# dog scared on walks, barking, raising heckles.



## victoriaaa (Jun 8, 2011)

For aslong as i can remember my ten month old spaniel has been scared of people, dogs etc. But for the past few months it has got to the point where on walks shes barking at everyone, backing away, raising hackles etc.. basically her flight or flight is kicking in. 

Ive looked at various pages online, tried a few things and got her to stop barking at people in the street. Just by refocusing her attention (basically a case of, "good girl, no barking, good girl", in a praising tone). But with her being a spaniel i take her down a lane and down the canal bank, fields etc. This is where the problem mainly is. She backs of hackles raised and barks and barks and barks til their past and then will run on forward on the extension yanking my arm out (im tiny, 5ft1 and light as a feather). Ive tried sitting her down and letting them past but she just backs away and i have to stop her wrapping herself round my legs. 

Its the same when people come to the house, shes not aggessive or nippy, she just barks. Until i get the ball out then she automatically stops?? The other day our guest wasnt fased and ignored her. Then she fetched the ball to him, i guess out of curiosity. Which is a real breakthrough. 

I havent owned a, i guess nervous dog in the past so anyhelp while we are out walking would be much appreciated. She's such a lovely dog id like other people to see that aswell.


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Can you use the ball to focus her attention when you see people if she is ball - obsessed as you say she automatically stops when you get it out?

I use squeezy cheese for distraction, but my pup is very food oriented.


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## springerpete (Jun 24, 2010)

Could it be popssible that she has gotten the idea that if she barks, she gets the ball. Reward???


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

I have a reactive dog that also sufffers from stress & doesn't like too many people or other dogs around - hard work at times!

I think you are doing well to have a distraction as this is something that you can work with in situations. I have learnt with Roxy that her behaviour is worse when we sit & wait for people/dogs to pass - this seems to increase her frustration at not being able to get away so now we just keep moving so she doesn't get too upset by things.

I would get rid of the flexi lead & get either a harness or headcollar with a flat lead so you can have more control. If she is lunging then a flexi lead may end up hurting her neck through jolting & your arm/shoulder when she does this.

Is there anyway you can change where you walk for a while & maybe take her to places with minimal distactions so you can work on her away from things chse finds threatening. I've found with Roxy (yours may be simialr) that at times she can get herself so worked up that the rest of our walk is ruined so it may be best to minimise anything that may upset your dog to try & get her calmer.


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## victoriaaa (Jun 8, 2011)

springerpete said:


> Could it be popssible that she has gotten the idea that if she barks, she gets the ball. Reward???


no we only recently realised when a visitor kicked the ball for her that it stopped the barking. I think it made her forget for a moment that she was scared if that makes sense.


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## victoriaaa (Jun 8, 2011)

Cleo38 said:


> I have a reactive dog that also sufffers from stress & doesn't like too many people or other dogs around - hard work at times!
> 
> I think you are doing well to have a distraction as this is something that you can work with in situations. I have learnt with Roxy that her behaviour is worse when we sit & wait for people/dogs to pass - this seems to increase her frustration at not being able to get away so now we just keep moving so she doesn't get too upset by things.
> 
> ...


Im glad im not the only one, yeah it is hard work at times but she's such a lovely dog straight after so its worth it. I take two leads on a walk with me, i have a harness that a petstore fitted for me because im tiny and obviously shes a springer to get me more control, then a extendable one so she can run around on the field and not bolt of when she see's someone out of fear. Thankyou, getting her to stop barking on the pavement at people was a total breakthrough. Going to see if i can keep her walking like you said... maybe then she will notice if she walks they go away faster and that they arent going to halm her. Shes back to her lovely self as soon as they pass :/ its puzzling. I will keep you all updated with progress. Thanks again!!


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## victoriaaa (Jun 8, 2011)

Dogless said:


> Can you use the ball to focus her attention when you see people if she is ball - obsessed as you say she automatically stops when you get it out?
> 
> I use squeezy cheese for distraction, but my pup is very food oriented.


i think im going to take the ball on the walk with me tommorrow see how i get on. Kind of a 'whats this' distraction.


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

victoriaaa said:


> i think im going to take the ball on the walk with me tommorrow see how i get on. Kind of a 'whats this' distraction.


I have a squeaky Kong tennis ball that is really good for using as a distraction, also, not sure if it may help, but if Kilo is carrying a toy when walking he often focuses on that and not so much on what is going on around him. It was useful for walking past horses in our case as he used to bark at them and he can't do so with a mouth full of toy!!. First step was sitting and working at getting squeezy cheese from the tube when a horse went by, then walking holding a toy, now he can just walk past a horse without any problems.


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## diefenbaker (Jan 15, 2011)

victoriaaa said:


> no we only recently realised when a visitor kicked the ball for her that it stopped the barking. I think it made her forget for a moment that she was scared if that makes sense.


Leave a bucket of balls outside with a sign instructing visitors to only enter with a ball and give it to the dog. Visitor = ball. Yumm.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

victoriaaa said:


> For aslong as i can remember my ten month old spaniel has been scared of people, dogs etc. But for the past few months it has got to the point where on walks shes barking at everyone, backing away, raising hackles etc.. basically her flight or flight is kicking in.
> 
> Ive looked at various pages online, tried a few things and got her to stop barking at people in the street. Just by refocusing her attention (basically a case of, "good girl, no barking, good girl", in a praising tone). But with her being a spaniel i take her down a lane and down the canal bank, fields etc. This is where the problem mainly is. She backs of hackles raised and barks and barks and barks til their past and then will run on forward on the extension yanking my arm out (im tiny, 5ft1 and light as a feather). Ive tried sitting her down and letting them past but she just backs away and i have to stop her wrapping herself round my legs.
> 
> ...


I would instruct all your vistors to totally ignore her, when they come. Immediate direct contact, is likely to make her worse. She may feel its too confrontational, The other day when your visitor ignored her at first, probably give her time to suss out the situation and make up her own mind and not feel threatned, once happy with the situation she then wanted to interact. You can tell them to ignore her completely, sit down, and when and if she doesnt bark/stops and becomes calm, throw a couple of treats in her direction
When she then decides to show curiosity like she did the other day, they can then give her a treat from hand, then show affection and attention by calmly speaking to her, then a gentle stroke.

Is there somewhere you can go and put a wider margin in between you and approaching people at first. If you can find a distance where she is within her comfort zone without being threatened and react, then its easier to start the training. You can at first practice at home without distractions and teach the watch me command. use high value treats, cheese,chicken,hot dogs, cheese spread in tubes good as they often once they have tasted a small squeeze get involved with trying to lick more out. Hold the treat so she has to look up into your face, get her to make eye contact and the minute she does say watch me and immediately treat. With practice she should learn the command before you try it outside. Extend heer focus by gruadually extending the time she has to "watch you" before getting the treat.
Then try it outside at the wider margin distance first. Timings very important you have to pre empt her response, and get focus before she really gets into the barking behaviour. As she gets better, then very gradually at her pace decrease the margin of space between you and people as she copes and at her pace. If you can also start in an area/time when you are likely to see less people at first so she doesnt go over her threshold to cope.


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## victoriaaa (Jun 8, 2011)

Sled dog hotel said:


> I would instruct all your vistors to totally ignore her, when they come. Immediate direct contact, is likely to make her worse. She may feel its too confrontational, The other day when your visitor ignored her at first, probably give her time to suss out the situation and make up her own mind and not feel threatned, once happy with the situation she then wanted to interact. You can tell them to ignore her completely, sit down, and when and if she doesnt bark/stops and becomes calm, throw a couple of treats in her direction
> When she then decides to show curiosity like she did the other day, they can then give her a treat from hand, then show affection and attention by calmly speaking to her, then a gentle stroke.
> 
> Is there somewhere you can go and put a wider margin in between you and approaching people at first. If you can find a distance where she is within her comfort zone without being threatened and react, then its easier to start the training. You can at first practice at home without distractions and teach the watch me command. use high value treats, cheese,chicken,hot dogs, cheese spread in tubes good as they often once they have tasted a small squeeze get involved with trying to lick more out. Hold the treat so she has to look up into your face, get her to make eye contact and the minute she does say watch me and immediately treat. With practice she should learn the command before you try it outside. Extend heer focus by gruadually extending the time she has to "watch you" before getting the treat.
> Then try it outside at the wider margin distance first. Timings very important you have to pre empt her response, and get focus before she really gets into the barking behaviour. As she gets better, then very gradually at her pace decrease the margin of space between you and people as she copes and at her pace. If you can also start in an area/time when you are likely to see less people at first so she doesnt go over her threshold to cope.


Thankyou, since the last time we have got all our visitors to ignore her and that seems to be going ok, she wont let them pet her, that brings on barking at the moment, but its still a major improvement and maybe time the petting will come.

Ooooh i forgot about the 'watch me' i saw it on a program a while ago and it totally slipped my mind.. were going to start learning her that at home then introduce it on walks.

_Thanks again to everyone that is helping.. ive been just walking past people and ignoring her barks and she only barked twice (asin woof woof) at the family with dogs we saw tonight, instead of going totally crazy and backing off._


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## victoriaaa (Jun 8, 2011)

diefenbaker said:


> Leave a bucket of balls outside with a sign instructing visitors to only enter with a ball and give it to the dog. Visitor = ball. Yumm.


Oooh good idea


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

victoriaaa said:


> Thankyou, since the last time we have got all our visitors to ignore her and that seems to be going ok, she wont let them pet her, that brings on barking at the moment, but its still a major improvement and maybe time the petting will come.
> 
> Ooooh i forgot about the 'watch me' i saw it on a program a while ago and it totally slipped my mind.. were going to start learning her that at home then introduce it on walks.
> 
> _Thanks again to everyone that is helping.. ive been just walking past people and ignoring her barks and she only barked twice (asin woof woof) at the family with dogs we saw tonight, instead of going totally crazy and backing off._


Just carry on with the ignoring and let her go at her pace, she should as she feels less threatened start to get confidence and hopefully become more curious. You can tell them to still ignore her completely but just slowly and gently throw really yummy treats in her direction, cheese chicken sausages are good. Maybe make that your next goal to make a positive association that visitors mean she gets yummy things. Try to find things she loves and keep them as rewards for visitors and when she has to have people approach on walks for the watch me. They usually realise that people then mean their most favourite things. Gradually as she realises the visitors are not a threat, then throw the treats down a bit nearer to them still ignoring until she seeks them out.
Just go at her pace and let her gain confidence. Baby steps, but sounds like you a making progress in the right direction.


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## victoriaaa (Jun 8, 2011)

Proud of my little devil.

_This mornings walk she was abit barky, her usual self.. but this afternoon was better._
To get to the field from my house we have to go down a little grass lane type thing, and a neighbours springer boy (now settled he's about 8), was being walked infront. At first i thought oh gosh here we go (its about 5 mins long slow walking), but then i thought you know what, im going to relax leave it up to her to decide and ignored her. The man infront knows of jessies scaredness since her being a little pup being scared of socialising, so he just walked his dog along like we wasnt there. After a little bark and pull i told jessie_ "no barking, goood girllll" _and she kind of hesitated and just plodded on for a while, then as the dog kept stopping and looking back, she got curious and pulled forward so i gave her abit of length on the lead to run forward (but not too close) and she kept stopping waiting for me? then running forward, until we got to the end and a women walked our way (on her own no dog), then she backed off heckles raises all guns blazing, but to be honest i think it was because it just took her by suprise.

Baby steps  it may be a case of one step forward two steps back from here but to even have it help her the tiniest bit its worth it  i cant stop smiling blesss the rugrat!

(Also the women was like ooooh are you speaking to me? arnt you lovely.. and headed towards her. Which i then feel like a total cowbag for saying, "sorry but she's scared of people can you not" but its pretty obvious.)

oooh & I tried the walking with the toy in mouth to stop barking she wouldnt even entertain carrying it. So that one is a no starter.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

victoriaaa said:


> Proud of my little devil.
> 
> _This mornings walk she was abit barky, her usual self.. but this afternoon was better._
> To get to the field from my house we have to go down a little grass lane type thing, and a neighbours springer boy (now settled he's about 8), was being walked infront. At first i thought oh gosh here we go (its about 5 mins long slow walking), but then i thought you know what, im going to relax leave it up to her to decide and ignored her. The man infront knows of jessies scaredness since her being a little pup being scared of socialising, so he just walked his dog along like we wasnt there. After a little bark and pull i told jessie_ "no barking, goood girllll" _and she kind of hesitated and just plodded on for a while, then as the dog kept stopping and looking back, she got curious and pulled forward so i gave her abit of length on the lead to run forward (but not too close) and she kept stopping waiting for me? then running forward, until we got to the end and a women walked our way (on her own no dog), then she backed off heckles raises all guns blazing, but to be honest i think it was because it just took her by suprise.
> ...


You will probably get an odd setback here and there, unfortuanately you cant control all situations, but just shrug your shoulders put it to the back of your mind and forget them. Just focus on the positives and the progress, no matter how small they may be somedays, everything is just that progress.

If Your neighbours dog is a calm placid confident non reactive dog, it may be worth having a chat to him, If she seems curious about the dog, little by little you may be able to get her really introduced to the dog, and may even be able to progress to short walks with him, he would likely give her confidence and act as a role model. You can maybe enlist your neighbours help too once she is comfortable and following the dogs lead, to at first ignore her, then work his way up to giving treats and eventually getting her to accept him, all at her pace and time of course.

Just an idea, but if he knows her problems he may be glad to help if you have a chat to him.

Really glad she did so well today.


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## victoriaaa (Jun 8, 2011)

Normally she's the same with that dog, but yest was diff, I don't know if its because she's in the middle of her heat and got abit curious with her hormones? Which brings me to my next question...sorry.

This is the first time we've had a girl and though I've researched a little problem struck me today on our walk. She's obv. Scared of dogs, so what do I do when strays approach and she's on heat?.. Basically today I was walking her and you have to close a gate to one of the areas I walk in so children can't get next to the railway etc, and just after a closed it a stray ran up and stood staring threw the gate, lucky timing. Neadless to say I walked the road way home not the gate and field way. I know normally you tell them to go home but on heat would they listen? Its unnerved me abit because obv something like that happening would ruin her. 

I have saw this dog twice in the past two days now. 

Also she didn't bark at all today on her walk, we will see tonight  but I'm happy again and she had a total stress free happier walk too  yay! 

My dad is friends with that particular man so if she continues like this is would be well worth asking him!!


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

victoriaaa said:


> Normally she's the same with that dog, but yest was diff, I don't know if its because she's in the middle of her heat and got abit curious with her hormones? Which brings me to my next question...sorry.
> 
> This is the first time we've had a girl and though I've researched a little problem struck me today on our walk. She's obv. Scared of dogs, so what do I do when strays approach and she's on heat?.. Basically today I was walking her and you have to close a gate to one of the areas I walk in so children can't get next to the railway etc, and just after a closed it a stray ran up and stood staring threw the gate, lucky timing. Neadless to say I walked the road way home not the gate and field way. I know normally you tell them to go home but on heat would they listen? Its unnerved me abit because obv something like that happening would ruin her.
> 
> I have saw this dog twice in the past two days now.


A male dog will smell a bitch in season a mile off, Everytime she pees too, which they tend to do more when in season on walks to spread the scent
shes leaving the scent in her pee, dogs will smell it and follow it. There is a point in the season too cant remember on average how many days in, or how many days for without checking where the bitch is receptive for the male and she will stand, Sometimes you can tell as if you touch their lower back they will stand and put their tails to one side when they are in/approaching this time.

You are going to get male dogs coming up, they will likely turn up at your home too. I think you can get detterant sprays that supposed to "Mask" the smell, however how effective and if they are any use I couldnt tell you, its just somewhere in the back of my mind I think Ive read/heard of them.
She will likely be interested more in other dogs too.


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## victoriaaa (Jun 8, 2011)

Think this will be the last update on the behaviour front, as she has only barked once on a walk , yes once since the last post i did. And that was because someone walked towards her like "awww hello tutut" but in general if people are just walking past and other dogs are behaving fine she's a new dog! No socialising or petting but nevermind that will come with time and if it doesnt then it doesnt. Aslong as we both have an enjoyable stree free walk then  im all smiles.

Me and my dad even approached and sat with a man fishing the other night and she just sat down , she barked to let us know a visitor was here today but when we told her good girl and gave her the ball she stopped and followed the visitor around with her ball. *Sounds silly but since her heat she's seemed to settle down???*

Also i havent got the biggest of voices so telling jess to do something down a windy field is abit of a worry of mine so today my dad and i learnt jess that when i whistle once its sit, twice its lay.... then overtime we are going to learn her one for come back, after all her breed is typically a gun dog soooo  she's picking it up for me bless her.

*Thankyou everyone for your suggestions* peicing them together and finding out which ones work for jessie has made her come such a long way over a short time. I never thought it would be this quick, and maybe we'll go backwards and have offdays or total setbacks, but now i know she can do it, now i know i can do it


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

victoriaaa said:


> Think this will be the last update on the behaviour front, as she has only barked once on a walk , yes once since the last post i did. And that was because someone walked towards her like "awww hello tutut" but in general if people are just walking past and other dogs are behaving fine she's a new dog! No socialising or petting but nevermind that will come with time and if it doesnt then it doesnt. Aslong as we both have an enjoyable stree free walk then  im all smiles.
> 
> Me and my dad even approached and sat with a man fishing the other night and she just sat down , she barked to let us know a visitor was here today but when we told her good girl and gave her the ball she stopped and followed the visitor around with her ball. *Sounds silly but since her heat she's seemed to settle down???*
> 
> ...


Fantastic news, glad she is doing much better, Just remember if you do have the odd setback here and there, it is just that, deal with the problem if it happens, forget about it and move on again. Well done to Jess and you too.


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