Anxiety
Written by janrichardson98
My dog Mya has a problem. A year ago, when she was only a few months old she started to be afraid to be outside. She is afraid of loud noises, even dogs barking. If I don't go into the yard and stay with her she will not go outside. She won't even leave the deck to urinate unless I go with her. I have tried leaving her anyway, (She scratched the door until her feet bled). I have tried playing games to teach her its safe outside, but nothing works. This past week I bought pills for anxiety the pet store and nothing is working. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
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Jan, it sounds like a stressful and frustrating situation for you and Mya. What ever the reason she became afraid of the outside, to her it is a very real feeling and will only be helped by a long process of desensitizing her to the outside. At this point being outside alone will only make her anxiety worse. Medications (over the counter or prescibed) can be helpful but they need to be used with behavior modification.
To help Mya be more comfortable about being outside you'll need to go out with her and try to make it a fun outing even it is just for potty time. Carry a handful of a really special treat and when she goes out, reward her for just being outside. Lots of praise and attention from you while outside and be careful not to convey your tension about her problem when you are getting ready to go out. Mya is obviously very sensitive and will pick up on your body language and tone of voice. Start with short outings to the bathroom and gradually extend the time you are out. If she does like a walk, try a new area that she has no association with and she will be distracted by the new smells. Dog parks are great for this. Taking her to places where there are distractions that are not too overwhelming will help build her confidence about being out. Maybe the beach, a friends house or a walk downtown. Carry treats and stop along the way and have people she does not know give her a treat. If she seems overwhelmed, cut it short and start again the next day.
I have used Bach's Rescue Remedy with much success. Understand that it does need to be in the animals system for 3 or 4 days before you will notice a change. Again, it does need to be used with the behavior modification. Hopefully over a period of a few weeks you will have some improvement and eventually you can put her outside alone.
Another great addition to your dog's world would be a formal obedience class. They build confidence, give the dog a chance to interact with other dogs and people and the trainer may have some other suggestions for you on how to help Mya.
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