HELP . . . very nervous dog :(

PolarSkye

PolarSkye

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 July 2010
Messages
9,562
Visit site
So, a bit of history. Fred is a collie cross (we think with JRT) whose Mum was rescued pregnant, he was born in a foster home and then we adopted him when he was about 10 weeks old. He was the last in the litter to be adopted (which should have been a big fat clue) and from the beginning he was a little skitty about loud noises. In addition, our existing rescue dog (a collie/whippet cross) gave him some darned good tellings off in the early days. They lived together successfully (with the occasional spat at 6-monthly intervals) for three years and then one day Tilly turned on him and actually tried to kill him. It was firework season and we think she freaked (she hated them), they were in a confined space, he freaked back and she just kept going. There was blood up the walls and he ended up hospitalized. From that moment on, every time she saw him she tried to kill him . . . we tried behaviourists, muzzles, training, crating . . . nothing worked and she was frightening my children so we had her rehomed.

Fred, a dog who already hated loud noises, has become progressively worse. He is a very sensitive boy . . . thunder storms, children playing loudly next door/kicking a ball against our fence, fireworks, doors slamming . . . all make him shake and hide. We've had pretty much three/four weeks of fireworks now and I think it's done his head in. Plus, last year we moved from our cottage on a private lane with pretty much no passing traffic/people, etc. visible from our living room to a house on a small estate with cars and pedestrians regularly passing the house.

There are no fireworks right now . . . it's quarter past two in the afternoon . . . the kids and OH are at school/work, the neighbourhood is quiet but Fred is shaking.

How do I help this poor stressed out little boy?

When he's worrying we don't look at, talk to or touch him . . . not b/c CM says not to, but b/c I can see that doing any of those things make him more nervous. He has access to a covered crate in a quiet part of the house, but he'd rather be where we are. I'm reluctant to move the crate to where we are b/c where we are is at the front of the house and is therefore busier.

I hate to see him so nervous and stressed. He's a lovely dog, I just want to make his life happier/easier. It's gotten to the point where he's only calm if the living room curtains are drawn, otherwise he barks at every single person walking past the house :(.

Not even Daisy's calm presence helps him.

P
 
lexiedhb said:
Rescue remedy in his water? DAP? Thundershirt? Zyklene? T Touch?

and personally I'd move the crate to where you are!
Click to expand...

I agree with all of this, plus sedative from the vet, and actually comforting him when he is upset.

I would also seriously, seriously think about re-homing him in to a more suitable environment.
 
amymay said:
I agree with all of this, plus sedative from the vet, and actually comforting him when he is upset.

I would also seriously, seriously think about re-homing him in to a more suitable environment.
Click to expand...

Will think seriously about moving his crate. Have spoken to our vet about sedating him, but he feels it's not a good option b/c all sedation does is mask the symptoms of stress rather than actually addressing the problem. When we comfort him, he shakes more, yawns a lot and actually shows by his body language that he prefers to be left alone (ears back, tail tucked, moving away). He has his special places that he likes to retreat to and curl up . . . the corner of the sofa, a small space between the sofa/magazine rack/living room door and he'll actually go to sleep in those places and/or calm himself down.

We don't want to rehome him . . . we've had him six years . . . we want to help him.

He isn't like this all the time . . . but he's become much worse since the last bunch of fireworks (which seemed to go on forever). Seeing him shake this afternoon for no apparent reason was what prompted me to start this thread - that's the first time I've seen him do that.

P
 
This reminds me of my old labrador, she was 3 when we bought her, had been bred at least 2 times by this age and had a bad life ( terrified of everything, couldnt cope with arguments between people or anything). She improved a lot and was fine up until she was 11. We had recently bought a new tv and when the signal went it made a high pitched noise, which my dad would shout about, got to the point when she wouldnt come inside the house, even if my dad wasnt there. She would just curl up in the garden even if it was raining. Because she was older and had fragile mental health anyway my mum made the decision to put her down, physically she was in perfect health but in the head she was gone :( RIP bonnie <3
 
PolarSkye said:
Will think seriously about moving his crate. Have spoken to our vet about sedating him, but he feels it's not a good option b/c all sedation does is mask the symptoms of stress rather than actually addressing the problem. When we comfort him, he shakes more, yawns a lot and actually shows by his body language that he prefers to be left alone (ears back, tail tucked, moving away). He has his special places that he likes to retreat to and curl up . . . the corner of the sofa, a small space between the sofa/magazine rack/living room door and he'll actually go to sleep in those places and/or calm himself down.

We don't want to rehome him . . . we've had him six years . . . we want to help him.P
Click to expand...

All absolutely fair enough.

Poor boy, I hope you find a solution for him.
 
What exercise and doggy things do you do with him?

I would be inclined to get him out and about exercising 2-3 time a day so he gets more time to 'walk out' his pent up stress and energy. It will also get him used to the people and noises about and desensitise him to the day to day life. Take lots of treats and build his confidence and ask people passing to approach and give him a treat (no touching to start with just a treat and walk on by)

I would also look at his diet, have you thought about a RAW/ BARF diet for him?

To be honest you have had six years to correct/ avoid this and please dont think i am having a dig at you but seriously i dont think he is suitable for you.
 
I am going to be brutally honest here, have had a dog like that and we tried everything, even aromatherapy and animal communicators and I really do not believe that dogs like this are happy in the head/mentally well.
Most dogs do not deal well with stress.

I'll will not tell you or advise you what to do with your own dog but ours is no longer with us. We did try rehoming but nobody else could cope either and we were told point blank by a rescue (was going to do it privately rather than shunt to a kennel) that 'nobody wanted a dog like that'.

Flame away, those who want to, but I know 100% that poor dog's head was in turmoil. EVERYTHING was threat, a stress, an ordeal.
 
CaveCanem said:
I am going to be brutally honest here, have had a dog like that and we tried everything, even aromatherapy and animal communicators and I really do not believe that dogs like this are happy in the head/mentally well.
Most dogs do not deal well with stress.

I'll will not tell you or advise you what to do with your own dog but ours is no longer with us. We did try rehoming but nobody else could cope either and we were told point blank by a rescue (was going to do it privately rather than shunt to a kennel) that 'nobody wanted a dog like that'.

Flame away, those who want to, but I know 100% that poor dog's head was in turmoil. EVERYTHING was threat, a stress, an ordeal.
Click to expand...

I can't help but agree with this, sounds like your dog is just the way he is and I very much doubt anything will change that now. Some dogs just are nervous by nature, you can't alter that or the fact that the world can be a stressfull place. Not helpful, sorry.
 
Very interested to hear his exercise routine? Where is he walked and how often and for how long? What's his behaviour like on a walk?
 
aw the poor chap:(

ditto cave canem.. I have a young collie who has been like this since we got her at 8 weeks. Ive shed many tears over her, thinking i was failing her. She was the first dog Id had i didnt seem able to work with or train and i worried she was unhappy. However i came to the conclusion she was meant for me, not that Im some great dog whisperer, far from it... but she really wouldnt cope in 99% of homes. She copes here because she lives in a kennel, within a secure building, with a structured daily routine. A very quiet rural environment and a set of agility equipment at her (my:p) disposal. I have been at my wits ends with her but my trainer encouraged me to keep working with her, as she felt the drive to work would override her anxiety eventually if I kept at it. Slowly building her bond, her motivation. At times its been soul destroying.Her anxieties initially, and for a long time,overrode any desire to play with any toy with me - no matter how exciting i tried to make it. Anyone seeing me practically cartwheeling about my paddock, squealing with fake excitement to try and engage her would think me mad. No treats worked either. Even something moving position in the garden, a planter or bench would mean she would freak out and not want to leave her kennel. The addition of a new freezer in the kennels meant i had to carry her in to put her to bed every time for about a month. An idea from my vet, I moved my guineapig cage within sight of her kennel and this fairly keeps her distracted from some of her hangups;) (no harm comes to tigger the pig i might add) I didnt think she would ever cope with competing... Id tentatively tried her in the ring and she took off and freaked out at various things. However last weekend she managed to compete at a noisy indoor venue and get her first non-elimiation, as in just faults for a pole down. She was focused and working with me, and most importantly, happy!

So, what Id wonder is given she is largely collie, can you channel her into something? They are all so different but its just a thought.
 
Last edited:
A lot of good points have been made. I don't work with dogs but I've had similar conversations re horses and, frankly, wanting to help and being in a position to help are not always the same thing.

Leaving that aside, my youngest dog had a horrible start and struggles with anxiety. During fireworks season I make sure she is well exercised and tired at the end of the day, she has a thundershirt, and I use valerian as necessary. Okay, drugs do mask the problem but the dog doesn't care!;) Keeping her in as relaxed a frame of mind as possible stops her getting into a spiral.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top