My dog Ruby, who’s a 3-year-old Norwegian Elkhound/Aussie Shepherd mix, has suddenly become super afraid of vehicles. It started with trucks, and now she’s scared of the school buses when we’re outside. She’s always loved being outside, but now she doesn’t want to go out unless it’s dark. IDK what’s going on. She’s a rescue and we adopted her in July. She’s usually super high energy and loves playing ball, but now she just gets anxious when she hears these vehicles. Any ideas on what might be causing this and how to help her? Thanks for any advice!
Poor Ruby! Sounds like she’s having some anxiety about the noise. I’ve had similar issues with my dog, and what worked was redirecting their attention to something positive, like a treat or toy when they heard the noise. Maybe try that?
@Jennifer
I agree! It helps distract them and make them focus on you instead of the scary noise. Just make sure to reward them for staying calm. It’s a bit of work, but it can really help long term.
@Jennifer
Yeah, and use a calm voice to reassure her it’s not something to be scared of. Ruby might pick up on your calm energy and feel more relaxed. It’s all about creating positive associations with the noises.
My dog used to freak out at trucks too! I’ve heard that dogs sometimes get anxious when they’re not used to the sounds or smells. If it’s happening fast, it could be a sign that something changed around her environment. Maybe try helping her get used to the sound gradually? Like, starting with quieter vehicles and rewarding her for staying calm.
@Superdog
That sounds like a good idea. I’ll try to be patient and reward her when she stays calm. It’s just tough because it’s happening so quickly. But I’ll keep working on it!
Aww, Ruby sounds like a sweet dog. I had a similar issue with my dog when she was a puppy, and a trainer recommended redirecting their attention with commands like ‘sit’ or ‘down’ when they’re scared. It worked for us, and I think it could help Ruby too!
@Brown
I’ll definitely give that a try! She’s pretty good with commands, so maybe redirecting her like that will help. Thanks for the tip!
I had to deal with the same thing, and I was told that dogs can get scared of things like vehicles if they associate them with something stressful. Has Ruby had any negative experiences with vehicles before? Just curious if something triggered it.
@Lucas
Not that I know of! We just adopted her in July, so maybe she’s still adjusting. I haven’t noticed anything specific happening with vehicles before, but it might be that she’s just a little more sensitive to noise now.
It might be worth trying some calming supplements or oils, like lavender or chamomile, to help her relax a bit. I’ve used them with my dog during stressful situations, and they helped a lot!
Sophie said:
It might be worth trying some calming supplements or oils, like lavender or chamomile, to help her relax a bit. I’ve used them with my dog during stressful situations, and they helped a lot!
I’ll look into that! Thanks for the suggestion. I hadn’t thought of calming products, but it’s worth a try if it’ll help her feel more relaxed.