border collie traffic fear

[mags]

This is my first posting. I have 8 months old border collie, and feel I have tried everything but I may be wrong. I have spoken to two "experts", both gave different advice, and a behaviourist saw him when he was 12 weeks old and told me to make him "face his fear", ie by standing on the pavement and not speak with him - I fear I have added to his problems by doing this, as it certainly did not work. I now understand that although initially on hearing traffic, he is interested in what the traffic is doing, once the cars/lorries get close to him, he gets scared and pulls away from the traffic. He is very obedient off the lead, very intelligent and a joy to have in all other ways. As he gets older, and stronger, I am now experiencing pain in my arm. I have tried distraction methods, calming him down, ignoring his behaviour and even the trainer at the socialisation class is at a loss. Who can help?

[divadexie]

Oh no! What bad advice!

I have worked with a bc with traffic fear. She ran off from her owner one day and got hit. She would crouch and lean away from the road and pull really hard.

I lived on the opposite side of the road where it happened. Between the lady's house and the road there was a huge 'park' with trees in the middle and was seperated from the road by a hedge and fence, then the pavement.

I started off working with her on the opposite side of the field away from the road.
Just basic obedience and some games. Treating her for being calm.
Gradually I got her to work with me closer and closer to the road.
Sometimes we would just go and sit on the hill where she could see and hear the traffic and again rewarding her for being calm.

It helped that her fave things was a tennis ball I used her obsession to reward her and keep he focused.

It did take a very long time and she had to be walked at all other times by her owner only as in the park and not as close as I had got with her so as not to set her back.

When at the point I could have her walking along side the hedge I kept there for a week or so then moved further down the park to where the hedge had been removed so she could see the traffic more and again worked there with her for about a week before moving to a wide area of pavement and not walking along, jsut working on focus and games.

She now will walk beside roads fine and if her owener sees her body language change she takes the tennis ball out and asks for focus

I hope that helped

[mags]

Thank you very much, I have tried something similar, but will try out your advice.

[Natalie]

Great advice from divadexie there i'd say.

Let us know how it goes, maybe we can try something else if it doesn't work? I suppose it's better than your pooch darting for the traffic chasing cars like ours used to!

Hope it goes well!

[divadexie]

Hi, how are you geting on so far?

[mags]

Hi, getting on not too badly. He will now tolerate walking up to the top of my driveway towards the traffic, but gets anxious if he thinks I am going to take him out onto the pavement - so obviously I haven't as yet. I have found that the trick is to keep him calm - not pamper him, and then reward him in the garden with playing with his favourite toy, afterwards.
When out walking in the local fields, he is happier off the lead when walking back towards the car, and he is very obedient and stays beside me.
I still feel I can't consider pavements as yet - its going to take time, but we are getting there. Thanks for your help.

[divadexie]

Thats great, keep up the good work
Have you tried taking the fave toy out a little closer to the road with you, gradually playing nearer and nearer?

[mags]

Hi, yes I have tried playing with him with the toy as we venture up the driveway, and he is interested in this for just a little while, and then he focuses more on the traffic and the toy is dropped - which is why I "reward" him afterwards.
Not sure how long I should carry out the exercise though - just now I'm taking my lead from him and when I feel he is becoming more and more anxious, I call it a day, but this is generally only about 5 minutes.

[mags]

Hi to everyone who has responded to my query. Just to update you. This week we successfully walked, on the lead, out of my drive and towards the traffic!!!! It was clear he was not the happiest dog on the planet, but he did not react negatively in any way, ie pull back towards the house. He is also following me, off the lead, up the drive quite happily, and we have walked on quiet roads for a week or so with very little reaction from him - we still have a long way to go but I feel we have broken the back of the problem. Thank you to all.

[nick_j007]

Please be careful about the dog being off lead with such anxiety not far behind you on the time line.

Running away from traffic could turn into running after traffic as the dog matures...so do be careful

Good luck and keep up your good work.

Nick