# My Beagle is affraid of EVERYTHING!



## Beagliesmum (Apr 25, 2007)

Hi I am new here, and I have a 3 year old Beagle. We have had him since he was a puppy. Unfortunatly when we got him, we had someone living with us that was not nice to him. She would hit him with the broom to get him out of the way and chase him with newspapers. I didn't know about this and once we found out she was kicked out of the house. But all of this happened when he was developing as a puppy. 

He loves his family and he loves other animals. He just seems to bark at anything that moves. My bag could be sitting in the same spot for a week and he will notice it and bark like crazy. Or a friend could come over and he will howl at them. It takes him about 3-4 times meeting someone before he will even say hello. I have no idea how to help him. 

Does anyone have experience with this? I would love to be able to take him for walks where his tail was not between his legs in an unknown neighborhood. Or when we are walking down the street, not havw him yank way over to the left/right so someone can pass. 

Any advice would be great.

Thanks, 
Leina


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## Cassie Nova (Dec 24, 2006)

I have a dog who is afraid of strange things, irrational things...things I won't ever understand.

First: You are VERY lucky to know what the person had did to him- I will never know.

Second: Babying the dog won't help, so if you haven't already done it, don't start. It's actually, in the dog's mind, praising them for being afraid. I've had Cassie, my fearful doggie, for almost 6 months now, and nothing works except me ignoring her and leading her on. She won't accept treats, and that is the only and first thing people advise.

Now, when walking, if he gets scared, just keep walking. Don't stop, don't look at him, but don't yank, pull or get frustrated. Just ignore the object/person and go on- if he senses you're ignoring it, he will too because he'll realize it's nothing to worry about. Dogs sense fear, dread, happiness...everything...so if you say to yourself "oh no...that guy's on a bike...great....he's gonna flip" he'll sense your dread and (not knowing that you were dreading it because you know he'd be scared, but sensing dread/anxiety anyway) and then begin to be scared also. 

In the house, I would work positive things around whatever it is he's barking at. Do some positive training near it. Leave treats on or near it and maybe play games and throw a toy near it. But, if he freaks out, just ignore him and go on with what you two were doing. That's showing him that you, his master, have already "approved" the object and he can be comfortable.

If it is a person, I would also ignore the fear. I know it sounds like neglect, lol! But I promise, you'll notice some strides. You'll hit regression at some points (some points will even be worse than ever) but it'll be fine. 

Oh, and as the dog progresses and accepts treats (if he doesn't already), have people give him a treat when the come in the house or ask a stranger to give him a treat while walking.

Good luck and don't give up.


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

When he starts acting silly and afraid you can give him a very small leash correction if he has his collar and leash on. Now in this case the correction is just telling him, don't be silly I'm here without having to soothe or reassure him, which as Cassie said should not be done.

You can also work on basic obedience training and/or agility training to help boost his self-esteem. And, teach him a greeting behavior to help take his mind off his fear. Since right now he would not be comfortable approaching someone he doesn't know well, teach him to do something such as go to his place and lie down.

As far as people go, tell them to totally ignore him, not talk or look at him. If he chooses to approach them, they should get down on his level and pet him on the chest or side, not lean over him or pet him on his head or back (until he accepts them).


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