# Feather Phobia Solutions?



## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

I own a feather phobic dog. She is a fairly healthy 5 year old. If we are on a walk and she sees a feather, she will startle, stare, and avoid it by about 5 feet. If she is in our yard and finds one, she will fixate and power-bark at it until we come out and remove it from the yard. If a tiny feather from a down pillow escapes the pillow and gets on a bed spread, she goes crazy barking and growling at it until we remove it.

She will willingly recall away from feathers. She is fine once they are removed. If you bring out a clicker and treats, she will interact with the feather and make peace with it. 

However, the next "new" feather triggers the same old behavior change.

She has done this her entire life.

I own 4 parrots. She lives with them and gets along just fine with them. She surfs for snacks at the bases of their enclosures and "copes" with all of the feathers near the cages just fine. BUT! If a feather travels more than 4 or 5 feet away from the cages, she goes crazy over it.

To my knowledge, she has never been injured or teased by a feather. She is a strange and quirky little animal. She is super-socialized and well-trained and goes everywhere and does everything.

Any ideas on how to resolve this? We manage, but it's a silly pain in the rump...


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## Indigo (Mar 31, 2011)

Could try an exercise like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5BjvNScFPs
There was similar video of her's where one of her dogs develops a fear of the washing machine and barks like crazy, and I thought the exercise would be a good idea for a behavior like this...


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## Rescued (Jan 8, 2012)

trainingjunkie, you obviously need to alpha roll her. Using a shock collar would help to let her know that you are dominant.

But really- could you "plant" feathers around your house and go around doing a sit/stay next to each one? Repeat it and maybe she would learn to sit to alert you to their presence instead of barking?


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

Indigo said:


> Could try an exercise like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5BjvNScFPs
> There was similar video of her's where one of her dogs develops a fear of the washing machine and barks like crazy, and I thought the exercise would be a good idea for a behavior like this...


Very nice video!!! We have worked through individual feathers, but the next "new" feather triggers a whole new full response. Watching the video though shows me that perhaps my problem is that I react to the feathers that my dog finds, so I start this "over-threshold" every single time. Maybe if I planted feathers and showed them to her before she found them and reacted to them, we might make real progress. Thank you so much for the posting!


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

Rescued said:


> trainingjunkie, you obviously need to alpha roll her. Using a shock collar would help to let her know that you are dominant.
> 
> But really- could you "plant" feathers around your house and go around doing a sit/stay next to each one? Repeat it and maybe she would learn to sit to alert you to their presence instead of barking?


Yeah, in addition to the alpha roll and the shock collar, I think I might just toss her in a room full of feathers and lock her in until she works it out. Ought to work like a charm.

She can't do a sit/stay near a feather!!! Way too afraid of them for that! I am sure that I have reinforced the panic bark without meaning to. When she alarm barks, I run to her to make sure she is okay. I can't help it. It sounds like she is fending off an ax murderer.

She used to bark at lint and discolored spots on the wall. And wood grain on the deck boards. And most planters. Certain leaves... At least now we are down to feathers. And sometimes spiders.


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## starrysim (Dec 2, 2012)

trainingjunkie said:


> It sounds like she is fending off an ax murderer.
> 
> She used to bark at lint and discolored spots on the wall. And wood grain on the deck boards. And most planters. Certain leaves... At least now we are down to feathers. And sometimes spiders.


LOL! Now I feel lucky that Luna "only" barks at other dogs out the window. And coyotes in the middle of the night.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

This is honestly the most hilarious phobia I have ever heard of. I'm sorry I have no real advice.


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## Rescued (Jan 8, 2012)

trainingjunkie said:


> Yeah, in addition to the alpha roll and the shock collar, I think I might just toss her in a room full of feathers and lock her in until she works it out. Ought to work like a charm.
> 
> She can't do a sit/stay near a feather!!! Way too afraid of them for that! I am sure that I have reinforced the panic bark without meaning to. When she alarm barks, I run to her to make sure she is okay. I can't help it. It sounds like she is fending off an ax murderer.
> 
> She used to bark at lint and discolored spots on the wall. And wood grain on the deck boards. And most planters. Certain leaves... At least now we are down to feathers. And sometimes spiders.


I mean if you were anyone else (that wasnt a good dog trainer) I would give you the "slow exposure, practice sit stays from 10 yards away, then 5 yards, and slowly work up to being able to be right next to the feather"

but i'm assuming you've tried that? Slow exposure with sit stays is my go-to method for everything "exciting" (think entering your monthly puppy class full of 20 assistance dogs in training) and it has always worked for me.


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## trainingjunkie (Feb 10, 2010)

Rescued said:


> I mean if you were anyone else (that wasnt a good dog trainer) I would give you the "slow exposure, practice sit stays from 10 yards away, then 5 yards, and slowly work up to being able to be right next to the feather"
> 
> but i'm assuming you've tried that? Slow exposure with sit stays is my go-to method for everything "exciting" (think entering your monthly puppy class full of 20 assistance dogs in training) and it has always worked for me.


I appreciate the compliment. I haven't actually done sit/stays by feathers and won't. She is afraid of feathers the way that some people are afraid of spiders or snakes. If she is close enough to SEE the feather, she is too close. If she is far enough to not see it, it doesn't exist in her world. 

I am 100% sure that asking for a sit/stay would "sensitize" her more, rather than "desensitize" her based on her very real fear. I can clicker her into having contact with feathers, but she completely controls her motion with no pressure other than her desire for the treat.

If I dive in and play with the feather, she will join in the play. But if I set the feather down, she is terrified of it again. 

It's really weird. It doesn't interrupt our life significantly, but I wish I could fix it. Like I mentioned, if we encounter one while on a walk, she will side-step it by about 5 feet and continue on. Really, the worst of it is when she is in our yard and finds one on her own. That's when she freaks out entirely. Or if a parrot feather ends up on the bed or something terrible like that...


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