Firework phobia

I am at my wits' end, my dog Max suffers terribly from loud noises phobia, eg fireworks, thunder etc. He is 5 years old and is a rescue collie cross.

We have tried pherenomes and rescue remedies, a thunder shirt, desensitizing, Tellington Ttouch, Zylkelene, diazapan, Acp, and Xanax. He exhibits all the signs of stress/anxiety, has the tablets an hour before the fireworks, send him to sleep but he wakes on the first bang and is inconsolable for 5 or 6 hours until he falls asleep exhausted and sleeps for ages, but still wakes at the slightest sound and it all starts again.

We have told our vets that money is no object. What he needs is a sedative/tranquiliser to make him sleepy and something to keep him asleep. We do not want him paralyzed without being asleep. I do not ask for this lightly, I very much prefer homeopathic medicines but I will consider anything , his heart rate is so fast I am afraid it will just give out or have a lasting effect. He really is so traumatised we have considered having him put down rather than suffer.

Wendy Nutland

Afraid of the dark

Hi,

I hope you can help.

My dog (a medium-sized Heinz 57) has a nervous personality. She was rescued and was mistreated in her early years. She’s approximately 4 years old and we’ve had her since last summer.

On Halloween last year she was spooked by there being a lot of people around her, making funny noises on her evening walk, and didn’t want to go out in the dark for the next few nights. We managed it using treats and lots of hugs and encouraging words, but I don’t want a repeat of this this year as it really set back the training my family and the resuce had done to rehabiliate her from her horrid former life. The kids go back to school this week and although she's been fine throughout the summer I'm worried as the nights draw in she will become worried about waling in the dark again.

Do you have any advice as to how I can prevent her being scared in the dark, and how to help her through it if she does freak out again?

Mark Wall, by email

All the wrong noises

We have a gorgeous PBGV called Lexi who came to us at 15 months as his previous owner didn't want him. When we first got him, he was a little scared of city noises (he came from the country) but seemed to improve. Recently, however, he has regressed and is now very nervous when he's out for his walk - even though he really wants to go! Everything now seems to scare him, but especially people and very loud noises eg church bells etc. We do take him out with one of our other dogs to try and help his confidence.

We think that maybe he was scared by something when he was out for a walk and so he has now come to associate people as frightening.

He is friendly indoors to visitors  and an absolute gorgeous little boy who we adore! - and we want him to feel happy and confident while he's out on his walks. We have tried giving him treats when he's out - so that he associates positive rewards with being out and about - but he's too scared to take them.

Any ideas would be very much appreciated!

Many thanks.

Nicola, by email 

Clicker training is no treat

Hello Dogs Today,

I have recently taken on a young rescue collie cross, Ben. We're not sure how old he is exactly, about a year the rescue thought, and we don't know much about his background as he was picked up as a stray, but expect he was mistreated as he cowers when anyone is holding a mop or duster etc and he doesn't like loud or sudden noises (although noise-sensitivity may not have anything to do with any possible mistreatment).

We're attending basic obedience classes at the moment as if he had had any training, he needs a refresher! I also have an older rescue Lab, and when she came to live with us four years ago I introduced her to clicker training as she is bright and I wanted something fun to keep her mentally stimulated. I have tried to introduce Ben to clicker training but he is scared of the noise! I have a clicker where you can reduce/increase the volume, but even on the lowest setting he cowers at the noise, but then comes straight back to me for a treat. I discontinued using the clicker immediately and only tried it for three or four clicks before stopping.

I'm wondering what to do, has anyone else had this problem? I'd love to get Ben enjoying the clicker but don't want to try it again in case it upsets him again. Should I wait until he's been with us a bit longer and build the trust and then try the clicker again? (We've had him since October and began training classes - where clickers aren't used - two weeks later.) Or should I just give up on the idea? Are there any alternatives to the clicker that will help with training and provide mental stimulation, but not scare Ben?!

Thanks,
Mike Cartwright, Selby, North Yorks

Balloon phobia

My doberman is scared of hot-air balloons. He is four-years-old, and I have had him since he was eight-months.

Ty has always been a fearful dog but ever since a incident with a hot-air balloon letting the gas go right above us and very low when he was about a year old, his fear has worsened.

He now refuses to go out on his walk in the mornings, and is ok when he goes out in the afternoon, but refuses to go out again in the evening.

Hoping someone can help me help him.

Michelle, by email

Scratching the surface

I have two Border Collie bitches, both spayed, one is five and the other 13. The oldest bitch has always had a problem with loud noises, fireworks, thunderstorms, rain on the conservatory roof and the like.
At night she has started to scratch at the kitchen lino in one corner so we put a rubber mat there to prevent damage to the floor. When we go out for a couple of hours she has been going upstairs and doing the same thing in the bedroom.
She also does the same in the conservatory. I am concerned at her behaviour but at a loss as to why she has started to do this. She is walked twice a day and is very fit and healthy for her age. Can you please throw any light on this matter? I would be grateful for your help.
Josephine Soraka, Farnborough, Hampshire


Carol Price, trainer and behaviourist, says...
There are several reasons why dogs scratch the ground in the way you describe. In entire bitches this can be classic 'nesting' behaviour, prior to having pups, but all dogs can go through nesting rituals like this, prior to settling down to rest or sleep.
In your bitch's case, however, I think the behaviour is an anxiety-releasing device, as it seems to occur only when you leave her. Your dog may always have been highly attached to you, emotionally, as well as having issues about noise, but as dogs get older they can become even more fearful and clingy. And this is what can lead to more anxiety-related problems when you leave them.
The thing I would suggest doing, as a priority, is making your older bitch her own special and safe 'den' in the kitchen. Get her an indoor kennel, large enough for her to easily stand up in and move around in, and cover the top and three surrounding sides of this with a blanket. Then install some really cosy bedding inside. Get your bitch used to going into this and sleeping in it gradually, and start feeding her in there. Do not just stick her inside and shut the kennel door or she will be highly distressed.
Start practising leaving your dog to rest in her 'den' with its door open for an hour or two, while you are still at home. If she then tries to follow you from room to room, keep putting her back there until she finally stays put and settles. Each time you leave your bitch in her den, also put some specific item in front of it that she can later associate with settling and resting there. This can be anything from a chair to a kitchen bin or ornament. Each time you come back to your dog, or invite her out of her den, take this symbolic item away again. Only when your bitch is really happy about resting in her kennel 'den' for an hour or more with the kennel door open can you then try shutting it.
All this retraining can take a bit of patience, but if done properly should do a lot to reduce your dog's anxiety about being left, and thus the behaviour that goes with this. Of course, as an older dog, there could be some age-related changes going on in her brain that are contributing to her anxious state and behaviour, or exacerbating it. There are certain medications or supplements that can be of benefit to older dogs in this regard, and which you might want to consult your vet about.

June Williams, COAPE Association of Behaviourists and Trainers, says…
Have her health checked by a vet. Emma Milne wrote an article in the July 2006 issue of Dogs Today about senility with a list of behavioural changes to look for (including restlessness at night, aimless wandering) and how Hills b/d, rich in antioxidants, has good results. What you describe, my younger German Shepherd will do when over-stimulated and she seems to be trying to make a nest to lie in.