Dogs afraid of their surroundings

Imagine if you will taking your new pup out for a walk and discovering that he is petrified of his surroundings – the hustle and bustle of the streets, sirens, and horns are just too much for him. What can be done? While not easy to overcome, there are a few things to do to make his (and your!) life much easier.

Take baby steps – take your pup out. Sit out the stoop. If he seems fine, take a small walk down the steps. Stop. If he still seems fine, take a few more baby steps. Try to take notice of WHEN he begins to feel nervous. Once you’ve identified this nervous spot, take note and assure that you calmly and safely re-introduce this ‘scary world’ to your pup with praise, treats, and happiness. This helps the dog to become desensitized to what frightens him.

And as always, practice, persistence, and patience are key! At times it may feel like nothing works, but keep at it, and in time it will get better. For more info on this topic click the link to our pet forum.