Hope for a nervous pup?

[PearlyGirls]

Has anyone successfully supported their nervous dog back into confidence after a fright?
Of course I know it must be possible but I’m feeling rather hopeless and could do with a handhold.
our lurcher puppy is now 10 months and has always been a sensitive soul. She’s a sweet, chilled girl in the house but since she was chased out of the park by a dog who was frightening her she just hasn’t been the same.
She will now only walk if both me and my husband walk with her but if it’s either of us alone she barely makes it to the end of the street before tucking her tail under and heading for home.
I wfh and she’s with me all day and I’d absolutely love to take her to new places and on long lovely walks but it’s now been weeks since the scare and we are extremely limited to where she will go if we’re both not there. I’m not going to force her and want to give her choice to restore her confidence but it’s not really changing.
Has anyone dealt with anything similar and how did you overcome it if so?
She is also scared of the car (work in progress - as is building her confidence in general) so I can’t just pop her in and walk her elsewhere.
The dog that chased her is still left off lead in our local park (I live in the centre of a city) so we are avoiding that for now but the triggers can seem to come out of anywhere and nowhere (she can go from relaxed body language to not in an instance).
I’d be very interested in hearing about other peoples experiences with anything similar.

[Summerholidayorcovidagain]

My saluki is still nervous of just being outside!! I carry a very rustly bag of treats...sometimes just a crinkle is enough to focus her back to me.

[PearlyGirls]

@Summerholidayorcovidagain we are avoiding where it happened but unfortunately due to where we live (I live on a quiet road but it exits onto a busy one) we are barely making it off our road at present. This is if it’s just one of us walking her. Both of us (as in me and husband) and she’s like a different dog.

[PearlyGirls]

@coffeecupsandfairylights
i usually let her retreat to a distance where the tail untucks. I might squat down and offer a safe space for her and a stroke and then she might decide to continue or want to retreat further and at the moment I am allowing this. I was told by a behaviourist not to force or drag her or pick her up and carry her and that choice will restore her confidence over time (we had a brief phone chat, he doesn’t have space for a while so I’m looking for someone to come out and help us sooner).

[Summerholidayorcovidagain]

A trainer told me to change routes and it helped. For at least 6 weeks don't go to where it happened. I have 2 Lurchers.. Our saluki /deerhound we got a few weeks before Covid. Took a good while for her not to be a total wreck on walks without having had any bad encounters..
Ime Lurchers are sensitive souls anyway!

[coffeecupsandfairylights]

What do you do when she tucks her tail under and tries to go home?

[dogschewbones]

go to DTAS on FB and read their guides. SO helpful. Basically they say go super gently, keep dog below threshold, don’t force them, build confidence back slowly slowly. V close observation to find triggers. Not fast to change…