What is the problem?

[slleipnir]

Zeke is afraid of a lot of things...like the broom for example. If you start to sweep, he will leave. Tonight my dad had the tape measure out, and he ran out of the room and upstairs....seriously, WHY would a tape measure be scary? It's not like a broom that he could have been hit with, or a vacuum that makes loud noises.

Seriously, he is afraid of a lot of silly things....why is this? We've NEVER hit him or anything. I don't even "hit" them on the rear or whatever if they do something wrong (like some people I know, do)

Anyone else have this problem?

[anna_66]

Funny that you bring this subject up this morning. I was just sweeping the kitchen and Bon loves to play with the broom.
He used to be afraid of it, but now he knows it's not going to hurt him (I made it a game when he would bark and growl at it). There are lots of things that scare him until he knows what they are.

Another example was my bday balloons. He was scared to death of them and so were the girls, they've never liked balloons and they've never been hit with one So I have no idea of why it would scare them. But I have to say since we've been playing with Bon and the balloons everyone seems a little more ease.
OK, so I haven't told you the problem but maybe if you could make him see that it's alright he wouldn't be fearful of it

[Alysser]

Well, maybe its just very long and he thinks it's solid. So, maybe he was hit with a stick or something and just thinks its something your going to hit him with. Also, when you close a tape measure it makes a loud noise. Sassy is afriad of this noise. Maybe that scared him?? You just have to let him know he won't be hurt by you.

[Ginger's Mom]

Yep, Ginger is afraid of everything. She has always been a very timid dog. I have been told by several different people that some dogs are just born timid, and although I may be able to get her to participate in and enjoy some things, it will never go away. Sorry.

[lizbud]

Smokey's first instinct to anything new is to distrust it & back away
and Maggie's first instinct is curiosity & ahe wants to approach it.
It's just that different dogs have different personalities. Smokey overcame
his fear of brooms the same way that Anna's Bon did & now he wants to
play with the broom everytime I get it out.

[dogzr#1]

Molly is afraid of the vacuum because of the noise. She isn't afraid of anything else though. Astra doesn't really have any fears. Prince is scared of flies for some very weird reason. maybe it's the noise, but i don't know. maybe dogs perceive things differently.