Kailyn's Mom Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 Kailyn has developed a desperate fear of clothing, towels, sheets, anything made of material. It has gotten so bad, that every time we change clothes, pull the covers up on the bed, move some laundry, dry dishes with a towel etc., she hides, runs in circles, pees from anxiety, etc. We can't figure out where the fear came from. Right now, my dh came home and took off his shirt and she has crawled up around the back of my head. Any suggestions....please!!?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catu Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 Being the clothing something as common in every house, as generalized to all kind of fabric and the reaction you describe as intense, I would suggest to go to a professional behavioural therapist, even with all my good intentions to help, maybe Kailyn could need more than my well intentioned advices given by internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 Well, luckily there are a lot of ways to go about fixing this behavior. Going to a behaviorist might be a good idea as Catu suggested - advise over the Internet can go very badly wrong very quickly. But some basic suggestions: It would be best if you knew the cause - how old is Kailyn? If the fear started when Kailyn was a pup then most likely it happened when she went through a fear period (a time when pups seem to suddenly become scared of something for no real reason). if the behavior wasn't corrected right then, it becomes a deeper fear. If it isn't because of puppy-fear-periods, I don't know what would have caused it.... One way start fixing it is to leave fabric (shirts, pants, towels, socks, blankets, etc) all around the house at doggie eye level. lay things on the floor, next to her dish by the door - anywhere! Start with just a little at first, and as she becomes accustom to living around the fabric items, add more. The idea is, that you don't TRY to make her comfortable with the items, but just make them a part of everyday 24/7 life. Usually people do this sort of thing with dog brushes, nail clippers, shampoo, or anything the dog doesn't like but I think it might work here too. Just get her totally desensitized. Mind you, it could take awhile and you would have to be OK with a messy house for awhile. Another thing is to make it all a BIG game! Be SUPER silly about it. maybe take a sock and put a tennis ball in it and play fetch, teach her a trick that has to do with fabric like "go lay on your blanket" or like This trick that I taught Dazzle. Play Tug-o-war with a towel, put her food on top of your clothes, and so on. Make it really fun like this fabric stuff is the best in the world! The main thing, is to keep doing whatever it is you already do with clothes/towels/blankets, don't stop because she is scared. And above all - DO NOT take pity and cuddle her, or talk in high-pitched voices when she is scared, just ignore her. Otherwise you are telling her that YOU are scared too. You must always act silly and goofy when she is scared so she sees that there is nothing to be scared of! Another thing not to do is force her to touch the things, or do anything she is uncomfortable with. You have to let her do it on her own time. Like playing the games I mentioned above, if she doesn't want to join you - fine! Just play by yourself (or with a friend - even another dog) and have a really good time without her, dogs don't like missing out on fun stuff that the rest of the pack is doing! Hopefully that will help... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kailyn's Mom Posted January 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 Thanks for your quick reply! Kailyn has just turned one year old a few days ago, and we're pretty sure that the fear developed during her puppy fear period when my dh was making our bed. She has no fear whatsoever of these things when they are laying around (believe me my floor regularly has things covering it). There is always a towel by the door for muddy feet, which is also beside her food dish and she loves her blankets in her bed, on our bed etc. The minute we move them in any way, she freaks. I will definitely try to make it playtime, we're willing to do anything at this point, I feel so terrible for her when she's so afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat's Dogs Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 OK, thought of something else then (alright, I confess, it might make you look funny - but anything for our dogs right? ) What if you did the first thing I suggested, but a bit different so the things moved? Say, you took some article of cloth, and with a string tied one piece to each ankle so it trailed behind you, then maybe some more cloth on your wrists? So every time you moved around you would look like you were holding/waiving around some fabric. If you could keep from tripping every time you walked....that might work to the same effect. Just throwing out ideas... Although I hate associating "bad" things with the people, as people are already the cause that makes the things move, it probably wouldn't matter so much in this case... Lots of good luck vibes coming your way! (((luck)))(((luck)))(((luck)))(((luck))) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Oop Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 For what it's worth, Allie (who is now around 21 mos.) heads for the hills whenever she sees me coming with the laundry basket. She hates it when I fold the clothes, when we make the bed, or when my husband changes clothes, etc. I've decided it's because of the sound they make -- you know, when you straighten or shake them out -- kind of a snapping noise and the cloth flutters. She also takes off running when we change the plastic liners in the trash cans -- for probably the same reason -- snapping noise and fluttering plastic. Allie's reaction is not as extreme as Kailyn's, but it may be for similar reasons. Kailyn may also outgrow it. Allie has been getting better as she gets older and we basically just ignore her when she bolts from the room. She usually will slink back in and settle somewhere away from the flapping activity. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kailyn's Mom Posted January 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2007 Thanks so much for your help, I am going to become the crazy flying material lady! You're right, we will stoop to just about anything for our dogs! I just hope that I don't leave the house and leave something attached! lol Deb, what you describe with Allie is exactly Kailyn, it is the noise the scares her, garbage bags and all. Thanks for the support and encouragement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSmitty Posted January 19, 2007 Report Share Posted January 19, 2007 Wow, poor baby! I just wanted to ditto this bit of advice from Kat above, it's so important! And above all - DO NOT take pity and cuddle her, or talk in high-pitched voices when she is scared, just ignore her. Otherwise you are telling her that YOU are scared too. You must always act silly and goofy when she is scared so she sees that there is nothing to be scared of! Another thing not to do is force her to touch the things, or do anything she is uncomfortable with. You have to let her do it on her own time.Best of luck to you guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misera1013 Posted January 20, 2007 Report Share Posted January 20, 2007 I alos have this problem with my dog. She is now a little over 5 years old. I don't know when this started since she was a rescue. I got her when she was 3. So it could have been something in her past, who knows. So anytime I fold laundry she heads for the hills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCMomma Posted January 20, 2007 Report Share Posted January 20, 2007 I'm sorry for your troubles with this - we have the opposite. Our 10 year old BC loves to make our blankets into ponchos - chews holes right in middle! And she chews up the top part of the sheets on the bed too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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