# Not be terrified of everything?



## Piccy (Nov 15, 2013)

I adopted a part whippet, part GSD about 9 months ago from a rescue when she was 10 months old. In her previous home, she was severely beaten, starved, and unsocialized. She does great with animals of all types but she is scared of anything else. (She trusts me and a few other people but that is it). Anytime I take her out, she pulls to go back inside. She's scared of people, cars, noises, buildings, stones, and so much more. I've tried exposing her to all sorts of new places and new people, taking her to the dog park, spending 30-45 minutes each day on training, even taking her to a professional trainer, but none of it is working. She is potty trained when we are in houses that have a backyard, but at my apartment, it's like she'd rather pee/poo in the house than go outside so she does. It's very frustrating being unable to do anything with her outside of the apartment. She becomes very stubborn and refuses to listen to me when we are outside because she is so terrified. What else can I do? Is there anything I can do? Or will she always be like this? She's almost a year and a half and I still have about 5 more years of living in an apartment since I plan on going to grad school.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

It's not stubbornness that causes it the dog just shuts down out of terror. It's generally a long road to rehab. She trusts you though and others so she's obviously making progress. It is just a matter of creating positive associations to things that she fears. Exposure alone isn't enough to do this. The trick is getting a fearful dog to take food in an environment that makes it uncomfortable though... I'm guessing since she's been starved in the past she probably has fairly strong food drive though. Try ditching the food bowl for a while and use food to lure her outside and feed feed feed to keep her focused on you


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Time and patience can make this better. 

Good links with info below

Fearfuldogs.com

Training games for shy dogs | Fearful Dogs

The Dog Trainer : How to Help Your Shy or Nervous Dog :: Quick and Dirty Tips ?
Help Your Shy Dog Gain Confidence - Whole Dog Journal Article

Helping The Shy or Fearful Dog Homeward Trails Animal Rescue | Pet Adoption in VA, DC, MD


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## More Ball! says Jake (Oct 13, 2012)

Our Jake is fear reactive - people, dogs, strange things. We joined the shy k9s group on Yahoo and have gotten great advice and help. You might check it out. We also found a trainer who got us started on using BAT to help Jake deal with "scary" things. It's a long process but we are making progress. Having a fearful/shy dog is a challenge but they change your life for the better. Good luck!

Rita


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## Merciel (Apr 25, 2013)

There's a _lot_ you can do, but it's going to be a long, long process, and if you have a dog who is genetically fearful in addition to having been undersocialized, then you're never going to have an entirely stable or bombproof dog.

But yes, it does get better if you stick with it and are patient and kind to both your dog and yourself. My fearful dog Pongu is still a nut and will always be a nut, but he's a pretty successful nut at this point. It just took three and a half years of intense work to get there... and there's lots more work ahead.

There are a lot of good resources in the links that have been posted above. I'd suggest starting there.


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## TwoBigEars (May 11, 2013)

As Baillif said, it's not stubbornness. Think of something that terrifies you (bees? snakes? heights?) and how you feel when confronted with that. I know I wouldn't be able to think rationally or solve complicated math problems next to a bee hive. I'd want to get the heck out of there! That's basically how fearful dogs are.

The links that MRL posted are great places to start. It's just going to take time and gradual acclimation to lessen her fears. There are also calming supplements and chews that you can try (Rescue Remedy, Composure), though those are usually more for short-term fears like visiting the vet or car rides. You could talk to your vet and see if they think any medication may help. I try to avoid medications but some dogs do need them just long enough to get over the hump and make a breakthrough in moving past their fears.


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