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Author Topic: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!  (Read 13232 times)

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #15 on: October 08, 2011, 08:46:14 am »
Our collie is terrified of the breadmaker  ???

Living beside the Army training camp is great for desensitisation to loud noises - Nov 5th will be a breeze for us (I hope)  :)

Tiva Diva

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Scottish Borders
    • Thornielee Cottage
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #16 on: October 08, 2011, 10:49:55 am »
Our gundogs don't mind gunfire (obviously - in fact they get quite excited!) but they don't like fireworks - especially the ones that screech/whistle! DAP really helped. So did distraction e.g. a kong stuffed with treats. Oddbod is quite right though: some dogs are just more jumpy than others. You'd swear that one of my labs had been abused in the past, but I know he hasn't - he's just a nervous dog!

feldar

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • lymington hampshire
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #17 on: October 08, 2011, 12:03:25 pm »
I have a very gun shy collie, not good as we have a shoot on the estate next to us. I must admit she is getting better mainly because i completely ignore all her bad behaviour when they are shooting and accept i will get not a lot of positive work done with her while they are shooting. but i don''t take her home, just put her on the lead and pat her occasionally and praise her when she sits still.
November 5th she paces and pants and again we ignore her and she has her "safe" place under the cupboard in the outhouse,our other dog is so laid back he completely ignores all loud bangs.
The trouble is fireworks go off weeks in advance here so our bitch is a bit off her food during this time so i have to adjust the time i feed her to get some food into her   a bit of a management nightmare but we get by.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #18 on: October 08, 2011, 12:36:57 pm »
A friend of mine calls her local farmer's bird-scarers "Collie-scarers".  It makes taking her collie out a nightmare.
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Hopewell

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #19 on: October 08, 2011, 12:49:22 pm »
One other thought that would be worth trying with the other things suggested is Adaptil - used to be called DAP. This is the synthetic version of the pheremone a bitch produces to reassure her puppies. The plug in versions work well with most dogs that are frightened of fireworks, but for a dog that is frightened outside it comes in a collar - just needs to be fitted close to the skin.

fifixx

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Shillingstone, Dorset
    • Bere Marsh Farm
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #20 on: October 08, 2011, 03:34:47 pm »
I found these bodywraps brilliant in helping my terrier stop being afraid of bangs and also for my pointer who is just a silly wuzz!   http://www.mekuti.co.uk/bodywraps.htm

Also we had a trainer who practised TTouch and I always use it on the dogs if ever they are fearful or anxious, it calms them right down.  http://www.ttouchtteam.co.uk to find a practitioner local to you or check YouTube - there are lots of TTouch videos on how to do it.

Hope this helps

Mel

  • Guest
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #21 on: October 09, 2011, 08:48:46 am »
Hi, :wave: So many replies,Thank you!

Bunny is pretty much ok when she is just alone with me,she tends to be by my side nearly all the time-she sleeps with me too! I have a picture below,this is bunny hiding from the Thunder! She does seem really uneasy when the gamekeeper comes around-and he is the one whom gave her to me,she is not overly keen on his wife either.I find that odd,especially as they always used to keep her in a kennel with small run.

I can always remember the first time i saw her,they said she was worried about everything and everyone yet she ran to the side of the cage wagging her tail and pining! They said she had never done this before and is why they decided to give her to me.I think she worries that when they come over,she believes she is going back! or something like that.

She is a lot better than what she was when she first came,for the first month or so,she stayed upstairs on the bed-only coming down for dinner and walkies.

She also likes to have constant attention-which I cannot give 24/7-that's cuddles and hugs.She cannot bear to be without me and sometimes,she is under my feet so much,I trip up.However,she will not come into the kitchen,she has to go through the kitchen to get to the back door and she races through like a bull in a china shop,when she is outside,she stops and wags her tail with a smile!

Anyway,I am overwhelmed with everyone's help and advice,I have been taking steps as mentioned though have not tried any medication other than calms which I have used on occasions since she arrived.i shall keep you all posted as to her progress :)  xxxThank you xxx

feldar

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • lymington hampshire
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #22 on: October 09, 2011, 12:13:38 pm »
Aww she's just so adorable, good luck with her, you can't refuse a face like that

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #23 on: October 11, 2011, 03:47:07 am »
Our Jack Russell used to take himself to his crate if he felt unsure of anything it was his comfort zone. Now he uses his bed in our bedroom if he feels the need to get away from the cats, children or my music which is far too loud. I think it is good for a dog to have their safe place for whatever reason. Sounds to me that the people you got your dog from are not that nice.

Tilly

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • "Possibilities and miracles mean the same thing"
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #24 on: October 11, 2011, 10:55:29 am »
.... What lovely photo`s --Please  give her a little cuddle from me  :love:
Tilly  :wave:

bigchicken

  • Joined Nov 2008
  • Fife Scotland
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #25 on: October 11, 2011, 10:09:19 pm »
Ive had a lab or two in my time and no two were the same. Everyone seems to be consentrating on her negative behavior, What are the things she likes to do, find out and do a lot of them with her. She will probably never be what people think is normal and that is something you will have to live with give her lots of what she likes and you will be doing the best by her.
Shetland sheep, Castlemilk Moorits sheep, Hebridean sheep, Scots Grey Bantams, Scots Dumpy Bantams. Shetland Ducks.

Mel

  • Guest
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #26 on: October 12, 2011, 09:54:28 am »
right! on her positive side,walkies,walkies and more walkies,rolling about showing off her tummy,good food-I have recently changed her over to the BARF diet- she turns her nose up at everything else now..well,why wouldn't she. We regularly have T bone steaks here and I often cut out the T for her :o Yes she has the best steak,best pork and the best of everything and I do not care that it may cost a lot-It does not enter my head,as long as she is happy is paramount to me ;D

Yesterday we went on a really long walk-I wanted to take photo's of a group of red kites we have locally but could not get close enough,bless,Bunny was wiped out and had to stop for a rest hehe! There again,it was about 8 miles.

I have given her lots of hugs from you all-she is lapping them up lab style ;D Thank you so much!

Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Labrador-Ex Gun dog incredibly nervous,Help please!
« Reply #27 on: October 12, 2011, 09:57:08 am »
Leghorn,
You sound as if you are doing a really great job and the dog is getting top notch treatment.  T-bone steak, I'm tempted to come and stay  ;D ;D
Sally
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

 

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