Molly Is All Of A Sudden SCARED OF EVERYTHING!
Molly, my almost 2-year-old Pembroke, has all of a sudden become scared of just about everything. She's always been a little bit skittish, but about two weeks ago, out of nowhere, it started becoming worse. Molly is afraid of trash bags, trash cans (they vary in size, large kitchen can and small bathroom one), large blankets, pots and pans, you name it! Every time I go to pick up a book to read, she shies away from it and goes and hides. We also used to play a game, where I would stick my foot under our big floor rug in the living room, and she'd pounce and try to dig my foot out. However, I tried playing this with her the other day and she ran away from me. My husband and I have never, NEVER abused her in any way, shape or form. We've had her since she was 3 months old, so there is no previous owner to question. If anyone could offer me any advice, I'd greatly appreciate it. I have tried speak to her in a calm voice and show her that these objects are harmless, but it's no use. It breaks my heart to see her so scared, and although she is generally a very happy and bright dog, this unwarranted fright is becoming an issue.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alex on
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Have you tried feeding her or playing with her near these objects that she's scared of?
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Permalink Reply by Ellyse on
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Alex, I have indeed tried this...she's not scared of food ( I don't think it's genetically possible for Corgis, haha) but I do try to play around with her, with the objects that she's shown she's most afraid of. It's odd, because sometimes she'll be alright, and then other times she won't even come near it when I try to encourage her. The bathroom wastebasket is one of her biggest issues...it's just a small wicker thing, so when it's empty I roll it around to show her how harmless it is and sometimes she'll go near it and be fine. Thank you for your suggestion!
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Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on
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Obedience class is a great way to give her tools to deal with her fear. If you can counter a fear response with a command she will be able to concentrate on that and not on whatever is bothering her. It's one of the best ways to build confidence in a dog.
If you can't get any progress in training - and I would try that first - you can look at medications. One of the most harmless is a DAP diffuser, which just puts calming scents in the air. It works really well for some dogs and not at all for others. The step into pharmaceuticals should be done very carefully but they can work miracles for some dogs. I know an owner who has a normal, happy dog on clomicalm and a shivery wreck who destroys the house when she's off it. But for me the medication would be the LAST resort, and I'd work on behavior modification and training first.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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I could not agree more with obedience classes with a good positive trainer! She will probably be much more confident once she realizes you are the leader and can handle things. I had a fearful corgi (not quite as advanced as Molly sounds) and classes as well as a very little agility really helped her. She loved running through tunnels! No teeter toter though! A really sensitive dog needs to have some one to follow and you can be that for her.
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Wow, thank you for all of the advice everyone! Do you think it's possible that part of Molly's issues stem from the fact that she's not socialized enough with other dogs? I never thought of taking Molly to an obedience class, but that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I definitely want to try as many alternatives as possible before jumping into medication. Today, I had Molly outside sitting on the porch with me, and our neighbor across the street brought a rug outside and was beating the dust out of it...Molly flipped out, and immediately ran back to the front door to be let inside. If this isn't a medical problem such as low thyroid, then I'm curious as to what initially made Molly so nervous, thus creating this domino effect of fear. Joanna, the DAP diffuser sounds like a good idea, I will definitely check into that. I'm always hesitant about stepping into pharmaceuticals too. Bev, I could also see Molly not wanting to have anything to do with a teeter toter also, but I'm really starting to lean towards finding an obedience class for her. It also wouldn't hurt to socialize her more. Thank you very much for all of the advice, and I will keep you all posted as to what I find out. Cat&Matilda, thank you for providing that website for me, I'm going to check it out now. I hope that you all have a happy holiday!
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Cat, we did socialize Molly a lot as a pup, and she did/does go with us EVERYWHERE! She is spoiled rotten. I agree with you, it could be that one of her parents was fearful---I just never thought that could be passed down genetically.
I will take your advice though and try everything I can before resorting to medication. I figure that there are much healthier ways to approach this than medicine.
It's odd too, because Molly will be 2 years old in February. Maybe it's a case like Tilda's, where her personality is also setting in, revealing that she is frightful, like you said. Thank you for that insight! She'll be going to the vet soon.
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