Kara is a generally jumpy dog, ready to react to any sudden noise or appearance. While we can work on children specifically and traffic, this will be a lot more successful if we can improve her general nervous state.
Little Bouncer is jumpy. He’s constantly on edge.
I would guess this is in this little Havenese’s genes, though not a general breed trait. It’s certainly not the fault of the family, a couple and their daughter aged ten.
Belle was found with her siblings, at just a few weeks old, by the roadside. From the beginning,, in her loving home, the Whippet mix was a scared and nervous puppy – in total contrast to their two Labradors.
When someone comes into the house the scared dog will leap onto the lady’s lap for reassurance.
Belle is now three years old and the behaviours her fear generates are hard for her family to deal with. She is extremely jumpy and scared of many everyday household things.
It’s easy to get cross with too much barking when one seems powerless to stop it.
The main message for helping Belle is for them to consider the emotions that cause her behaviours and deal with them instead of trying to stop the actions themselves. It can help to translate it into human terms. For instance, they wouldn’t scold a child who was crying due to fear. They would address the fear itself. (more…)
The dear little Lhasa Apso Jack Russell mix seems to have a near perfect life. Why is she so easily scared and spooked? They have had her since she was a puppy and she has always been nervous. It must surely be genetic. Celeste is ‘living on the edge’. The Read more…
The story of Indie, a nervous dog I met yesterday, is a very common one. Her behaviour illustrates my belief that reactivity due to fearfulness out on walks has roots at home too. Concentrating solely on walks is missing a big part of the picture. Indie is generally a nervous dog. Read more…
Because she can sometimes sound quite ferocious when a person or another dog approaches, the lady has been so worried that her little dog is aggressive. Daisy is on lead with a tense and anxious handler and she feels vulnerable.
Growling is good. Growling tells us what our dog is feeling. Growling gives us the key to open the door to the dog’s emotions. When we know what he is feeling, we then know what to do about it.
Could she be nervous? Because a dog jumps all over you when you arrive, grabs and mouths you and excitedly runs around panting and carrying toys, I don’t believe it is necessarily simply a display of friendliness. Pale Labrador Daisy was certainly not unfriendly, but all this hyperactivity when I Read more…
Sascha is a beautiful two-year-old German Shepherd who lives with GSDs black Tango (10) and Annie (4). The couple who own them run a rabbit rescue and these dogs are incredible. Rabbits are free in parts of the house and run around the dogs who are completely chilled with them. Read more…
Bella is a typical rather pushy pup. In the house she will not leave poor Stonker alone, jumping on him and trying to play fight. He is severely stressed with this, so he goes and hides.
Much of the time now he’s in hiding.