Nervous dog...

Seamonster

Hi, I am hoping someone might have a solution to a dog problem myself and my girlfriend are currently experiencing. I have been with my girlfriend for the past year but she has had the dog for four years now. When we are at home or out for a walk he is fine and we have no problem but if we stop at an outdoor cafe or bar and sit down, he starts to whimper really loud it's really annoying! If a waiter or anyone comes near he goes crazy and starts to bark. It's getting worse and its becoming impossible for us to eat or even stop for a coffee when we go away for the weekend. Does anybody have any training we could use to stop this? Thanks in advance!

ecaf

I'm definitely not an expert, but will be watching this topic because we have a nervous dog too, and I'm hoping to find some answers for her.
We got her as a 2 year old and it seems like she might have been hit or something because she is real nervous if I try and correct our other dog. She won't even come into the house, she comes as far as the mat and turns and goes back out and comes in again, but slipped on the tiles one day and since then will only stand on the mat with her tail between her legs.

Since we've had her she has come on a good bit, she used to cower away from anyone but now is beginning to trust some people she sees regularly. Anyone new and she barks and runs away.
I bring the two dogs in the car to go for a run, but now she won't get in the car anymore, she used to love it. I think she either got a fright when we drove over a cattle grid, or else I let a shout at my other dog one day, and maybe she thought it was at her instead? Either way its becoming back breaking to try lifting a german pointer into the boot, while the other dog sticks her nose in my face and jumps in and out.

Anyway I found this article that I'm about to read properly now. It does say that it isn't for nervous aggressive dogs, so I'm not sure how you would class your dog? Ours is not aggressive so hopefully I will get some help from it.
http://www.dogsey.com/dog-articles.php?t=8050

Whispered

Seamonster, I have no advice for you, but are you in Ireland? If so, can you tell me where you go with your dog to sit outside and eat?

Thanks and apologies for the OT post.

00112984

OP, I'm sure someone with specific experience in this can help but I just wanted to add something that I notice with my dog. She goes nuts if anything dark approaches her. If she's going for a walk and someone walks past wearing all black, she gets upset. Same on TV- if she sees anything dark like a shadow she panic, growls, barks and tries to hide. Very embarrassingly, she also does this with black people with very dark skin. We're doing our very, very best to stop this and she's getting better but it can be so embarrassing and absolutely not something we ever taught or encouraged her to do.

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that dogs often bark and growl when they feel intimidated. When you and your girlfriend are sitting with the dog, she seems the table area as her/your territory and someone approaching as a threat. Try and keep her in a position where she can see people approaching, has enough light so that she can make out humans versus shadows and praise her for being quiet.

Teaching her to bark on command might be a good one for you. I've found that dogs are less likely to just barkbarkbark if they've been taught to do it in a controlled way.

Seamonster

Hi Helena,

Thanks for the reply, I'm Irish but actully based in Barcelona at the moment - hence being able to eat outdoors! I don't think that would be a possibility with the Irish weather :rolleyes:

Seamonster

Hi 00112984

Thanks for the advice - it's really helpful. There has been the odd occasion when our dog has been quiet at a cafe table and we have rewarded him with biscuits when he does this. It's a very rare occasion though and he does revert to his old ways! We also think that maybe he doesn't like the idea of being restricted to one place, when we are at home he is obviously allowed wander around and when taking him for a walk his leash allows him to run around too. But it is true that he probably see's this as his own space and when a waiter or somebody approaches us he goes nuts. The weird thing is that he is actually a friendly dog and only gets freaked with people in this situation. I will try what you said, it's great advice!