Question:
I am looking for some help....My dog is a year and a half. She has always been a little nervous but this has never been an issue.
Recently it has been VERY cold so we started using our wood stove. Since we lit it 3 days ago, she has been afraid to come out into the living room. I have tried feeding her special treats out here as well as putting her on my lap and petting her, I have consoled her and also have tried pretending nothing is wrong and acting normal.
She has come to the hallway now instead of hiding in our bathroom or bedroom but I can't get her back to her spot in the living room. She used to spend hours watching the squirles through the window...
Has anyone had this problem? Any suggestions are welcome.
Our cats LOVE the fire and she sees them and even that hasn't helped
Answer:
I know you are trying to encourage her but instead it sounds more as if you are reinforcing her fears! It is kind of a fine line to walk there!! Be very matter of fact about it when she comes in, be hearty and encouraging and glad to see her without going overboard. By putting her on your lap, consoling her, you are telling her it is okay to be fearful! You can put her leash on her and sit on the floor and encourage her to come to you and as she does, offer her a treat and a pat and a "good girl" but in an encouraging voice...Now admittedly, fireplaces DO snap, crackle and pop and give off a lot of noise and smell to dogs and it may be upsetting to her but if she choses to not come near it, let her be. She will eventually want to be with her family... Yes, this is similiar to what you tried BUT you only lit the stove three days ago so you have not tried anything long enough! Just light it and go about your normal business and when you see her, tell her to come snuggle up with mommy and enjoy the fire......try reading to her aloud as that is often a very comforting tone of voice or put her on her leash and bring her in......but whatever you do, do NOT encourage her fear... and enjoy the fact that you are getting that lovely cold weather! I so envy your right now.. We are soooo sick of working on our ark right now......but we are starting to select the animals!!
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I as worried that I might be doing that...
How many days do you think I should give it?
Also, do you think leashing her will make her more worried since she usually does not wear one in the house?
She is a strange breed and unfortunately, there is almost NO info on them. SHe is not food motivated and could care less about pleasing us. Makes things difficult sometimes!
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Information on fear:
online-dog-vet/html/help_him_overcome_fear.htm
dog-behavior/html/dog_fear.html
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Leashing her in the house and keeping her with you may actually give her confidence.........as you are or should be the alpha member of the pack there, she will feel confident having you handle things and letting her know you have things in control and will be keeping her safe. And by ignoring things and going about your normal business with occasional calm reassurances to her that she is being good and doing fine, she will know the alpha mom is in control! You can consider this good training for all areas if she is nervous and a bit fearful. Remember to "walk tall" when you have her on the leash.. Don't look down at her and lean over her, lead by example "walking tall" and expect her to follow. She will feel more confident by that as dogs are experts in body language!
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I think she is getting better. This is day 4. As I write this, she is on a leash sitting next to me on the floor and yawning a bunch! I DID GET HER TO PLAY IN THE LIVING ROOM LAST NIGHT WITH HER LASER LIGHT! As soon as the game was over though, she was gone.
I guess I will just keep the fire going until she is back to normal...Is that right? HHow long is too long for her to be like this?
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
Julz
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Just curious - it doesn't make much difference as far as advice, but... What breed is she?
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She is a Norbottenspets. There are less than 200 in the world. She is the National dog of Sweden. I ould post a picture but I can't figure out how to do it!
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Norbotten Mom, welcome to here. to post pictures of your baby, you must use advanced java posting. Then find the mountain looking icon, click on it, then go to the browse tab , browse your computer pictures, then find the one you want and download it to here's server. We all love pictures.
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Julz, sounds like she is relaxing a bit! After playing she can go and relax if she wishes or you could insist she stay in the area. Would it be possible to gate off the area that you are in after a point? That way, when she is relaxed enough and doing better, she will need to remain in the area but not be stuck to your side... All depends on the layout of your house! I do hope you can figure out how to post a pic of her.. I am so curious to see what she looks like!
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OK, I got them on there but they are huge! How do I make them smaller?
How embarrassing. Now you all know that I am a bad dog mom and a computer person!
BTW...Nora is asleep on the couch OFF the leash with the fire going. We had snow today and she, being a snow dog, spent 90% of the day outside playing with me andd chewing on a bone.
I had her on a leash last night and this morning. That REALLY worked. She wasn't happy being out here but seemed relaxed on the leash. Thanks so much for that tip.
I am so glad that I found this site. I have really enjoyed reading it.
Can you tell me how to post info about my dog and I under our profile and also how to make the pictures smaller when I post them?
Thanks again.
Julz
Answer:
Julz, I am pretty computer illiterate myself when it comes to posting pics and resizing and such. One of the nice people here will help you with that!! However, you can truly tell she is a Nordic breed dog and I must say she has the cutest face!!! I am thrilled she is relaxing some now and she will continue to improve. Another thing to read up on is NILIF.... it will help her a great deal in gaining confidence... Hmm, maybe it just took tons of snow and cold to make her appreciate a nice warm fire??? Anyway, I am glad she is doing so much better........
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NILF???? I would read it if I knew what it was...Can I google it?
I am glad she is relaxing a bit too. Since my last posting, she has disappeared to the bedroom. She is REALLY pooped from playing so hard today.
I have to agree with you about her face. Most Norbottens have a patch on both eyes, not just half. You can see a bunch of them at www.nordicspitz.com Click on pictures or new homes. If you do, Mooney is her Mom and Georg is her Dad. Katy and Borr are her grandparents.
I have been TERRIFIED of dogs my whole life. I would not even go for walks in my neighborhood for fear of dogs even though they were fenced. I can't even tell you how intense that fear was. I would have panic attacks, real ones, if I knew I would have to walk past one. Nora has changed my life and I am forever greatful. When I knew we were getting a dog (Nora was 3 weeks when we met her) I started reading everything I could get my hands on about dogs and found that it was people I should be afraid of! My friends and family still stare at me shaking their heads with their mouths hanging open when they see me with Nora or I tell them about a visit to a dog park. They will all have that look again when I tell them I have found a great website for dog lovers. I am so glad that I have become one myself. Living without that intense fear has made so many things easier.
As a former dog hater, I try very hard to be respectful of people who are afraid or just don't like dogs. Something I wish that people would have done for me as early as 2 years ago. As a new dog lover though, I don't know how anyone could be afraid of or not just want to shower Nora with hugs and kisses when they see her cute little face with her eyelinered eyes and her different colored eyelashes (Black on one side, white on the other), not to mention her incredible smile and personality! I tell her everyday, "I can't believe I love a dog"
I LOVE THAT DOG SOOOOOO MUCH!!
OK, I have rambled....
Here is a picture I took today of her in the snow.
I am glad I found a place where I can share photos and gush over my dog!
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