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Teen Angst aka VERY SCARY THINGS! – Let’s talk about it!
This morning, I noticed Bliss hunkering low, weight shifting back and forth, unsure of something just 6 feet or so away from the chair where I’m working… What could it be?? ???? Check out the video below!
Bliss has been ???? “Spooky” lately – at 9 months, she’s in the thick of teen angst and finding her own identity. This can make normal things that are out of place seem really scary! The other day, it was a cow hoof she had left on a low window sill and forgotten about… she saw it sitting there and started alarm barking ???? until I came and showed her what it was. Silly girl.
➡We know that when a dog is frightened, it’s REALLY important how you handle it. If you force a dog to approach, or in any way increase the pressure, you might impact the dog negatively, causing a fearful response to novel things to “stick”.
On the other hand, what do you DO to get out of the situation safely?
We’re going to be talking about this and more ideas in our upcoming HoundTable!
@jenz and @bernerlabreclectus are joining in with video and case studies about how they’ve helped scared dogs overcome their fears. Don’t miss this talk!
Will you be joining us?
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14 Replies
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Loving all the teen angst and Halloween metaphors in this one ???? Great post! Can’t wait to see how this is discussed in the upcoming HoundTable. I feel like these tips will go a long way, trainer or parent!
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Great topic!
I have a guest dog at the house now. Last night, I was warming a bulky ‘flax pack’ (for sore muscles) in the microwave. When she saw it circling in there, she began grumbling and barking. Long after I removed it, she sat vigilantly watching the dark microwave, in case the ‘scary thing’ returned. ????-
I can only imagine what they are thinking of our very, very weird world… or what goes through their minds when I come home laden with bags and bags of amazing smelling things… this is all so far from the “garbage dumps” of our ancestral relationships. ????
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Very interesting! ???? Was it the tug toy?
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Aww, poor Bliss.
So heart wrenching when we see our dogs in this state of mind. But then, it’s “oh look a tennis ball!! and of she goes!! Glad she was able to recover quickly!
“will you be joining us”…. Sure, I will show up! Looking forward to it!
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Oh – this video capture was a mild one. I had a guy out yesterday to measure for a new fence and she was fine with his cowboy hat as he walked around, but when he squatted down and stayed there, just a floating cowboy hat in space (top facing her) – that FREAKED HER OUT! OMD – poor baby girl. Took a bit to get her to get to where she could sniff him and realize he wasn’t a goblin. Once she got his scent, she recovered immediatly.
It’s so interesting …I know she’ll be FINE and this is just a phase, but by golly, I’m really thankful I can help her through it!
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Teen angst ????????” cue emo music” oh your dog is so sweet.
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ALL THE EMO!!
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LOL
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Apparently, fence guys are pretty scary too…. we’re using up a lot of peanut butter spoons over here….
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Hi Everyone! I have a new pup as well (3.5 months now). He’s scared of a few things! He saw his first umbrella the other day. I use a happy voice, and give him yummy treats when I notice his fearful body language.
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What a cutie, @sandy ! Did he get over his umbrella fear quickly?
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Hi @virginiad yes he got over it fairly quickly… we had to open and close it a couple of times as well because that was also a little bit scary. But yes with the treats and the happy fun voice he got over it and was wagging his tail soon after!
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Nice, @sandy – and this is a cute photo – looks like the umbrella’s not so scary with mom & treats nearby!
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