What do you do when...

[Zumie05]

..your dog is scared of something that he doesn't need to be scared of?

I laugh it off and tell my dog how silly she is being

In a real dangerous situation I would protect her, but when something silly happens I laugh at her and help her conquer her fear! Here is an example from and incident last night, and it still cracks me up I grabbed my camera since I thought she was being so silly!

We were playing fetch and as I threw her toy by a shelf and she went to grab it, a picture frame fell over and knocked her on the head which scared her! She would not go near it for a few minutes until I went over with her to show her it was all ok. Then even a few minutes after, she would stay as far away from that area as possible. Eventually she forgot the entire incident.

Silly girl





(link in case it doesn't work)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U2DE0MYXOc

[Jasper and Holly]

I would do like you and let her know it's okay. Jasper hates the vacuum cleaner, but Holly follows me when I am doing it. Same with the lawn mower. I always stop doing it and sit down with it still running and call him to say it's okay. He comes to me and sits right beside me looking all sooky. Holly jumps at at anything when we are out walking. All of a sudden she jumps in the air. It could be a twig, leaf or whatever. She is so funny.

[matedaalma]

I do the same thing. The other day, I was trying to pick Helio up off the stairs and he slipped down a few of them while I was holding onto him, and he wouldn't even get near the stairs again later in fear of falling again. I put his leash on him and helped gently lead him up to show him that it was okay, that he didn't have to be scared of them anymore. An hour later, he was running up there causing trouble on his own! I think they just need to be shown by us that there's nothing to be scared of, and then they'll be good!

[Kate H]

I think the important thing is to be cheerful and encouraging - NOT soothing, which only tells the dog that you are worried too and there is something to be worried about. So it sounds as if everyone's doing the right thing!

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[Desrae]

Our Bobby is like that, he's so skittish, and has been ever since he was pup. On the other hand, Belle is unphased by anything, except when she thinks she's going in the car and begins to 'sing'. I do the same, act non-chalant and tell Bobby 'It's ok' if he seems afraid. I walked over him today and he jumped a hundred meters in the air, I jumped too! He's a bit freaky, but he makes me laugh, poor little guy!

[islewriter]

Living in the countryside, one often hears the sound of gun shots, and this distressed Kirra, so much so that she would want to race back home.

Now she has become more accepting of it, albeit, still a little disturbed, but she is becoming more her confident self again and able to investigate new sights and smells

She still cannot understand why a pheasant will fly off, when she approaches