Nervous Shiba Inu
My Shiba Inu seems to have a nervous problem when we travel. Whenever we put her harness on her, she's all gung ho and heads straight to the truck like she's ready for a trip. But once we get in the t...
Forum Discussion
Francesca Knowles wrote:Pawz4me wrote:I wasn't speaking to fears of unusual occcurrences like thunderstorms, fireworks and the like. The O.P.'s concern has to do with anxiety in a changed environment, and how best to help the dog adapt to it.Francesca Knowles wrote:
She'll get over it, provided you do NOT acknowledge her "fears" etc. in any way, such as urging her to eat etc. Dogs pick up on our anxiety, which only reinforces their own.
Suzanne Clothier and Patricia McConnell, two of the best dog trainers and behaviorists alive today, disagree with you.
The Myth of Reinforcing Fear
You Can't Reinforce Fear
I guess I could have put it differently: it's possible to teach a dog NOT to be anxious about certain things by treating them as normal. This situation is a perfect example. The O.P.'s dog is anxious, likely due to the unfamiliarity of the circumstances. If the owner's behavior says "business as usual", the dog will learn that norm as nothing to be afraid of and will no longer need comforting.
IMO and IME with dogs fear/anxiety are the same regardless of what the trigger is.
I don't mean to pick on you. I've just heard the "don't comfort them or you'll reinforce it" thing all my life and it never made one lick of sense to me. I'm glad more and more canine behaviorists and trainers are now educating people on how wrong the belief is.
OP, in your shoes I'd have the dog spend as much time in your trailer as possible, even when you're at home. And make as many short trips with her as possible before you start full timing. I suspect all she needs to become more comfortable is more experience. You might also consider trying one of the pheromone products. They work well for some pets.
