Dog Scared Of Inanimate Objects

[far_kenell_73]

Hey guys Just wondering if anybody would be able to help or who has experienced similar. I have a 7 month Golden retriever puppy who is a fantastic dog real easy to train and a great personality. The only problem I have is he gets scared of inanimate objects, he is usually a fairly brave puppy and never scared of other dogs no matter what their size is. For example in our lounge room we have a fire place with a little wooden sign that says imagine. In front of the fire place was Dex's favorite spot until his tail knocked the imagine sign down and gave him a scare. Now he won't go anywhere near our fire place even when the imagine sign isn't there. I have tried playing with him in the area, feeding him in front of it and giving him lots of treats. Even if I put his favourite treat at the fire place he won't go near it.

I also taught him how to get drinks from the fridge, in 2 days he could open the fridge and bring a drink over to me until he opened the fridge a little to hard and the door made a noise that scared him. He will now open the fridge very cautiously with no excitement and won't grab anything out. I place food and treats in their and he will eventually get them out. This has been going on for a month and know matter how hard I try I can't get him confident around these things that have scared him. Does anyone have any advice on how to get Dex some confidence around things that scare him.

Thanks in advance

[LizT]

Peronally I feel that when a young animal gets a fright (and I apply this to horses as well as dogs) it takes quite a bit of repetition to help them regain their confidence. Sometimes considerably more than teaching the initial trick or movement did.

I'd be taking the "Imagine" sign down and letting him have a good long look at it and then putting it back up, repeatedly, so he sees there is nothing to fear.

Give the fridge trick a miss for a while and then start from square one like you were teaching him from scratch.

He sounds like a clever dog, but remember he is still a puppy and his confidence can get inflated and deflated just as rapidly. :)

Edited April 1, 2012 by LizT

[espinay2]

7 months of age is about normal for experiencing the second 'fear period'. A lot of dogs do go through it. Important thing is not not make a fuss. If you do, often they can think something really is wrong and it can make the issue worse. IMO the best approach if he gets scared of normal everyday things is to ignore it and let him see it is no big deal.

For example, one dog I had, at around the same age, became terrified of stormwater drains. Instead of making a big fuss, I just ignored the drain. When walking I would walk over the drain. I would let the dog walk wide, but I wouldnt hesitate or stop. If necessary I would just encourage with a matter of fact, 'come on, lets go' and would keep walking without acknowledging the drain was even there. After a while the dog also began again to ignore it as it learnt that it simply wasn't important. I used this same technique in the house with a rescue who was terrified of every little noise. I gave her space to 'escape' to a quiet room in the house if she wanted to, but I basically ignored her fear of things like the vaccum and the fan over the stove etc. When she learnt that I (her leader) considered these things to be of no consequence, she too came to see them in the same manner.

With the sign, I would put it up and ignore it. You ignored it before, so ignore it again. Ignore the dogs reaction to it. The dog may avoid the area for a while - that is their choice (they did have something fall on them). You however, should not avoid the area or acknolwedge the area in any way that is different to what you did before. Show the dog by your actions that it is no big deal and nothing to make a fuss of. The location is neither positive or negative, it is just there. Eventually it may be his favourite spot again. Or he may choose a new one. Making a fuss of the place though is only likely to increase his stress about it.

Edited April 2, 2012 by espinay2

[Erny]

Ignore Dex - just have him where you know he sees you, and YOU go make yourself comfortable at the site of the fire hearth. Sit/lay there. If he comes over, just treat him as though he's come over to you when you were sitting/laying elsewhere.

Don't make a big deal about it. In fact, make nothing of it at all.

If he doesn't come over to you, don't worry about it. Repeat another time or two or three.

[voloclydes]

not much to add but its not that usual..

my dal is 4 and he has just discovered the small stuffed toy tiger on the headboard of our bed... tiggers been there 15 years much longer than i have even been around... he was for all the world gunna attack it...untill it chased him.... then he evacutated... fast... with no grace and he ended up tangled in himself... :rofl:

[TheCheekyMonster]

... lol i see what i said has already been said :)

Edited April 2, 2012 by TheCheekyMonster

[far_kenell_73]

Thanks for all the advice, really appreciate it and it has already started working. Last night I sat down by my fire place and ignored him, and within a few minutes he came over and just sat near me. I think the way I previously handled it by putting food and treats by the fire place had him to suspicious that something was up.

Also I'm going to stop doing the trick where he grabs drinks from the fridge and will start doing it again in a few months. I was just really surprised that a 6 month old pup learnt how to do it perfectly in 2 days and then suddenly can't do it.

Once again thank you, and I would love to hear if anyone else has any dogs scared of weird objects.

[trinabean]

Thanks for all the advice, really appreciate it and it has already started working. Last night I sat down by my fire place and ignored him, and within a few minutes he came over and just sat near me. I think the way I previously handled it by putting food and treats by the fire place had him to suspicious that something was up.

Also I'm going to stop doing the trick where he grabs drinks from the fridge and will start doing it again in a few months. I was just really surprised that a 6 month old pup learnt how to do it perfectly in 2 days and then suddenly can't do it.

Once again thank you, and I would love to hear if anyone else has any dogs scared of weird objects.

Yes, mine is disturbed by whole pumpkins. Does a suspicious bounce and bark routine. :laugh:

[kiesha09]

Yes mine is seriously afraid of white feathers... not any other colours just white ones(insert eyeroll emoticon here).

[westiemum]

Yes mine is seriously afraid of white feathers... not any other colours just white ones(insert eyeroll emoticon here).

Just recently my 10 year old girl westie has developed a phobia of any white plates. A couple have

clattered to the floor recently making a real racket and now she won't go anywhere near them and actively recoils fom them, even if they have food on them.

So I tried an experiment this afternoon - put some food on a white plate and she wouldn't have a bar of it - transferred exactly the same food to a brown bowl and she wolfed it down. Mystery solved. Now to do something about her fear of white crockery.

Thoughts?

Edited April 8, 2012 by westiemum

[Erny]

Now to do something about her fear of white crockery.

Thoughts?

Try letting her look on whilst you eat from the white plate, a little bit like a dog would, although it won't hurt if you want to pick the food up with your fingers, but have the plate on the floor or close to the floor. Ignore your dog. Just eat the food.

ETA: Oh *cough* .... you don't have to eat dog food - it can be human food, but make it something yummy that she will like as well :). ..... And I presume the white plate is just that ... a plate that you eat from, not a dog bowl.

Edited April 8, 2012 by Erny

[Dame Aussie]

I don't have any extra advice than what has already been said....but this reminded me of something one of my dogs has been doing lately.

We drink a lot of mineral water and Lili has become afraid of the sound when we open the bottle, the ssshhh sound of fizzy drink. It started maybe a month ago and now if I even pick up a bottle she will leave the room!!

Weird!

[westiemum]

Now to do something about her fear of white crockery.

Thoughts?

Try letting her look on whilst you eat from the white plate, a little bit like a dog would, although it won't hurt if you want to pick the food up with your fingers, but have the plate on the floor or close to the floor. Ignore your dog. Just eat the food.

ETA: Oh *cough* .... you don't have to eat dog food - it can be human food, but make it something yummy that she will like as well :). ..... And I presume the white plate is just that ... a plate that you eat from, not a dog bowl.

Thanks Erny - no not dog bowls - just my white kitchen crockery! :laugh: going to be an interesting few days around here! :)