# Nervous about strangers... and the slightest sounds!



## Sage813 (Oct 25, 2012)

My 13 month old Vizsla, Sage, has recently gotten very jumpy when encountering people she may or may not know. When we go for a hike, she will be very entranced by sniffing as she walks and will be startled by anyone else on the trail. This leads to a barking episode which is disturbing to the other hiker who has caused this fright. She also gets rather jumpy at home when there is any sound outside. Should I look into something like the Thunder Vest to help calm her down? Any other suggestions? We were thinking that it may be good to take her to a dog park to get her more accustomed to being around strange dogs and people so that walking on trails isn't so much of a surprise anymore.

Let me know what you think! Thanks.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

certainly more socialisation wouldn't go amiss, not to sure about a dog park though.


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## cdnvizsla (Sep 17, 2012)

Start with a pocket full of treats and walk her though the busiest part of your town, let her meet literally hundreds of strangers and get petted and socialized ensuring she sits quietly before any interaction.
Get a drink or some food and sit on a bench and make her sit there quietly as the world goes by her, soon she will either simply ignore strangers or welcome them while sitting quietly.


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## Watson (Sep 17, 2012)

Has Sage always been jumpy or nervous around new people/situations, or is this something recent?
Has she been socialized well?

She may be going through a fear period where things that she was once fine with are now startling her. You have to remain calm so that she knows there's no need to be afraid. This stage is temporary so long as she was properly socialized and you can ride this stage out without adding to her anxiety - ie you're calm and in control. 

http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/DevelopmentalStages.html

As harrigab said, I wouldn't socialize her at a dog park at this point. A park bench is a good idea, but start off slow. Pick an area that is not so busy that she'll become overwhelmed - you want to set her up to succeed! Ignore her fears and praise her confidence. 

As for reacting to noises outside, she's doing her job. You can teach her that she doesn't need to go on barking once you're notified. We casually say "thanks Wats" or "good boy" when ours alerts us to outside noises he's not familiar with. Show her that you're in control of the situation but acknowledge that she's done her job.


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## Sage813 (Oct 25, 2012)

Thanks for the suggestions!


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