a puppy with the breeder, so he isn't as used to normal inside noises and can be a little jumpy. He does not like it if someone holds large, noisy objects (anything that crinkles, snaps, pops, etc. upsets him). He does not like cardboard boxes at all, when it box ripping time (after getting a pet food order) he will stand in the next room, watching and waiting until we are done. If he's too close, he'll flinch. He was never abused, just a very sensitive chap.

tk123

What about if something good is in it? My two assume every box that comes into the house must be sweets or food for them lol

dashoonage

my one ( rescue) has a fear of the shed if its open. Closed is fine. Open is bad.

I assume someone did something bad to her involving a shed at one point

Binka

Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. It's easier to see why a shed might have bad memories and that perhaps a person coming to her to do something bad would be opening the shed to get to her.
The only conclusion I can come to about the box is that maybe he was locked in a box? He's scared of anything bigger than a shoe box, but the bigger it is the more scared he gets.

kylith

If he's a puppy farm dog he may actually have been born in a box.

strandroad

Yes google "puppy farm whelping box" and you'll see. Does he tolerate being confined in small spaces?

Binka

strandroad wrote: »

Yes google "puppy farm whelping box" and you'll see. Does he tolerate being confined in small spaces?

We tried to crate train him and he was terrified to get in it so we didn't push it. The cat used it instead and it was a large one!

I'll google that, thanks.

kylith

I wouldn't, if I were you. It's depressing.

dashoonage

Don't Google that..

Can you work around it? If he is a happie dude other than that he is doing well

I only need to go into the shed once a week to cut the lawns so madra goes and sleeps in the kitchen for a while.

Binka

I did take a look at and it's horrendous. I can understand what his problem might be now. :mad:
No wonder he still feels that way after 7 years away from it.

We can work around it. It's only an occasional time it happens. I just wanted to try and understand it. I think I do now.
Thank you all for your input.

dashoonage

No boxes in your house...I cant open my shed....the things we do for our doggies

Binka

True..but it's all worth it!

tk123

Binka wrote: »

We can work around it.

I think this is the crux of it - sometimes we have to work with what we have and choose our battles! I was thinking of this thread this morning on the way to the park when I saw a fire engine coming in the distance, slowed down getting ready to stop and gave Bailey more slack on his lead in prep for him stepping into somebody's driveway and waiting for it to pass!

dashoonage

I was thinking of it this morning in work when i was carrying a box.....

aonb

OP, if you leave a box on the floor does it bother him?
Would it be worthwhile leaving a topless/bottomless box on the ground, with a few treats in it. Few days later Then close the box. Few days later Then move the box around the room. few days later Then start to pick the box up for a second, and put it back down. Treats in between each change. Taking several days over each change.

As you say you can work around this problem.
Any huge fear a dog shows for objects is usually based in something bad that happened to them when they were young.

I wouldnt bother to stress an anxious dog trying to get over something that you can work around - shed doors/boxes - as someone said, choose your battles.

Lovely to hear that a rescue dog with issues, is happy in his own home with his own humans - brownie points forever for you all 8-)

cjf

Not a regular poster but OP your post hit a chord with me today. I have my fab pair about 8 years now and for the longest time I felt like a failure - that Try as I might I couldn't undo previous experiences and morph them into poster children for well socialised dogs - we did make progress and have come a long way from where we started but in the last couple of years I have finally accepted they are who they are and that i haven't failed them . I can't turn the clock back and erase what happened before they came to me so I do what I can now to make them happy and relaxed - seeing them running together on an empty beach at 5am in the morning without a care in the world is the most amazing feeling.
So thanks for posting about how you too have made some changes to accommodate your guy and that it's ok to just accept what can't be changed and love them all the more for it.

Binka

aonb wrote: »

As you say you can work around this problem.
Any huge fear a dog shows for objects is usually based in something bad that happened to them when they were young.

I wouldnt bother to stress an anxious dog trying to get over something that you can work around - shed doors/boxes - as someone said, choose your battles.

Lovely to hear that a rescue dog with issues, is happy in his own home with his own humans - brownie points forever for you all 8-)

cjf wrote: »

I have finally accepted they are who they are and that i haven't failed them . I can't turn the clock back and erase what happened before they came to me so I do what I can now to make them happy and relaxed - seeing them running together on an empty beach at 5am in the morning without a care in the world is the most amazing feeling.
So thanks for posting about how you too have made some changes to accommodate your guy and that it's ok to just accept what can't be changed and love them all the more for it.

I have come to this realisation with the help of my vet. It has taken a few years of me thinking I'm failing him in some way but I do now choose my battles and rather than cause him undue stress for something that ultimately does not enrich his life I accept him for the happy little chap that he is within his own four walls and garden. Yes, I have to walk him at strange times, in quiet places but he walks with his tail wagging and his head held high. It's a lot better than the other option where he shrinks to half his size with his tail wrapped firmly underneath him if he sees humans. It's not fun watching him having a panic attack.
And if I have to hide a box from him if I buy a new hoover or whatever, then so be it.
Having seen the pictures about the boxes I can see where this might be coming from and quite frankly I don't want to remind him.
I'm always hearing that dogs don't have long term memory and that they live in the now, but I'm not convinced. My little man has been scarred for life and that's presumably all down to memory.
Thanks for your comments aonb and cjf. I don't regret taking him on one bit. It's been so rewarding.

aonb

Binka post a photo ?!?

I cant believe anyone would suggest that animals dont have long term memories.

We had a horse that had been badly treated by a professional yard, to make him jump. He jumped clear rounds so fast it was scary. He had scars on his forelegs from where the had been mistreated to 'learn' to clear a fence. We could never slow him down. When he knocked a pole he was SCARED. We stopped jumping him because even though he was so good at it, the speed and stress to start and get it done was heartbreaking to watch. He was the gentlest, kindest horse I ever came across. He never once dropped my daughter.

We rehomed a horse when my daughter went abroad, back to her original wonderful owner. Several years had passed, but she RECOGNISED her old home. She went insane when she got back into her old paddock with two of her old friends.

My dog met his litter sister who had been homed abroad when she was well past a puppy stage. They absolutely recognised each other when they met 3 years later.

I found an old toy that was lost in a field recently. A long rubber tube shaped wierd thing. The field has recently been harvested, this thing was lost about 2 years ago - it was my dogs favourite 'thing' - he was overjoyed when he found it.
:):):):):)

kylith

They definitely have a long term memory, but they don't tend to dwell on things when they're not concerned with immanently confronting them. Finn hates unexpected noises and it impedes walks when he's somewhere where he has previously been spooked by a firework or car backfiring but not anywhere else.

And he definitely remembers our regular routes in the car and gets very stressed if we go somewhere he doesn't recognise. I think it's because he remembers being put in a car, driven an unfamiliar way, and left at the rescue and he's afraid it'll happen again, poor neurotic thing.

Binka

Yes, I think their memories are better than we like to think. I also think that their powers of association are immense, which perhaps is mistaken for definite memories of a time or a place, but they certainly know when something they don't like is happening again.
We probably spend too much time trying to be the perfect dog owners, thinking we can fix them, but sometimes we just can't.
I hate seeing that look of fear in his eyes and although I've become accustomed to it, it still shocks me.
I'll put up a picture tomorrow of him. I have quite a good before and after one of him that is on a drive somewhere.

Binka

Sorry for the delay posting. This was Jacob when we first adopted him in 2010

Jacob

and this is him now

DSC00201

aonb

He's beautiful

Pure breed?

His name suits him too

🙂

kylith

so handsome!

Binka

I think he's pure. The <snip> had him up as a pointer cross but my first dog was a pure bred pointer and he was also a male but a lot taller. That's the only thing that's not quite pure about him. He's more like the size of a bitch. It's possible he was just the weak one of the litter.

just to add - he points beautifully.

Queen-Mise

Binka.. that is amazing. Just to see the difference in his body language and how he is standing.

Beautiful work.

Binka

Thank you. He's a treasure