# Pure, uncontrollable fear



## bru (Aug 22, 2012)

We got Bru at eight weeks and drove from southern Ohio to Philadelphia with her. She was whiney and hyperventilated a bit at first, but i held her close and comforted her. She behaved really well in the car– not a single accident, and even at 8 weeks she would let us know when she had to go. Certain loud noises along the way would frighten her, but once they occurred more than once, she ignored it. Our first night with her she whined up a storm, but it was mostly because she had to go out virtually every hour on the hour. Everything else I chalked up to separation anxiety from her pack of pups/ her mom.

She is now four months and a little over a week old. outside of typical vizsla nipping and pulling, both of which we are addressing and slowly making progress on, we have had virtually no problems with her.

Two weeks ago, while walking on the beach with her, we saw two dogs that we've crossed paths with in the past. we talked with the owner and she gave Bru a treat, which didn't sit well with the other two dogs. The larger of the two snatched the treat out of her mouth and the tiny griffon terrier bit Bru's top and bottom eyelid and gave her another bite along her spine. She squealed in a way that I had never heard before, and after we exchanged information with the owner, we quickly left. She was lethargic at first but once we got to the vet it seemed as if nothing had happened– she was excited by every dog there, ranging from a teacup yorkie to a giant cane corso. 

To make a long story short, I thought we were in the clear. We didn't coddle her too much after it happened despite how much we wanted to, and we continued to socialize her with other dogs. In the past two weeks, we have been in the process of moving and everything has been stressful, so I also considered her feeding off of our energy, but we have been settled in to our new place for over a week and she is still having a lot of trouble adjusting...

She fears the radiator. She fears the kitchen and doesn't want to eat her food. She fears the garage door down the block. She fears the recycling bins. she fears the cart the recycling gets dragged out with. and what worried me most was that for the first time, she ran in fear when she heard another dog bark... this has never happened before, and I always thought she was a little too naive when it came to other dogs, but now I just don't know what to do. 

Last night, she wriggled out of her collar which I had already tightened once I picked up on her accumulating fears... just because she saw a chinese food delivery man on an idling scooter. I lunged at her and grabbed her and all is well but all of the things that she is so incredibly afraid of are things she has been exposed to time and again. We even moved to a quieter place, so it's even more bizarre that this is happening.

On top of all this, she responds to her fears inside the apartment with a bark, and all of the ones outside by shaking uncontrollably and walking low to the ground with her tail between her legs.

I searched through the forums and found a lot of fear agression posts, but this is quite different... i have never heard her growl or snarl or seen her try to bite anyone to protect us or herself. the most we get out of her is a demanding bark towards a bag of treats. 

Sorry for the mouthful, I just needed some advice. I thought we had a brave pup and I now I feel like I'm never going to forgive myself for letting that woman give her a treat.


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## Bellababy (Mar 31, 2010)

This is similar to what happened to me with Bella who is now 3. Last year she was attacked by a Jack Russell, it nipped her ankles, and she hid behind me, but she was properly terrified, no one had ever attacked her before. 
I would have said up until this incident she was a well adjusted fairly confident girl, happy and not easily spooked at all. After this incident she is much more easily spooked, but not quite as bad as the symtpoms you are describing.
Bella is now frightened of all little dogs, she just feezes, tail between the legs, ears back. She also barks at people on walks, not everyone, just people who startle her or they have little dogs with them etc. Its most embarassing at times because she sounds so ferocious and I have to explain to people that she is simply barking out of fear.
I honestly haven't found a solution to this, I just make sure if we do meet people with little dogs, or we do come across something that has scared her, I try and make her meet the dog in question, or get the owner to talk to her and greet her. 
Its harder for you because your pup is still very young and she sounds like she is frightened of lots of things. I do think these dogs are easily spooked, but hopefully because yours is so young, she may just get over it....hope so.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Bru seems a little young to have entered into her second fear stage, but here is an article about the fear stages in puppies:

http://www.recycler.com/blog/pets/the-second-fear-stage.php

The dog I had just before Willie, a female Vizsla mix, was stung by bees on two different occasions during her second fear stage. I am sorry to say that she never overcame her fear of bees ( and all flying insects, really) for the rest of her life. "The Dog Whisperer" once did an entire episode about a fearful Vizsla Maybe you could hunt that up and have a look. There are specific exercises you can do to make it better, but I can't remember them enough to recount them here. Good luck!!


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## bru (Aug 22, 2012)

I've watched that episode... as part of my preliminary V research. That particular dog was also aggressive and wouldn't let new people into the house. Bru is a reverse guard dog. She's a kiss everyone dog. 

Thanks for the link though I will definitely look into it


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

When i rescued Kauzy @6 monthes old, we had him in our apartment for almost a month and then moved to a house. It took him close to 2 monthes to adjust to the move (almost 4 monthes to adjust to having us be his new humans) he showed signs of fear similar to what you've stated. It sounds like your pup is just going to take some time to adjust to everything new. I'd try walking him around in the day time and positively reinforce feats of strength and courage with treats or affection. When he gets scared of the recycling bin, introduce it in a way that he knows your alright with it. Once he approaches it, reward him


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## bru (Aug 22, 2012)

The way I attempt to get her to accept things is by approaching them calmly and confidently, and touching them if they're safe, normal objects. I obviously don't reach down and pet the mufflers of the cars she fears, but I definitely attempt to expose her to them and show her that nothing is going to actually happen. It was what I attempted yesterday when she broke loose so I'm starting to reconsider. 

I've started praising her profusely for things that I had sort of accepted as the norm for her– she sits, gives paw, does down and off and drop it with ease, so now it's a question of me praising her in moments of acceptance of her fears. 

I just took her for a walk and made her sit next to an old diesel van that was parking and making a whole lot of noise. she resisted but ultimately submitted and i rewarded her. then i came upstairs and read this :]

Once Kauzy adjusted to his new surroundings did he form any new fears? I'm thinking it was just a perfect storm for her– I also realized while on this last walk that she was very frightened during hurricane sandy, especially towards the middle of the night when we walked her last. In the beginning of the day she almost took it as an invitation to play, but when she saw things flying off of roofs I think that all changed.


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

Kauzy doesn't seem to fear anything anymore, except very large aggressive dogs. One thing that i think helped him with his confidence is the intensity in which I play with him. I strap on my welding or ice climbing gloves and go no holds barred for 9 rounds with him daily. I occasionally get cut, scratched, bit and receive the occasional black eye, but letting him release and play rough has been great for him


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

Bru,
You may have gotten a fearful Vizsla. My Chloe at 5 years old has always been that way. Just something we had to work with. I would suggest a harness type collar instead of a neck collar. In a panic once she knows she can wiggle out of the collar she will attempt it again. You don't want that.

Your walking is great. If you could "borrow" a confidant dog to walk with the two of you it helps. Dogs feed off each others energy. Chloe looks to Bailey as her knight in shining armor. At heel, Bailey is always to the outside. We have walked well over a thousand miles on lead over the last five years. Every week we walk downtown at least twice with all the noise and commotion. 
http://redbirddog.blogspot.com/2010/05/busy-city-street-walks.html

This helps. Also the Thundershirt could be used. Stay out of dog parks and for now just avoid other dogs. The worse fear for a dog is being on leash and being attacked. He/she can not escape. On our hill walks Chloe doesn't run up to other dogs to say hi. She just ignores them and enjoys running with her "brother".

Hope something here helped.

RBD


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## bru (Aug 22, 2012)

We got a gentle leader harness for her for longer walks but I think it will become her every day leash at this point.

Bru definitely has an insanely submissive personality, that much we've confirmed, but the fear seems so inconsistent (and also recent) that it's hard for me to consider it as something that she has ingrained in her. Everything I've mentioned has been in the past week, but I know that I will do whatever I have to in order to make her life a comfortable one.


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## zigzag (Oct 4, 2011)

A recurring theme is very young dog. Vizsla, with owners complaining of dog whining separation anxiety. Fear of noises and strangers. My 2 cents on this. Vizsla needs to build independence, most other hunting dogs this is not such a problem. I hear storys of reeling them in or the dog is hunting for itself. Vizsla dont do that, its up to you to teach them independece. A hard thing to do when a dog is naturally clingy and wants to please you. Get that dog out in a field with Pigeons in launchers, let that dogs natural abilty and drive kick in. Soon you will have a confident dog that knows what it was bred to do.


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## bru (Aug 22, 2012)

I think you make several good points but she is not at all fearful of humans or other dogs. she has only reacted to one dog in the two+ months we had her and that was two days ago, in the midst of this fear-craze.


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## Kay92 (Oct 19, 2012)

Bru

A similar thing happened with our Riley when he was 4 months at the dog park. A French Bulldog bit him twice and he wouldn't play with any dogs that day. From that point on when we would take him he would always be really excited to be there....until we got in with the other dogs then he would try to hide around us. We did not coddle him at all, we just said "time to go play" and would ignore him. Now at a year and nine months he is just fine. Try your best to help her through it without scaring her further. Ever since Riley's surgery's he's been afraid of everything, including scissors, we just go about our business and do what we have to do.

With the whole fear of kitchen not wanting to eat thing, try feeding her at the threshold of the kitchen and a adjoining room. Then gradually if she is up to it keep moving it further into the kitchen. I also agree with *redbirddog* about the Thundershirt. And the Gentle Leader is what we use, that will absolutely help you with her confidence....or at least it helped us with Riley and Chuck's.

Good luck, I hope you find some of this helpful. Keep us posted.


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