My dog is too scared to go in the garden...

[Deadnettle]

Because she saw a squirrel earlier I don't think she has noticed them before.

How do you teach a dog that something isn't scary when you can't control that something?

Dog is terrified of cats, and anything under cars (because they could be cats).

Send him over, we'll teach him to chase everything that moves.

She already chases birds. Thankfully for the chickens next door she is easy to call off.

How old is she?

She turned 1 in June.

Stand outside or sit let dog see that scary squirrel isnt going to eat you he will go out trying to pursuade him will make him worse. Had to do this recently because of a terrifying bumble bee granted it was hooge but jaydog scarpered and wouldnt go out all day. We all stood outside like loons until he was brave enough to go out

She sorry*

She's still young, she'll learn!

I'd rather mine were scared of bumblebees rather than try and eat them. That way tears wait.

True that ☺ he was funny bless him he sort of dida crab step indoors and through the kitchen to safety bless him.

Dear god, I wish we had that specific problem here. We have squirrels doing the fence top run from walnut tree at the front to, presumably their cache, at the back of garden all day long (to the sound of Mission Impossible obviously). The thundering of approx twelve stone of dog (two of them, not one massive one) accompanied by ever increasing woof woof woofing drives me bonkers! In answer to your question though, positive reinforcement? Every time she sees a squirrel, get her attention and treat her (obviously if you can't get her attention and she's acting scared don't treat her or you'll be reinforcing the wrong behaviour!

Could you tempt her outside with a ball or a squeaky toy as a distraction?
Dannydog would love to see a squirrel in his garden- it would be his dream come true.
If he sees one run up a tree while out on a walk, he walks backwards on his hind legs while looking up at the branches to spot it.

The squirrel is long gone, it scared her at about 10ish this morning. I've already been out in the garden several times and I've fed her her favourite treat outside. She went out long enough to have a quick look and eat the treat but then ran back inside.

I've never seen a squirrel in our garden before and she wouldn't have seen it either if she hadn't been on the grooming table.

I would say she panicked when she saw it, I had treats but she was too busy freaking out to eat.

The other day she got on a bus for the first time, walked though a city centre, went to the train station and met some new creepy people. None of which bothered her at all but show her a cat or now a squirrel and she panics.