Dogs Love School

Dog Afraid of Nightly Walks
Siberian Husky refuses to take nightly walks outside owner’s property.

Q. I have a 4-year-old, female Siberian Husky named Akaira whom I raised for three years. On one of our nightly walks Akaira suddenly got spooked by something I could not see or smell, and she started running away from that area. Now every time we try to go out at night she sniffs the air and does not want to leave the immediate area around my property. I took her in my car to take a walk in a different area to see her reaction, and she was fine. She'll walk a little in the day, but not at night.

I checked to see if any wild animals had been seen in area, but no one has seen anything other than our normal squirrels, rabbits, and opossums. Could something or someone that's in the area cause this sudden change in my dog's behavior? My only thought is maybe she smells something at night that she feels will harm her or me. Do you have any ideas?

A. Dogs have an amazingly better sense of smell than humans do, so Akaira would certainly be able to smell things you couldn't. Your human neighbors probably aren't any more aware than you are of the creature that's worrying Akaira, although their dogs may be. From your description of Akaira's behavior, it appears she smells something outside at night that isn't around during the day. Many rodents and other small animals are most active at night, and so are the larger animals who feed on them. Your dog's anxious reaction indicates that the mystery animal is probably a predator. These animals may include coyotes, cougars, lynx, and bobcats, any of which might make a sensible dog turn and run for home, especially if they're out there teaching their young to hunt. If Akaira smells something so scary she doesn't want to go outside, it's probably worth avoiding. If I were you, I'd heed your dog's reaction and not try to walk her in that area at night.

Dog is Frightened by Thunderstorms
Desensitization with thunderstorm CDs/DVDs helps dog overcome fear of thunderstorms.

Q: My dog gets really nervous and jumpy when it rains or there is thunder and lightning. I have given him medication for this, but it only partially works and makes him too drowsy. How can I train him to not be afraid of these loud noises?

A: Many dogs are scared of thunder and lightning and may be afraid of rain because of the scary booms and flashes associated with it. Some dogs become anxious when they feel a storm approaching and will pant, pace, whine, or head for their favorite 'storm shelter' such as a crate, the bathtub, or under a corner table. It's okay to let her do that.

The sounds of rain and thunder are only part of what triggers your dog’s anxiety, but they're also the parts that can be best controlled. Purchase a DVD recording of thunder and rain combined with soothing instrumental music. These DVDs can be found in the New Age section of music stores. Recordings with just the sound of thunderstorms are also available, but for training purposes, it's more useful to have them paired with relaxing music.

To desensitize your dog to storm sounds start by playing the recording very quietly. Dogs are much more sensitive to sound than humans, so in the beginning, play it so softly you can barely hear it.

As the recording plays, casually attend to normal business around your home, ignoring the sounds playing in the background. Check on your dog every minute to five minutes, and casually give her a treat she normally likes very much.

If you begin noticing any signs of anxiety, don't apologize or commiserate. Just lower the volume, then turn it off. Wait a few minutes before turning it back on. Leave it on for10 seconds, then off for 10 seconds. Repeat this a few times and end the process with the sound off. Let your dog see that you can control the sounds, but not because you notice her anxiety. Do everything very casually. Stay relaxed, even somewhat bored, by the sounds. When your dog is no longer showing signs of anxiety at the softest level, turn it off and then back on, this time increasing the volume slightly. Occasionally give her mild positive attention and great treats.

Gradually increase the volume a little at a time, continuing to appear unaffected. After one minute, turn it up even higher, then off, working up to the volume of a real storm. Your dog will see your casual attitude about controlling the volume and realize how unafraid and unaffected you are by the sounds. When your dog is able to stay calm, play it at varying volumes during real storms. If she still wants to hide, let her, but remain casual as you did during the training. Your dog will eventually connect the recording with the nice things she received during her training and realize thunder and rain sounds won't hurt her. Then, even though she might still consider loud storms unpleasant, she won’t be as scared.

If possible, start the desensitizing process during non-stormy seasons so you can work on it ahead of time and let your dog build her tolerance to the storm sounds gradually. If you must start the process during storm season, plan the sessions during pleasant weather, in between storms, when your dog is more relaxed.

Dog Afraid of the Pool
Is there anything we can do to encourage our dog to use the swimming pool?

Q. My friend's 3-year-old Golden Retriever Zoe and my two Goldens are best friends. My question is, what do you do if your dog is terrified of getting into the family pool? I take my dogs to my friend's house and they get into the swimming pool, but Zoe has been afraid of the water since she was a puppy. What can we do to help Zoe?

A. Dogs aren't born knowing how to swim, it's a learned skill, and an unexpected accidental plunge into deep water can be very frightening. Perhaps puppy-Zoe fell into the pool once, but no one saw it happen. That may be where her fear began. But even if she never had a scary experience in the pool, she may simply not like the feeling of being unable to touch the bottom. If that's the problem, try taking her to a shallow lake or bay. There she can walk into the water from shore, going only as deep as feels safe to her, instead of jumping into the pool and having to immediately start swimming.

Not everyone enjoys the same activities. Zoe might like wading better than swimming. Set up a plastic wading pool for her, so she can play and cool off in non-scary, shallow water. Perhaps she'll like that well enough that some day she'll reconsider the big pool.

Baring teeth: defense or submission?
Observe a dog’s body language to understand the message behind baring his teeth.

Q. My 2-year-old Miniature Schnauzer, Sampson, bares his teeth a lot. It seems to be related to fear associated with my fiancé. Lately however Sampson is doing it more, and is also displaying it toward me. It seems to have started when my fiancé and I met, but it does not seem to be a jealousy issue. What should I do?

A. You suggest Sampson may be showing his teeth because he's afraid of your fiancé, but you don't say why. Did something happen between them that scared Sampson? An in-person consult with an experienced dog trainer or behaviorist could help you determine the cause of Sampson's behavior and establish a plan to fix it.

Bared teeth can be a defensive threat, or it can be a gesture of submission. The rest of the dog's body language clarifies the message.

Don't scold or punish Sampson for the display, instead act calmly, give him some space, and let him calm down, then direct him into a different activity he doesn't find threatening.

Sampson and your fiancé somehow got off on the wrong foot, but you can right that by enrolling, as a family, in a gentle, reward-based training class. Keep your training positive and up beat, using happy praise and yummy treats as rewards. Give Sampson a chance to work with each of you at class and during daily homework sessions. He will soon realize there's no reason to be afraid and that his place in your family is safe and secure.

Don't see the answer to your dog's anxiety problem here? Please contact us for an in-home or phone consultation.

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