I have a 1-year-old pit mix that I rescued about 7 months ago. She’s been doing great with training, but she’s still a bit skittish. IDK much about her life before, but I suspect she wasn’t treated well. I live in a condo with outdoor space, but it’s not private, so she’s always on-leash. We’ve worked on leash training and have a trainer for specific issues like passing men without barking and not eating rabbit poop, lol. Most of the time she’s good at loose leash walking, but sometimes she gets scared. Like tonight, someone set off a firework and she totally freaked out. She tucked her tail and started pulling to go home, shaking the whole time. It’s tough because she won’t even take treats when she’s like that. Once we’re home, she hides in her crate until she calms down. Any advice on what I should do in these situations? Should I let her pull us home or keep walking? I’m worried she’ll start associating walks with fear. Any tips would be super helpful.
That sounds rough. I’d say try to redirect her attention instead of just letting her pull. Maybe practice ‘look at me’ commands at home?
I’ve been there too. Fireworks are the worst. I usually just stop and let my pup take a breather. Sometimes moving slowly helps.
Have you tried desensitizing her? Like playing sounds of fireworks at a low volume and rewarding her when she stays calm?
Sounds like you’re doing great work with her. Maybe try some calming music during walks? It might help her chill out.
Have you thought about using a calming vest? Some pups respond really well to that kind of pressure.
I feel for you. Maybe try to change your route sometimes? A new area might keep her distracted and less anxious.
It might help to keep treats on hand and reward her for staying calm when she hears loud noises.
Sometimes just sitting down and letting her take her time helps. It shows her it’s okay to be scared.