My Daschund is scared to go for a walk?

Question

hes 5 months long and before we got him (he was 4 months old) he used to live in a quite area with barely any cars or loud noises around. i live in NYC so when i started to walk him he was scared but after time he grew more scared to the point that he wont leave the house, i tried giving him snacks when walking him but he wont eat it....any tips ??

Answer 1

You seem to have a fearful dog. There are no easy solutions to this. If he is afraid of going outside, chances are he is also afraid of many other things (watch him carefully and you will see it).

This website may help you learn more about fearful dogs and what you can do to help yours (fearfuldogs. com).

It has many good resources also (click on the appropriate links on the left side of the main page) including useful books to read and links to groups and other sites that offer support and advice.

Basically it is a slow process but with consistency and using proper techniques, you can help your fearful dog lead a more normal life.

Not eating is a huge sign of stress and your dog is trying to tell you that it is 'over threshold' (meaning it's too much for him - he can't do it and you need to respect that and start at a lower level of exposure).

Best wishes.

You may also wish to consult with a professional trainer or behaviorist who is experienced with fearful dogs and uses ONLY positive methods of training (check this out, don't take their word for it). A dog should never be punished (ever, in any way) for being afraid of something - and forcing him to endure his triggers is punishing.

Answer 2

The change of noise scares him. (Sorry) Take him to a trainer and pick him up if you can't then just open the door and sit their with him. After a time he should get used to it.

Answer 3

Firstly and most importantly...DON'T feel sorry for your dog or try to comfort him. It is not suprising that he felt fear when he first encountered the sounds of a large city. Be honest with yourself and think back to his first reactions of fear and how you reacted. If you gave him attention, touched him, talked to him, looked down at him, held his leash a little tighter.....all of these things only reinforce the fear and make it worse. It is not wrong of you to have done this  (if indeed you did, some dogs are more sensitive than others) it is just human nature. Dogs are not humans however and so this does not work for them.

Start with the basics in the house and let him know you are in charge. No matter how well behaved he is, always make sure you do these things.

Give him exercise/play before you feed him so he feels that he has worked for it, even if you feed him in the morning.

Prepare his food in front of him and hold it until he sits, stands or lies quietly, reinforcing that you are in charge.

Have places in your apartment/house that he is allowed, and places that he isn't (if you email me I can send you info on how to do this without having to close doors. )email is my username at yahoo dot c o m.

When you do want to take him for a walk (he will need at least 50 minutes a day), follow these guidelines:-

Exercise him in the house as much as you can beforehand, get him really worked up and lose his excess energy. Don't make any big deal out of the fact you are going for a walk as this will only make him anxious.

Don't talk to your dog at all, just be calm and act as if you were doing a mundane task in the office.

Walk out of the door and don't let him pull you at all. if he does, correct him by giving a short, sharp tug on his leash. You should have a loose leash all the time if your dog is happy and relaxed.

If he tries to pull back at a loud noise or big truck, try and walk him through it without looking at him or talking to him in any way. If he freezes (stops and goes stiff), stop with him but stay in front and maintain a constant medium pull on the leash. Don't actually pull it, but if he stops, you keep that pressure on the leash. Stay like that as long as you need to and he will eventually walk out of the pressure of the leash and in a forward manner.

Put simply, the less you react to his fear, the less he will feel it. If you stay calm, but assert the fact that you want to go in a certain direction, through learning that you are his leader, he will learn to follow you and learn that if you don't react to the loud noises or movements of the city(or his reactions to them), then they are nothing to be scared of.

I can email you or call you with all the help and advice you need as this is a very common problem that can be overcome very quickly.

Hope it helps you out.

Answer 4

I'm not sure but my sister has a daschund and her dog acts just like that.