# Sensitive dog



## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

Cedar is almost two years old and I've just been realising that he's very switched on and sensitive. I mean, I always knew that but I didn't really think about what it means. Yes he's reactive to dogs, but it's not ALL dogs. Initially I thought it was just big dogs, then I realised it's always dogs that display worried signals. So the dogs that display worried signals gets him stressed and barky. I can't help but feel like he's right to be stressed? Dogs like that have managed to run and lunge towards him and even start a fight. It makes sense that he 'tells' them to stay away first. But of course his level of reaction is waay bigger than what it should warrant, so I'm working on that. 

I once brought him to a crowded event, many dogs around, everyone walking at a snail's pace, in close quarters, and he was all great. But most morning walks I have to carry treats and distract him and take him further from some dogs, and sometimes cross the road. And so I was thinking how does that make sense at all? Because owners who bring their dogs to crowded events know that they can rely on their dog to be calm and ignore other dogs and people. Cedar is then fine with those calm dogs. 

Inside the house, Cedar barks once in a while, but when he barks it's also always because its an unusual sound *at that specific time of day*. So people talking outside the house is fine, people yelling is fine, people making some different noise... uh uh not fine. People talking outside the house in the middle of the night is not fine too! 

I also just found out... bicycles are fine, skateboards are fine, scooters are not fine. Most people are fine, and there is always the odd one who scares him. It's like there is always going to be a million things that Cedar is not fine with, I get him used to one thing and then there's always another thing. It's not like I didn't make an effort to socialise him before he is 3 months old either.

Perhaps he is always going to be very sensitive to his environment and I should focus on asking him to react in a smaller way rather than asking him to be fine with everything. Also working on better engagement with me too, among a million other things! On the bright side, teaching him tricks and games and complicated commands is always pretty easy, if he wasn't in the right position, as long as I fixed my signal he would immediately be in the right spot. 

Can anyone else relate?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

If you can identify what he may react to you could work on getting his focus on your before he reacts. 

Or if it's something you can recreate, have practice sessions with that noise or item with him at a distance or the noise at a low enough level he can desensitize to it.

Since it's impossible to desensitize to everything in the environment he may react to, the key to working on this is to teach him to focus on you, and respond to you when you ask in general so that you can ask for that focus whenever there's something happening that he starts to react to.


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## jinni1980 (Jul 22, 2016)

Mine is one of the kind of guys who some people says odd. 

He is just generally nervous or easily anxious with things that have changed or different. 

He is not reactive to other dogs but I know he gets bit nervous when he sees other dogs as he slows down or sniffing ground (it is one of sign the dog trys to occupied themself from stress factors). He loves playing with his doggy mates but he would run away if other unknown dog runs at him (no matter how small or how friendly the dog is)
He would quickly sniff other dogs butt when they are not really paying attention to him or when they turn around. 
He knows which house dogs barking crazy behind of fence so he walks very far from fence when we walk pass that house. If I try to walk close to fence, he would become a frozen doggy.
People cam ride their bike, roller skate, scooter, skateboard next to him without worrying him. But then something is not fine with him such as bike is fine for him if someone ride it or park as stand up position. But if the bike laying down on ground, No no for him. 
Big wheelie bin is fine but if it changed position as tipped over on the ground, No no for him. 
If someone's house put sale sign on their front yard, he would slow down, barking then tail tucked run just because it wasn't there before.

It is not something new that he is scared or worried about, it is something changed make him unsure & nervous. 
He is like OCD or autism as a human.

Most of things that related with his stress or anxiety are visual things. For noise, he will go out backyard staring sky when thunder or fireworks. He would sleep like baby during that noise. (Just life his head look around then sleeps)

He did his puppy class, well socialised & still does his obedience classes as well as tracking training. He loves swim, bush walk and we always out adventures. 

He may not be a perfect to others. He may not be the most confident golden retriever in the world. 
But for our family, he is just perfect who he is. 
We never forced him to do anything he is not ready to face.. we walk in his term, we see the world through his eyes & understand him. 
He is 2 years old + 12 days today. It has not been easy journey but it has been very interesting & very meaningful adventures with him. We cried together, we assured him we have his back, we celebrated every single small steps. He knows we listen him & he gives his trust. Now when something worrys him, he would look at us instead of pulling leash or trying to running away. We learnt how to listen him & he learnt how to communicate better to us. 

He is a senstive one like yours. World can be scary for him but I know mine alway wake up happy & ready for new adventure with us because he knows we have his back & he knows he can count on us if he has a hard time. 

There is a member who I respect so much & once she said to me,
"The dog doesn't give us hard time. He is having a hard time.." 
I am glad I am part of his journey and I am glad he can rest his head on my shoulder when he has a hard time.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

Thank you, to you both, to all, who understand that their best friend may be different but they are not flawed. They are so honest, they speak the truth, their truth, for them, in that moment, at that time. 

My Charlie was afraid of a number of things, loud vehicles, large vehicles, people walking behind down the sidewalk, I learned early on to watch his face, his face was so expressive, look into his eyes, and to 'see' what he was seeing. My Miss Kaya too, things that are new, things that mysteriously move, something that is out of place, unexpected noises are cause for concern and sometimes panic. We owe it to them to respect, understand and accept their truth, that they sometimes do not see the world as we do, or we wish them to, but we can 'be there' for them, 'believe' in them, keep them safe and help them to feel safe when they do not. They are deserving of our kindness, compassion, empathy, in return for the love and trust they give to us - unconditionally. 

Love them for who they are, help them be all they can be.


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## Gleepers (Apr 20, 2016)

A little bit here too. 
Penny turned 2 last week. From when we brought her home she has had a bit of social anxiety around other dogs. We tried to socialize her when she was little and it went well. Brought her little buddy Ted Home who turned out to be highly dog reactive on leash and it didn’t help her any. 
Overall she is fantastic around dogs who are under control. No issues at all. Dogs not under good control she kinda wigs out. 
And she takes serious offense to any who dare sniff her butt. 

Always a fun time.


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## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

Glad to know I'm not alone in this and to hear different stories. 

We've been living in a new place for 5 weeks now, new parks new neighbourhood, new dogs, new everything. It's been a tough 5 weeks, and probably still is. I'm not too sure what else will set him off, so we are on a strict routine and route, which I think will help. Well we just got over my neighbour's door too - he discovered that it's slightly transparent and it looks like dark shadows when someone is behind the door and it especially looks ominous in the early mornings. So I had him meet my neighbours and he was happy and good, and then he barked the next morning, and the one after and after. But we're over it now I think :smile2: Just waiting to run into the next thing that scares him.

Big wheelie bins are fine as long as they're stationary, and this morning someone lit a cigarette in dim light and he was very upset because it looked like a scary face (think how you would shine a torchlight under your chin in the dark like kids). I think he's also more visual than sound sensitive as well.


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