That this level of anxiety in my dog is not normal?

[Anxdo]

I've been a previous dog owner, I am by no means an expert but my previous dog had no issues like this and I'm out of my depth here.
Will also state that during the first year of getting my dog my circumstances changed and I am now a single parent, money is tighter and I have no other support with my dog.
It was obvious from literally day 1 that my puppy was anxious, she reacted to other dogs, people etc so from the get go she was socialised, I walked her in my arms down busy roads past people, dogs etc before she could walk and we did puppy classes and I sought help with her issues. I tried to follow the advice with training but I've managed to get no where, my dog is 3 and she doesn't listen to a word I say and this is a list ofthe things she is anxious about:
• Dogs
• Dogs, cats, horses any animal on tv
• People/crowds
• Loud noise especially fireworks etc and my hoover
• The car
• The vets/groomer
• Her lead/collar
• Coats

She displays anxious behaviour all the time, reactions to the above can be barking/lunging (to dogs and people, tv, fireworks) shaking/whining/crying to the car, fireworks, hoover, her lead being put on, or trying to put a coat on etc. She literally gives herself diarrhoea when we walk or go in the car.
It's impacting my life so much, on top of that she pulls so hard on walks, training and special leads make little to no difference.
I know this is not normal but I just don't know what to do about it anymore, where do I start with trying to tackle so many issues and why is she actually afraid of everything!?

That sounds tough especially when you did "all the right things" do you have pet insurance you might be able to access a vet behaviouralist through that. What has your vet said have the offered any solutions.

OP firstly it sounds like you are doing the best you can and are overwhelmed.

Have you looked at reactive dogs UK? They have a really good support network including on social media and have lots of guidance available.

reactivedogs.uk/

I'm no way an expert but have you tried short walks she doesn't need to go far to get a decent walk. We had a anxious dog that we just did a couple of short walks some dogs it's temperament and it's just having to manage it.

I’ve previously been in a very similar situation, I’d advise getting a consultation with a veterinary behaviourist who can work with your vet so you can do a trial of pain meds and anti anxiety meds and help you with lifestyle adjustments. Before that try and eliminate any unnecessary sources of stress such as walking. Amber Batson is a vet and behaviourist whose facebook page Understanding Animals has loads of useful info.

To be honest short walks have become the norm anyway as the longer we are out the more time and things she sees to be anxious about.
Or I often have to end a walk early, if we encounter a dog particularly one who is off lead and gets too close she gets stressed and her behaviour and pulling on the lead intensifies.
I dread walking her every single time.

Strongly recommend Dog Training Advice and Support on FB, it is free to join but to ask questions you will first need to read the guides as many answers will be found there, and that will help you give the admins (all qualified trainers/behaviourists/vets) the necessary info they need to give very specific help. It is not a group where the general membership can chime in and offer duff advice!

In the meantime, 'cortisol holiday' - no real walks at all. Find the point at which your dog can take treats and be relaxed, look at you... work there, for five to ten minutes at a time, classically counter conditioning to noises/movements and reinforcing any time she checks in with you.

Do this as many times a day as you can manage, and be sure to finish before she has had enough - this may need you to be standing on your front step or path, or even inside your open doorway!

If you really need to let her have a blast, and you drive, then look at taking her to a secure private hire field for that.

Don't even think about heading back toward proper walks until she is relaxed and comfy outside your front door and you've conditioned her to noises/movements so much that she automatically looks to you for the treat. Then you can start to increase the duration of just one or two sessions per day, OR add in a spot of traditional training (ie sit/down/etc) but don't alter two elements at the same time.

I really can't emphasise enough how important it is to go slowly, at her pace - stress hormone levels go up very quickly, and continue to rise for around half an hour after the trigger event ended. Then they can take days to go back down to normal, so every time she just about copes with something (never mind gets totally freaked out) it bumps those stress hormones up, until she is over threshold and cannot think/listen/relax etc. Look up 'trigger stacking in dogs' for more information on this, it will explain a lot!

That won't be helping either you will be apprehensive and tense before the walk starts, they sense it. Would you maybe consider a dog walker the dog we has went out twice a week with one just to give us a bit of a break. The dog walker was great.

Actually @WiddlinDiddlin advice is brilliant and better than mine.

Where we went training with our new dog, the trainer advocates for a no walking day for dogs just let them potter around the house just so they can rest, I know that's a bit controversial and ours gets a car ride on no walk day so he's still getting out, but it does settle him.

Can you try a calming supplement? I know we give horses magnesium for stress and anxiety and a quick google suggests dogs can have it to. My friend has a lovely little mare who was very anxious and literally a week on from taking magnesium she has calmed down so much. I also give it to my mare who can get anxious about things and it really helps.

I would say it's pretty normal to be honest. Lots of dogs are nervous about a lot of these things.

Most of these are easily solved, the bigger ones (crowds and dogs) will be a longer and harder thing to solve.

Start small and tackle one at a time. I'd go for the lead/ collar first.

1. Change to a completely new lead and collar so you can start a new association. Make it noticeably different to the one(s) she's anxious of. Don't use it until she's comfortable around it. Start by the new one being on the floor and surround it with treats/nice things. Then move it to a foot away and surround it with more treats, repeat several times a day. Start picking it up and giving treats with it in you hand. Then touch her with it and reward, etc etc. Slow, slow, slow. It might take a week of regular work until she'll be happy to have it on. If she becomes anxious at any step, go back a step.

1. Generally build up her confidence by building confidence activities into her day e.g. finding treats in a range of different places e.g. on seats, under blankets etc.

1. Give her a licky mat or Kong as licking acts as a calmer.

1. Give plenty of opportunities for sniffing as sniffing calms dogs.

@Anxdo have you tried this group on Facebook: Dog Training Advice & Support

It works a little differently as you have to read the guides ( lots on reactive / anxious dogs etc) and then post your questions / issues and then only admin reply. They are all highly trained and really good. There is also a book that you can get on amazon. And it's all force free methods too.

www.facebook.com/share/g/1EjxsxDFri/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Dachshund? 🤣

Hi OP - agree with everything @WiddlinDiddlin said.

Plus, instead of replacing the lead and collar, can I suggest a Perfect Fit harness? You can clip them around her neck so there's much less difficulty getting it on than most harnesses, and your dog will be in much less distress if she's pulling as it won't hurt her throat. But as suggested above, just stop walking her for a bit. Let her relax at home for a few days - it won't do her any harm, and as an anxious pup she'll probably be grateful rather than desperate for exercise.

Taking these awful walks out of the equation for a few days (or even weeks if you can find an alternative) takes so much pressure off both of you - no need for coats, pulling, people and crowds, off-lead dogs. Try playing brown or white noise at home in the rooms she's in, which will help smother some of the outside noise. She needs time to decompress, and it sounds like you do too.

There are various supplements you could try - e.g. pet remedy, Adaptil - but to be honest I think just taking all the pressure off for a little while would make a big difference to both of you.

What kind of dog is she? I immediately thought spaniel except that you're putting coats on her - I just wondered why she needed grooming and a coat.

Not a bad idea in principle, but be careful: an overdose of magnesium can lead to various health problems in dogs, including cardiovascular disorders. The dog's requirement for magnesium is 10 to 15 mg per kilogram of body weight, which is most likely already covered by their food. I wouldn't give more than 10mg per kg of weight (magnesium is also a laxative, so could worsen their stomach problems for now).

What do you feed her? Is she otherwise healthy, have you had her properly checked by a vet for pain?

You are not alone. My 4 year old is extremely anxious. We have managed 4 walks in a month. We have been seeing a behavourist for a long time and pain can often have an affect on their behaviour. Dogs mask pain well. As mentioned with others, get a full health check, see an approved behavourist. Possible pain relief trial for 6 weeks to notice any difference. We are now training with a completely different lead. The positive is, he doesn’t run and hide when he sees it (like the old one). However he won’t allow it on at the moment, so tiny steps building confidence with chicken rewards. I get really down when we can’t go on the walks we used to - was my happiest time of the day. But we’re doing physio at home and lots of training for the brain. He also pulls on lead and barks/lunges at other dogs when we’re out. I love him to bits and won’t give up on him. A kind behavourist is so helpful. No force, positive reinforcement. My dog is less anxious now I let him follow me upstairs (was previously kept downstairs only). He now sleeps on his bed next to mine and sleeps like a dream. Before he had started howling the place down (after 4 years of being fine). Good luck!

Our rescue dog sounds similar. I tried a lot of online training programmes but eventually consulted a behaviourist who said he has general anxiety disorder and recommended anti-anxiety medication which our vet was happy to prescribe. It’s only £15 per month. It’s only been two weeks but has made a pretty big difference. Not sorted everything out but he’s a lot calmer. The behaviourist plans to give it 4-6 weeks to take effect and then start some work with him. I’d definitely recommend talking to your vet about trying medication.