Scaredy Mastiff

[STEVSH]

OK now Topaz is scared of EVERYTHING! This morning, my other dog (Blue) went berserk because someone's cat was in our driveway. She was barking and lunging at the window. Meanwhile big bad Topaz, who was upstairs in the bathroom with me while I was putting makeup on, freaks out when she hears Blue and jumps in the bathtub! It was funny as heck at first, but then I was thinking - Seriously? You're scared of Blue barking now? She used to run to wherever Blue was barking to see what it was about and join in. So that is just another one to add to the list. She is mostly scared of her dog bowl (metal and I dropped it once) and baby gates. But anything that makes a noise is pretty much on her list. I just can't believe I have this 90lb dog that cowers when a loud noise or even any noise now happens.
I know this a phase and is common with mastiffs, I just needed to vent to someone I guess. Anybody else have a super scared mastiff right now? Topaz is almost 10 months now BTW.

Thanks for listening

 

[dmouse66]

Raistlin is afraid of (at times) a neighborhood! They are still doing construction on some houses and he doesn't like the (parked & silent) trucks. How do you react when she shows fear?

 

[STEVSH]

I ignore it. I had a golden retriever that was deathly afraid of thunderstorms, to the point where I would have to drug her so I didn't get scratched to death. Her and my mother (who is also afraid) went through a tornado together and Caddie just fed right off my mother's fear. My mother would lay with her and pet her and soothe her every time there was a storm after that, so she unknowingly rewarded her every time she freaked out. Then she came to live with me and I had to spend years working with her to overcome it. But, it worked and she finally did thank goodness. Driving home in the middle of work to "drug the dog" was not fun and I had my whole office watching for thunderstorms eventually so someone could tell me as soon as there was something coming. LOL It was sort of comical and one coworker even went over our PA system once to say "Suzanne...storms coming. Go drug the dog". LOL

 

[moose]

Oh man fear stages suck!!!! Bo is going through one right now, he barks at everything! Hemi our female was even worse she would was afraid of her own shadow, they grow out of it.

 

[suzu600r]

My EM is 9 months and just about out the fear stage. He is still scared of 18 wheelers that come down our road every now and then and he doesn't seem to like just one of my neighbors kids. Not sure why he doesn't like the kid but he doesn't attack him he just runs from him and luckly the kid is smart enough to not chase him. Other than this he is pretty much ok with everything now.

 

[STEVSH]

LOL just found out a new one today. I was chasing after a hornet and a fly with the flyswatter and when she heard the SMACK! against the window, she was outta there! Found her upstairs in our bedroom cowering on the far side of our bed. I just let her be and she came down after another minute or so of quietness downstairs.
I can't wait until this phase is over...

 

[Cody]

How is she when she is meeting people? Or walking outside in unfamiliar territory?

 

[STEVSH]

She loves people! No problems what so ever there. And she's fine on walks too. I take her and Blue to the dog park every evening so she has free run and I've seen her dash out of certain dogs/people's way if they make a weird movement or something. But that's only natural. She did freak out on a walk last week when we were walking by a man edging his sidewalk with an edger. But I expected that much out of her. It was loud and creepy looking I'm sure in her eyes.

It's just the loud unexpected sounds and the big bad baby gate really.

 

[MTOesterling]

The worst thing I've been through with my girl is that she was scared of a new dirt pile outside the dog park where they are doing construction. Oddly enough, she is perfectly fine with construction equipment.

 

[Farakin]

Molli is afraid of little dogs that bark. My grandmother brought her untrained at all yorkie over to play unannounced and all the damn ankle biter did was bark and try and jump on Molli's head.

I took her to the park the other day and someone had a jack russel that was barking at her and she dragged me back to my truck.

 

[STEVSH]

LOL that happened to us at the dog park before too. There was some cocker spaniel/terrier mix there that did not enjoy Topaz's puppy energy, and he just took off after her barking his head off. She was so startled at this little thing chasing and barking at her, that she just tucked tail and backed legs under and ran for her life. They were all the way down at the other end of the park before this dog's owner started yelling at him to come back. I just thought it was so funny, I was having a hard time yelling out Topaz's name. She finally came back up to me and was like WTF WAS THAT!?

 

[dmouse66]

LOL! The neighborhood I walk Raistlin in is still under development and he was afraid of a new pile of rocks, a bob-cat, and well, just about anything that popped up new, including the little yorkie behind the invisible fence! I just ignored it and kept exposing him to it all. He doesnt even take notice of the new things now.

 

[Fixer]

My TM Reilly started this about a 6 weeks ago, at 11 months. Noises coming from behind, like a bus when we're walking on the sidewalk, really makes him jump. When we hang out at the coffee shop, he tucks in under the table as close to the wall as he can get. He lays there fine but has a tough time getting moving again! Sucks that I just started a street obedience class today, hoping he was out of this by now, but we'll power thru.