diary of a scaredy dog

Not the best day so far.
Cass woke me at 3am mainly cos she was bursting for a poo.not walking yesterday left her bursting. Then when we tried our 7am walk we met Benny boy at our close door, Cass is scared of him so went straight back in the house. I bribed her to walk for three minutes till she got a pee.and the morning walk is usually her best one at this stage of a freak out.we played tuggawar for ten mins and football so she's had a little exercise makeup. And the cutting down of treats is meant to start today.May have to rethink that as she likes her biscuits and will walk for food . Occasionally.
Ccx

Here's the background.

Cass is my 6year old staffie cross. She became noise phobic about two years ago after a summer storm. I was totally freaked at first she was scared of any and every sound from a bin lid closing to me coughing. any noise caused her to need to be paralysed with fear. I did everything from rescue remedy to thunder shirts to DAP collars to sedating her when I knew noises were coming. It seemed to take six weeks to get her from paralysed with fear to walking again.we would do thirty second runs up the streets quick tuggawar back to the house and build up from there. Every few months something set her right back to the beginning again and I would get very upset but then start again.sometimes I lose patience with her, I'm only asking her to walk, sometimes if . You meet us you would think us daft as I bribe and sweet talk her into one more step. Sometimes you might catch me dragging her along- she is often ok to walk once she gets out my street but I know it looks bad, I would never do it unless there is a positive and if she was totally frightened it wouldn't happen.
We had a break through in January. Cass was banned from walking for a month by the vet, she is often lame after being injured as a pup. In that month she blossomed and I decided walking wasn't that important as long as her toilets were done so we both got less stressed. She has walked well since March and e noted many walks and I thought we'd cracked it.
This week has been dreadful.My friend who drives Cass to persuade walks has gone into hospital for a bone marrow transplant which is great for her but Cass is not for walking without the car and all the thunder and lightening broke Cass completely. I have to visit ny friend daily and Cass must go to her dogsitter every day which is proving difficult. Lynn only lives three minutes away.but it's a hellishly long three mins with scaredy.I hoped to try taking Cass to her safe walks on a bus but I can't get her to the bus stop.
It will get better again.cassie is a sweet heart and such a brave girl. Every time I get her lead she is waggy tailed and ready to go try again.even though she's terrified she tries and tries and I know we will get passed this again.
She starts hydrotherapy next week.keeping her weight down is hard as nothing is constant and she needs to . Lose five kilos. I hope hydrotherapy will boost her confidence and give her some consistent exercise.

So that's my scaredy Cass

Cc x

So it's 4:30 am. one of the many joys is a scaredy at the start of a freak out is the hyper manic got so much energy and ain't walking to burn it off early morning wake ups.Lol.
Cass got me up at 3 she was ok to go out I the garden for long enough to per and chase her balls a few times.then in for breakfast and usually back to bed but not today oh no.today she got her secret weapon...mousey!
Mouse is my toy and is kept beside my bed. He's actually a bog standard soft dog toy but I have made such s big deal about him being mine that Cass knows if she can pinch him a game is guaranteed. So she pinched him whilst I was at the loo and half an hour of give me back my mousey commenced.Lol then half an hour of get to sleep you Looney I font want your kisses. And finally miss Muppet is sleeping.
I remembered yesterday that I got Cass some homeopathic hay fever tablets last year and one very unexpected side effect was they made her very cheery. I gave them to a few other dogs and th he owners reported the same.So I figured what the he'll? Will see if they help with scaredyness watch this space.

Sleeping dog is licking my feet8) 

Ccx

I'm interested in the onset of the problem with noise. Gypsy has been getting increasingly more scared of noise over the last two years. I too go through a performance of drag the dog rather than going for a walk with her! I don't get the early hours burst of energy though