# Fear of traffic



## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Boris is now 18 weeks old and has a fear of traffic. I have made minor progress by sitting on a bench (about 15ft from the road) at the end of our quiet road and ignoring him and then when he begins to relax I drop a few treats on the floor. We progressed to standing on the side walk/pavement and then to walking along a quiet road on the side walk. He is very nervous every time a car comes by, and when we turn for home he pulls( heel work goes right out the window) like he is pulling a sleigh!!!

I have incorporated training into my traffic sessions - heel work, sit, etc to provide a distraction, but not sure it really helps. When a truck comes a long I make him sit by my side and he doesn't move away now but you can see the fear.

Has anybody got any suggestions. I though perhaps taking the older dog in front might give him confidence but my trainer says he should learn on his own???? Help please


----------



## datacan (May 15, 2011)

We have not experienced this behavior so I'm not sure how exactly to best reply. Your post will slip off the recent column 10 soon. 

From what I read on previous posts, forcing the dog to face the situation directly might not be best approach.

Googled results: 
http://www.ehow.com/how_4676500_use-systematic-desensitization-dog.html


----------



## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Brook was OK with road noises at first, the bus stop was a problem, the noises must sound really different to dogs, if people were waiting for a bus he was worse than if it was empty. The particular bus stop he didn't like was down or up a hill which ever direction you were going, and in between two railway bridges.

I would have thought that by time he was one he was OK with it, I just always had plenty of treats and tried to hold his attention until we passed. With time and effort you can work through it.

He became more frightened of traffic, when a dog chased him out of the park and he ran in to traffic and cars at 6 months.

Cars coming close, utility vans parked on the pavement all totally freaked him out, treat, treat treat re assurance and get them focused on you seems to work.

The worst fear he had was of the animal statues in our City, the parking Gestapo would not allow me to park in a loading bay to deliver flowers to a business from a car! So I joined two jobs together and walked the dog through the City park to delivery the flowers.

It must have taken 6 weeks to get him to stop freezing to the floor and almost jumping in to the road away from the animal statues.

You almost need to take the dog backwards, to the point where they froze and repeat the walk by, treating all the time.

MRS HOBBSY


----------



## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

If you see or hear the car coming, you might try putting her at your side and cheering softly. 'Oooo car! A car is coming! Yea car!' That kind of thing. 

Since Savannah comes to work with me, we had lots of familiarization work with vehicles. I made sure to cheer each kind of vehicle differently since they all sound different. 'Yea, Truck!' 'Oooo, a train!' 'Look at the forklift!' That worked well until it came to garbage trucks. Garbage trucks took months of cheering and she will still look at them a bit suspiciously if one is idling and suddenly starts moving.

A note of caution…before you cheer vehicles, decide how you are going to keep your V out of the street. Since Savannah is not afraid of cars, I taught her (and routinely reinforce) street curbs as a required stopping point. Since she is on leash most of the time around pavement, that works for us. But early in the training I had my heart in my throat a couple of times when she ignored her boundary training and ran into the – thankfully – deserted street.


----------



## Darcy (Jan 30, 2012)

Hobbsy..is that Cardiff?


----------



## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

my two boys go to school on the bus, Ruby always lets me know when the bus is about to return them home, she goes in alert mode then does the Viz wiggle, goes to the front gate with her paws on top of it, still doing the wiggle


----------



## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Thank you all for your replies. It is interesting that you all basically suggest reassuring him and treating him. I did this the first two times I took him down near the traffic, but when I told my trainer she said no treats - ignore him until he was ignoring the traffic, as otherwise I was praising bad behaviour.

Interestingly enough I met a lady who used to train guide dogs for the blind and she was telling me that they used to stand and hold them, reassuring them - so I really have to question the praising bad behaviour - at what point does fear become bad behaviour???

Love the pictures of the animals in the town - but wouldn't like to run into them on a dark night


----------



## Racer (Apr 23, 2012)

Well I live in a city, so I suppose it made it a bit easier. And not even sure if my method has any merit.

When Racer was little. I used to carry him and walk outside. I would usually stand at a busy intersection, just letting him get used to the noise. He really didn't have a choice since he was being held. 

Once the vet said it was okay for him to be on concrete, I would make him stand or sit at the corner of the intersection during the morning traffic. I hand fed him part of his breakfast there. He was freaked at first by the trucks, but eventually he got used to it. I usually tried to give him a little food before it looked like something would freak him out. 

I would also actively find garbage trucks and follow them and make him watch the loading and unloading of the bins, since it is quite noisy. Construction sites too are good, since they make random loud noises. Just made him sit and would give him food.

He is actually not scared by very much. Which make it when sort of funny when he does get scared, because it is usually something totally benign.


----------



## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Darcy said:


> Hobbsy..is that Cardiff?


it's just some of the locals.... ;D


----------



## veifera (Apr 25, 2012)

I'm still in the process of training to be OK around traffic, so it's not yet "proofed". Did something very similar to what Racer recommends. 

I set up our morning walk in such a way that it involves a stretch of a busy street as well as quiet areas. Until we reach that stretch, I pay attention to good leash walking with periodic sniffing moments. Once we get into that street, I let my puppy sniff to her hearts content while the traffic goes by and treat her for staying next to me and moving along. That way her mind is occupied and cars and trucks become background noise. I think it's basically redirecting and distracting. 

Also, I tried to get her exposed to noises indoors before exposing her to cars. Like the giant and loud vacuum cleaner. Her very first exposure to cars was from my front lawn and at a safe distance, but I also redirected. When she perked up at the sight of the first car I talked to her in a cheerful and exciting tone to make her look at me. 

So far, so good, she's now ignoring traffic 80% of the time. Keeping my fingers crossed it works.


----------



## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Darcy, that is Cardiff.

MRS Hoobsy


----------



## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Well this morning I set off bright and early to catch the busy traffic (parents driving their children to school) with extra special treats - beef jerky and frankfurter.

If I was walking and a car came by and I wasn't quick enough to get my treat out he was terrified, but when I make him sit beside me and held a piece of meat between my fingers for him to nibble on he almost didn't notice the stream of traffic going by. I think I will persevere with the treating as I really don't look on fear as bad behaviour - he can't help himself any more than you or I could in a similar situation. ???


----------



## veifera (Apr 25, 2012)

Thinking out loud: is there any place you could take him to play safely in full view of traffic? Probably will take a bit to calm down but on the other hand it will give him good exposure and good vibe?


----------



## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

hotmischief said:


> when I make him sit beside me and held a piece of meat between my fingers for him to nibble on he almost didn't notice the stream of traffic going by. I think I will persevere with the treating.


I think you're doing the right thing now. With food you can redirect his attention to you. I live on a busy road and we have to cross it to get to the park. I make Elza sit at the curb and just wait there, sometimes longer so she can get used to the noise and shapes of all cars. I don't make her rush, I just stand there calmly and look at the cars and let the leash loose. Safely obviously but not tense so there is no bad energy goes through the lead. 
I don't really understand why can't you take your other dog too. A calm dog would help Boris to see that's ok to be around these things and nothing will happen. I think you could take them out together. Of course I'm no trainer but a calm "pack" could only help an anxious dog. 
Hope Boris will improve soon, good luck! :


----------



## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

veifera said:


> Thinking out loud: is there any place you could take him to play safely in full view of traffic? Probably will take a bit to calm down but on the other hand it will give him good exposure and good vibe?


Unfortunately I can't think of anywhere he could play near traffic. I took both boys to the forrest last week and the car park backs onto a busy road. At 5:00 in the afternoon when we got back to the Jeep the road was very busy. He couldn't see the traffic at the back of the Jeep, just hear it and he was frantic, even with Fergus standing calmly beside him. He kept trying to jump into the jeep - it was awful to see how frightened he was. I think that day I realised that I had to try a different approach.

Adrino, I will try taking Fergus with me next time - it can't do any harm, and you never know it might do some good. ??? ???


----------

