Spoiling our Dogs and Puppies

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Originally Posted by DapperButch

Oh, I see about the upstairs.

Does it make sense to you, as Bard says, that it could be related to her being out during the 4th of July? It really seems to be a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder like humans get. Any trigger (in this case, fire which crackles like a firecracker), makes her feel as if the event is happening again.

The random shaking happens during times there is no loud noises and no fires? Just randomly out of the blue? Did it start right after she was found OR did it start after you started making fires in the fireplace?

<---human therapist

Yes, the shaking often happens out of the blue. If there is loud noises, it will happen too of course. Just a few minutes ago they heard a sound outside and went beserk barking, then Phoebe was on my feet shaking like a twig. I am going to say the shaking started anytime we had a fire after we had gotten her back.. so all we can think of is a PTSD from when she was out and about.

The shaking thing though, she does when she is nervous sometimes, always has, but this is more extreme and she fights you if you try to hold her. Before if she was scared of say someone new and was a little shaky, you could hold her and she'd be okay.

Originally Posted by Words

One of O/our Yorkies is petrified of the crackling of the fire. W/we've tried holding him close in the hope this will help but he just continues to shiver so W/we've basically given up.

Funny thing is, he has no problem with fireworks. Yours?

Words

Fireworks freak her out. The crackling of the fire has no effect on her - we tried the fireplace on Netflix that has the crackling sound and she paid no mind to it - so I wonder if she is associating the smell with the fires going on outside during the 4th of July?

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by desd

so I wonder if she is associating the smell with the fires going on outside during the 4th of July?

Yes, that is what I am saying. Any behavior or fear around fire or loud, unepxected sounds AFTER being gone I bet would be connected to 4th of July. PTSD.

Any behavior that was in place prior to being lost during the 4th would be something else.

I would bet a dog behaviorist would have a different approach for treating a dog's fear response that is due to "trauma", then they would for a fear response that is not a result of trauma. But, maybe not. That is why going to meet with your vet is a good idea. It seems rather complicated, and I would worry that it could be damaging if you did anything besides just letting her "do her thing" when she is scared...if she wants to be close, let her be close, if she wants to run as far away as she can, then let her do that. I personally wouldn't try any other tactic unless a vet told me what to do. You don't want to make it worse for her.

[christie]

Even the girls at Starbucks are in on the spoiling of Felix... he gets his own, gratis, "pupacino"... a very small cup of whipped cream.

He goes NUTS for this... Bratboy usually gets a vanilla bean frap.... Felix sees it andstartsto garbling, whining and trying his damnedest to get to it... its funny as all hell to watch...

Its not a frequent treat for him, so I don't worry about it too much. It makes him happy and I get a giggle out of it!

[choochoo-enginerd]

Originally Posted by christie

Even the girls at Starbucks are in on the spoiling of Felix... he gets his own, gratis, "pupacino"... a very small cup of whipped cream.

He goes NUTS for this... Bratboy usually gets a vanilla bean frap.... Felix sees it andstartsto garbling, whining and trying his damnedest to get to it... its funny as all hell to watch...

Its not a frequent treat for him, so I don't worry about it too much. It makes him happy and I get a giggle out of it!

Yah....and we won't dicuss in detail any adverse effects of whip cream on the pooch, just that it brings him joy....and his mama and pops joy to indulge him for a moment! The girls at starbucks luuuuuv him <3