Scared Lurcher

[bunny]

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I have rehomed a 5year old lurcher bitch, whose petrified of other dogs doe's anyone have any suggestions on how i can help her overcome this

 

[pocket rocket]

I have rehomed a 5year old lurcher bitch, whose petrified of other dogs doe's anyone have any suggestions on how i can help her overcome this

hi,

i would advise going to dog training classes and ask if you can do a bit of rehabitation with her :thumbsup:

 

[PhoenixMum]

Do you have any other friends with dogs? Maybe you could arrange for a walk with them to help her overcome her fears. Start off the walk well away from them and then slowly come closer together. Try coaxing her with some cheese, but obviously dont push her quicker than she is ready.

 

[lurcherman]

easy does it dont rush, plenty of walks around dogs and of course plenty of love shud do the trick, best of luck

 

[kim1205]

Let you bitch gain her trust in you first before putting her into a situation where she is uncomfortable, once she trusts you, you may find that intruducing her to other dogs is then less stressful as she will be looking to you for reassurance, and with a strong bond it should be easier, i have had mine a year and she is just coming into herself now, its a long road but worth every second. Good Luck.

 

[bunny]

Thankyou everyone for their advice, dog training seems a good option i will look into this thanks again

 

[PhoenixMum]

I can fully recommend Jim Greenwood for lurcher training. :thumbsup:

 

[FeeFee]

Good advice above. Try to walk her where there are other dogs around but at a distance (not always easy, I know). Take it slowly and don't push her beyond her comfort zone, watch her body language and if she's telling you she's getting stressed just quietly move a bit further away. I'd also recommend lots of treats ('good' treats like sausage or chicken) as distractions, and she will eventually build up good associations that the presence of other dogs means she'll get something nice.

If you have a friend with a dog that you can walk with that would be great, walk them a bit apart at first then gradually move together if/when she seems relaxed - and again, lots of treats. Some of the sighthound rescues do regular organised walks, so worth looking out for anything like that in your area, they tend to be all rescue dogs so people are very understanding if you are working on things, and can often give good advice as well.

Training classes are good, but if she's really scared might be a bit much for her just yet unless you can find an understanding trainer who will let you take her and do your own thing a bit away from the other dogs at first. I spent about the first 6 classes with my very nervous lurcher at the far end of the hall behind a line of chairs before I could gradually introduce him into the class properly - he's now one of the calmest, most laid back dogs ever, so don't give up, you will get there in the end.

Good luck - let us know how you get on :luck: