Message Forums

Well we really don't know where to turn as our 4 year old Jack Russell has decided that the outdoors is not for her.

She has become so frightened of just about every noise: Wind, rain, buses, guns, car doors etc etc.... that she now very rarely leaves the house. If she does it is generally just to do her business, then straight back in.

We have tried all of the over counter remedies for fearful dogs as well as the desensitising CDs and Thundershirt, none seem to work. It is awful to see her in this state and we would really like to know if any of you have had similar experiences with any of your dogs.

If any of you have had managed to cure your dogs please tell us how you did it as we have got to the stage now that we have decided to dell the Motorhome as we could not kennel her as we think that would make her worse.

Thanks

Hi,

Before I looked any further I'd be asking myself a couple of questions;

Did something happen to make her change over night to being scared of everything or has she always been nervy and it's just got worse?

Have you had her checked over by a vet? Could be underlying pain/deafness/blindness caused by any number of things and to varying degree which could cause issues making her scared.

I'm sorry to hear that she, and therefore you, are suffering :(

TCx

Hi Whippetlover, she has always been a bit nervy, but it just seems to have become gradually worse. We have asked the advice of the vet but they do not seem to be able to suggest anything else to try. We are considering a home visit for her annual health check this year as we would not get her in the car now, I ommited to mention that she gets aggressive with her fear so it is not fair now to try and force her to do anything.

I may need to seek advice from another vet as ours seems reluctant to actually examine her.

I would definitely get her checked all over properly by a vet prepared to put in the effort to rule out any underlying medical condition.

Then, if she's given the all clear I think you need to possibly go down the route of dog behaviourist as it does sound like she is quite an extreme case and it will be hard to improve things without an independant assessment.

The DAP diffusers and the like really can help with a lot of dogs, as can things like rescue remedy and skullcap and vallerian but they are not guaranteed results, certainly not a quick fix and in essence just calm the problem down without fixing it. A really good, qualified behaviourist will help you get to the root cause of the problem as well as offering solutions to help you change her behaviour and no doubt yours because often reactions are increased by dogs when they pick up on owners nerves/stress levels etc.

If you do look into that route then ask for references and also names and numbers of clients that you can speak to personally to get a real feel for how good they were. If they are good they will have no issue with you checking things out before parting with your hard earned cash.

It's very sad and often the cause for rehoming when a dog is in a way you describe because it's too hard for people to cope with and when a dog starts to affect your own way of life people often find it easier to give up on them and pass the problem on.

Are her main reactions when she is on a lead?

Another option is to contact the breeder for advice although I don't know if you got her from the breeder originally anyway so could be irrelevant. Often they can shed light on temperament traits and help in that way, but also they have a responsibility to the welfare of the dog that they have brought into the world and so will often help in other ways.

Hopefully someone will come along with more suggestions to help you decide a way forward.

TCx

We have the same problem with our Jack Russel to a lesser degree,if anything startles her she just turns around and drags us back home to the van or car. If you try to get her out of the car she can also get agressive.

Probably not what you want to hear but we tried everything including a behaviourist to no avail we just keep trying,sometimes she's OK but most of the time the slightest thing terrifies her and she shakes uncontrollably.

Saxo1

One thing we cannot do is give up on her, hence the decision to sell the motorhome, in our eyes it is a no brainer.

With hindsight when we bought her, she was about twice the size of the other pups, we were told she was a good eater. Talk about rose tinted glasses, she was supposed to be a short legged Jack, how gullible can we get?

That said we love her to bits and would not want to part with her as she can be the most loving dog in the world in the morning, but as the day goes on she becomes more and more fearful.

Funny thing is that when she is out in the garden she loves to sit in the motorhome, it's like a shelter for her, but as soon as it starts to move along the drive, same as the car she has had enough and has to get out and retreat to the safety of the house.

Hi TP she is very wary of other dogs, although she hardly meets any now since she rarely gets out of the garden. We decided to get another dog when she was about a year old, another JR from a rescue centre and only about 12 weeks old. We thought it would be company for her when we were both in work. Her problems may have probably become worse since getting the second bitch, who has the most wonderful temperament, but is very reactive.

If the problem dog gets frightened she will retreat to the safety of her cage, or in fact she will come to me and try to bury her head under my armpit whilst shaking with fear. The natural reaction for a human is then to try to stroke her to reassure her, but as she feels your hand on her coat she turns and tries to snap at you. Hence we have to be very careful around her when she is in this fearful state, whilst staying calm so she doesn't pick up on our anxieties.

Quote: Originally posted by nig.xl on 22/3/2013

---

Funny thing is that when she is out in the garden she loves to sit in the motorhome, it's like a shelter for her, but as soon as it starts to move along the drive, same as the car she has had enough and has to get out and retreat to the safety of the house.

---

I'm at a loss to make any suggestions regarding your dog's general nervousness but I'm wondering if she suffers from motion sickness when on the move - that would explain why she she likes to sit in the motorhome while it's on the drive but hates that and the car when travelling anywhere. She may not necessarily vomit but it could make her so queasy that she wants to get out.

I think a definite check up by a good vet is needed here to rule out any medical reasons for that and any other problems she has - good luck, and well done you for not giving up on her.

Quote: Originally posted by TravellinPam on 26/3/2013

---

aw the poor wee lamb.  maybe an older male dog, and possibly not a jr?  They have a tendancy to go off like fireworks feeding their hysteria off each other.  It sounds like you love her very much and I hope you find a solution.  I will ask a dog behaviorist friend of mine and come back if she has anythign to add other than what people have already said

---

Quote: Originally posted by Tigermouse on 26/3/2013

---

---

I'm at a loss to make any suggestions regarding your dog's general nervousness but I'm wondering if she suffers from motion sickness when on the move - that would explain why she she likes to sit in the motorhome while it's on the drive but hates that and the car when travelling anywhere. She may not necessarily vomit but it could make her so queasy that she wants to get out.

I think a definite check up by a good vet is needed here to rule out any medical reasons for that and any other problems she has - good luck, and well done you for not giving up on her.

Thanks for the motion sickness suggestion, we had also considered that.

 I am unable to handle her presently as I have just had an op so lifting her in and out of the car in a distressed state would be nigh on impossible, but as soon as I am able we will be visiting some other vets.

Hopefully we will get there, really appreciate everyones input

---