# Puppy afraid of barking dogs in neighbourhood



## Salsasmom (Feb 22, 2011)

Hi everyone,:wave: I have a 14 week old pup bordercollie/lab who I aquired from a dog rescue organization. She is a very intelligent puppy with a sweet disposition. She is also very energetic and I realize the importance of regular, vigorous exercise. 

So here is the problem: She is very fearful of barking dogs. Whenever we go for a walk she freezes when she hears dogs barking behind backyard fences and will not move. I try pulling on the leash and verbally encouraging her but she simply will not move, she just stands and shakes. I don't want to pull hard and hurt her so I end up picking her and pass the home and she is fine until the next barking dog. She knows where we live so she pulls me in the direction of our house when she knows she is anywhere close and our walks end up being very short. 

Unfortunately the first time I walked Salsa a very large dog which was off leash charged and barked at her. I quickly scooped her up in my arms and held her until the owner got control of his dog (I didn't want her killed.) So she has been fearful of any barking dog since. I know the importance of not coddling a dog or feeding into their fears but she seems so terrified I don't know what to do. She is fine with dogs coming up to her and sniffing noses infact she is very eager to play with them.

I have been walking her only in the evening when other people are either out with their dogs or the dogs are inside their homes where she can't hear them bark. This is unfortunate because I am home most days and would love to take advantage of walking her earlier in the day.
Can anyone give me some ideas?
Thanks


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## troglodytezzz (Oct 19, 2010)

Is she only afraid of dogs that are barking? If there was a large dog off leash that wasn't barking would she still be afraid?

If it's fear of barking only, you might be able to counter condition it. Find audio or video on YouTube of dogs barking and play it on a low volume. Toss Salsa a really tasty irresistible treat for every bark. Use bits of chicken breast or beef roast or whatever your dog goes nuts for. Play the treats for barks game for short periods of time. Maybe 30 seconds - 2 minutes depending on her reaction. Gradually increase the volume over a few weeks. The idea is to associate the sound of barking with good things happening.

I am not by any means a behaviorist. There are people on this forum that will have a better idea of what to do. I can say that I have done the above with Eppy to condition him to the sound of fireworks for a month before New Years Eve. It worked like a charm. He wasn't the least bit fearful when I had him outside with all that noise. The difference here is that Eppy did not have a prior bad experience but Salsa has.


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## Salsasmom (Feb 22, 2011)

Yes trog, it is the barking whether she sees the dog or not that frightens her. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try it!


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## JiveDadson (Feb 22, 2010)

My two used to freak out totally whenever they saw, smelled, or heard another dog. Other dogs barking behind a fence is the easiest situation to deal with. I guess there is a risk that a neighbor might get angry at you because for causing their own dogs to bark, but I was never approached or given a dirty look. I did not push it. Probably most of the time they were not even home.

Okay. You know where the barkers are. Learn how close you can get without yours reacting. With confidence and nonchalance, walk your dog to a spot outside the red zone. If you are the least bit apprehensive, the dog will pick up on it. If you got it right, and the dog is perfectly calm, give her a treat and walk away. Repeat several times a day, trying to shrink the red zone to near zero feet from the fence.

If you ever mess up, which is probably inevitable, give a cheery "Let's go," turn and calmly walk away from the barker, leading your dog. Do not look back. Just go. Pull if you have to. The instant the dog releases her anxiety, give her a treat. (Clicker training is useful with that.) Practice the "Let's go," and retreat when there is no barker around, to improve the chance of getting yours to follow. Train the "emergency 180" with treats, just as you would any desired behavior.

<More>
When she is near perfect with one dog behind a fence, you can train outside a dog park if one is handy. Be patient. It took five months for me to walk mine calmly INTO the small-dog side of a dog park, and another two or three months to get into the big-dog side. Going into the big-dog side with twelve-pounders like mine is risky. I have only done it twice, briefly.


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## jencandy (Feb 24, 2011)

As already stated, positive reinforcement is the way to go. Barking dogs means treats. Also, don't let her control you. you don't need to pick her up, and don't give in when she's trying to drag you home. The more she's forced to handle the barking, the better off she is, as long as there's positive association with it


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## JiveDadson (Feb 22, 2010)

jencandy said:


> As already stated, positive reinforcement is the way to go. Barking dogs means treats. Also, don't let her control you. you don't need to pick her up, and don't give in when she's trying to drag you home. The more she's forced to handle the barking, the better off she is, as long as there's positive association with it


"Forced to handle the barking" could be misinterpreted. I am sure you did not mean to imply going all Cesar and intentionally taking the dog into stressful situations (the "red zone"). The dog ideally will learn to trust that the handler will eliminate, avoid, or leave stressful situations. The area right next to the handler is to be the doggy's dependably safe zone, a home away from home.


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## jencandy (Feb 24, 2011)

When I say "forced to handle the barking", a mean by continuing the walk as opposed to coddling her and allowing her to run away from it. I definately do not recommend the ceasar approach lol.


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## JiveDadson (Feb 22, 2010)

jencandy said:


> When I say "forced to handle the barking", a mean by continuing the walk as opposed to coddling her and allowing her to run away from it. I definately do not recommend the ceasar approach lol.


I say, do not prevent her from running away from the situation. Train her to follow as you calmly leave. Running is not necessary, but cheerfulness is indicated. I have conditioned my dogs to think running is the best thing ever. Fun to do, and treats follow.

We are on the same page. (Is it page two yet?)


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## Salsasmom (Feb 22, 2011)

JiveDadson;968860 I am sure you did not mean to imply going all Cesar and intentionally taking the dog into stressful situations (the "red zone").[/QUOTE said:


> All Cesar LOL! I like that. Thanks for all the great replies everyone. As it turns out we have been going for very short, frequent walks because of the extreme cold snap we have been experiencing here. I am just about to take her out again for a longer walk since today is a little more seasonable. We'll see how it goes.


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## Salsasmom (Feb 22, 2011)

She is doing much better as we bribe her with treats. She is getting less anxious with me at least. My daughter has more trouble walking her with her pulling on the leash to turn around and go back home. We have had more success using the extendable type leash. She seems much more comfortable with it. Thanks again for everyone's suggestions.


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