# 5 month old skateboard freakout



## b4ruby (Sep 3, 2016)

Lincoln is 5 months old and has not been afraid of any sounds. He's been around construction sites, he hears distant gunshots, traffic, ambulances etc. He's been confidant in all situations thus far. Well today a skateboarder did a jump in front of him at the park making a loud crack noise and Lincoln totally freaked. He took off like a bullet but was attached to the leash. I tried to walk him around, run him around, offer treats to take his mind off of the encounter but he heard the skate boarders in the distance and he was unable to relax. He was leery of the people walking by, and normally he loves people. He did take some treats while walking but he wanted out of there. So now I need to know what approach I should take. I've had a number of dogs in the past and the approach I would take with them is go back to the park when there is less activity and see how it goes. I need some advice because I have not had a Vizsla before and I know they can be very sensitive.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Just find the distance he is comfortable with when you go back. Then slowly work closer. Don't try to do it all in one day, just take your time. You can even buy a cheap skate board, and just leave it in the corner of your living room. Act like it's not there, even if he is unsure of it.
Only offer treats when he is relaxed at the park, you don't want to treat scared behavior.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

TexasRed said:


> Just find the distance he is comfortable with when you go back. Then slowly work closer. Don't try to do it all in one day, just take your time. You can even buy a cheap skate board, and just leave it in the corner of your living room. Act like it's not there, even if he is unsure of it.
> Only offer treats when he is relaxed at the park, you don't want to treat scared behavior.


great advice TR


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## Amyenye (Jun 8, 2016)

That is just too cute!  Next post will be "Runaway Vizsla on Skateboard"


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## Cooperpooperscooper (Jan 25, 2015)

I have the opposite problem. He attacks the skateboard scaring the crap out of the kid on the skateboard. I stay alert and when I see one come I sit him down kinda go through obedience training with him with treats and keep the focus on me. This is how I got him to work through thunder storms and fireworks which he now enjoys. Good luck! 

I also used my nieces skaeboard to sniff and push around


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## timothymoffin (Aug 4, 2021)

b4ruby said:


> Lincoln is 5 months old and has not been afraid of any sounds. He's been around construction sites, he hears distant gunshots, traffic, ambulances etc. He's been confidant in all situations thus far. Well today a skateboarder did a jump in front of him at the park making a loud crack noise and Lincoln totally freaked. He took off like a bullet but was attached to the leash. I tried to walk him around, run him around, offer treats to take his mind off of the encounter but he heard the skate boarders in the distance and he was unable to relax. He was leery of the people walking by, and normally he loves people. He did take some treats while walking but he wanted out of there. So now I need to know what approach I should take. I've had a number of dogs in the past and the approach I would take with them is go back to the park when there is less activity and see how it goes. Skateboarder Guru - Designed for Skateboarding I need some advice because I have not had a Vizsla before and I know they can be very sensitive.


I came across this 1970s skateboard safety movie and it has some cool surf at the beginning:


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## derwos (Nov 10, 2019)

It seems, Lincoln is going through a not uncommon "fear stage" at his age. As @texasred has expressed, continue to expose him to things he fears... from a less fearful distance... and slowly over time work towards closer and closer proximities. Perhaps, as he becomes less sensitive to the object at a distance, find someone who is carrying one and not riding it and have a conversation. Also like the idea of purchasing a really cheap one and sticking it in a corner.

At about the same age, Aly freaked out over a tree stump and a barrel she'd walked by many dozens of times previously.

Here's a link to a search on this site for 'fear stage'. There's lots of references. Hopefully there's enough info to give you some peace of mind that this is quite normal.


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