Fear period, or you tell me? - Page 1

Need some advice here.  I have a 5 1/2 month old pup she show signs of being stuck in her fear period.  One example, when I take her for a walk she is very uncomfortable around busy intersections. She'll drop her head a little and start pulling me.  Another example, I had her in training last week and when I hand her off to the trainer she refuses to go with her.  The trainer has to pull her, she sometimes yelps, until she finally gives in.  On the flip side she shows aggression to anyone who walks in or by my house, I have to keep her isolated most the time I have people over.  I had to muzzle her at the vet the other day.  I will continue to keep her in training and reinforce good behavior.  Any comments on what else I can do is appreciated.  

Thanks,

Chris  

I would imagine the advice you will receive will involve you being a treat dispenser on walks.  I've found by working on the pup focusing on you, you'll better be able to control situations out in the world.  Everything I do with a pup involves focus and eye contact with me.  This means to get dinner you get eye contact.  To go out you get eye contact.  To go for a walk you get eye contact.  On the walk reinforce good behavior with treats.  When you get to that intersection she will be looking at you for treats and not freaking about traffic and noise.  You also need to mark the behavior so she knows you are looking for eye contact.  In time that will be her default move. 

In my neighborhood we have a bunch of fools that have silent fence and small dogs.  They fly out to their perimeter while you are walking and act like they are going to kill your dog from 5 feet away.  A week ago it was a 90 pound male golden that did this.  I sat my 8 1/2 month male GSD 5 feet from him and got 30 seconds of unbroken eye contact while this dog went nuts. 

The agression in the house sounds like fear.  Have your guests give her treats if she is not trying to bite them.  Leash her and have them toss the treats to her feet until she is stable with them. 

You want your pup looking to her leader for instruction any time she is unshure of what to do. 

Freddy - good advice.  I will try those techniques you've mentioned.

agree with Freddy....but want to add: evaluate her behavior very carefully, if you go to a busy intersection and all she does is pull away from you, then she is too overwhelmed and wont take treats....then you need to start on a less traffic area and build it up from there.

In the house....if she puts her hackles up, then this is fear. What does she do that you have to isolate her when you have folks over? Why did you have to muzzle her at the vet?

Honestly, I would not pull a pup away from the owner when it refuses to go. This is a trust issue and not a disobedience on the pups site. Why do you hand her off to a trainer, and what is she trained in?

Sorry for all the questions, but this appears to be not just a phase. The more detail, the better.

I agree with the others and am hopeful that this is truly only a phase...time will tell.  Out of curiousity, why was it necessary to muzzle her at the vet's?  I would avoid doing so if at all possible as it is only adding more stress to a situation in which she is clearly already not comfortable.

Thanks Elkoor.

I think I will start off with less busier area's first just to make sure I reinforce what I want her to do. 

In the house her hair stands and she shows her teeth.  Also, she's jumped up almost nipped one of my son's friends.  When the vet went to feel under her belly she went to nip the vet and showed her teeth.  She was grumbling with the muzzle on while the vet finished.

The trainer said part of her fear is not trusting others that why she lashes out.  The trainer feels handing her off will alleviate the fear where she should be able to walk comfortably with another person.

Thanks and I'm looking forward to hearing more.

 

Thanks Elkoor.

I think I will start off with less busier area's first just to make sure I reinforce what I want her to do. 

In the house her hair stands and she shows her teeth.  Also, she's jumped up almost nipped one of my son's friends.  When the vet went to feel under her belly she went to nip the vet and showed her teeth.  She was grumbling with the muzzle on while the vet finished.

The trainer said part of her fear is not trusting others that why she lashes out.  The trainer feels handing her off will alleviate the fear where she should be able to walk comfortably with another person.

Thanks and I'm looking forward to hearing more.

 

Turk,

Where did you get this dog?  How old was she when you got her?  Any idea of her bloodlines?  Has she always been overly shy?  I don't want to discourage you and it is difficult to assess from a few forum postings but what you are describing is starting to sound more like a temperament problem than some 'fear period'. 

Thanks Keith - I got her from a local breeder at 8 weeks of age.  She's a working dog, father and mother both titled.  Her littermates appear to be fine - I train with three of them.  If it's tempermant then what are some strategies I can employ in training?

So she's from German bloodlines and her parents are schutzhund titled; correct?  Working or show lines?  It could just be that she's the omega pup in the litter and you'll have to be a little more patient with her.