"Hi, I own a 24-week-old American bulldog. My problem is that when I walk him, every and anything will scare him, including buses, leaves and other dogs. He is fine when walked with my mum's Westies but I don't always have them. He doesn't take off, but at 30kg-ish I'm worried that one day he will. Any ideas? Thanks, Angela."
H&C blogger and dog trainer Howard Kirby replies: "Hi Angela, sounds like your fella is a little unsure about life in general; obviously with a powerful dog like this it is extremely important that you do everything possible to make him feel confident. By the sound of things, your mum's Westies give him the confidence that he lacks.
More often than not when a dog shows signs of fear, further exposure to the source does not always help; in fact, it can often just compound the problem. Spending as much time as possible training and teaching your dog to focus on you can have major benefits. It will help to distract him from focussing on the things that frighten him.
A carefully planned introduction to noise, sights, sounds and smells that he is not sure about backed up and alongside training that he enjoys can help him to learn that some of the noises are associated with good things.
I absolutely understand that taking lessons from an experienced dog trainer who comes with excellent recommendations are going to cost money, but I would advise you to take professional help as I feel that with the right approach to training and socialisation you could build the confidence into your dog that will be so important for his future. If you have any other questions or you are not sure who to contact, email us again and we will do everything possible to help.
Best,
Howard."
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