Scared 8 year old german shepherd

[shirleywurly]

r "my dog woke up 3 nights ago in her bed upstairs in my daughters room barking and scared ...now she wont come back upstairs ,she cowers and sleeps in the bottom hall" any suggestions ???

 

[gypsysmum2]

Fear is very powerful in the dog. It is a survival instinct. All you can do is be patient and try to coax her into bravery with tasty treats. I would do it one stair at a time. If she will put her paws on stair one then give her a treat and repeat it several times before moving on to stair two. There will be good days, when she feels brave, and bad days when she will not try at all. Always be very upbeat about the whole thing. If you do not feel upbeat then do not do any training that day.

You may find that her fear spreads to other things. If this is the case then you may need the help of a qualifed dog behaviourist. The best belong to either COAPE or APBC. It is much easier to treat if it is caught early.

 

[peediepaws]

quick vet visit just to check she is ok?