Some of you will know clover has a really fear of traffic/noise.

For awhile now I've been walking the long way round to the park (only 5 mins) on the pavement to try and get clover used to the traffic.

She just isn't improving She either refuses to move when a car goes past or pulls so hard to get where we are going faster. I've ignored her behaviour, got her to sit and wait when she pulls to no avail.

I've tried both anxiety tfln and the Doreen paige insecurity remedy, no improvement. I am lost as what to do next It's getting to the point I can't take her anywhere

Have you had help from a qualified behaviourist? Have you tried counter-conditioning and desensitisation methods? Have a look at this vid:

YouTube - ‪Chili Playing "look at that"‬‏ ("Look At That" [LAT] game- this is with other dogs, but the same principle would apply to cars)

With cars, you could start only where he hears traffic, either click and treating or saying "Yes" and treating when she hears the traffic. This needs to be progressed to seeing the traffic, but at a far enough distance away that Clover is not becoming too stressed and will respond to food...if she doesn't take high-value food, then she is too stressed out.

Food is not the only reward you can use. Pay attention to her body language when she looks at the cars. Any calm postures or calming signals- things like sniffing the ground, yawning, sneezing, scratching, looking away, shaking her body ('shake-offs')- can be rewarded by increasing distance AWAY from the traffic, as this is a huge reward for her too. The time she spends at that distance to the traffic can be gradually increased, and when she is comfortable at the distance, you can decrease it.

Practising these exercises a few times a day, for 10-15 minutes minutes each and slowing increasing the time, can do wonders.

I know you and Clover have had a tough time and I feel for you, as the owner of a noise phobic dog I get how limiting this can be on your lifestyle

You exposing her to traffic is too much for her.
Ignoring her behaviour, or trying to ask her for certain behaviours is not helping as this is not primarily behavioural.

Fears, particularly noise phobias are some of the toughest to work on. Helping her 'get used' to traffic is evidently pushing her over threshold.

Remedies such as those listed work on some individuals and not others and indeed tend to only be effective in very specific situations: mild cases of worry and alongside/as part of behaviour modification programs.

Because there are a number of anxiety issues with Clover blood work should be done, diet should be looked at and general lifestyle calming and coping skills put in place.
Only after working on these should controlled exposure to stressors be started as an overall plan.

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Anne, owned by Rufus & Tripod

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