Overcoming object fear (my chair!)

madie4589

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Feb 9, 2015
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Frank
Okay, for those who missed my earlier thread I was dealing with some anxiety issues with Frank. I pinpointed an incident that happened while we were in my recliner chair. He fell off, taking the end table and lamp down with him. I grabbed for him and he screamed. Since then he will not sit in my chair with me, and shows obvious anxiety when I'm in the chair!! This is not good since this is our little snuggle chair and we relax in it together almost every night.

Today we came home and he was great happy frank. I sat in the chair and he immediately quit playing with his chew toy and started pacing from the living room to the kitchen. He was clearly distressed. I moved from my chair to my couch and he hopped right up. He's currently snoring at my side as I write this.... My boyfriend has also told me that he hides behind the chair when they play sometimes, so that could also cause him to be anxious about the chair. So, I'm happy to have found the source of his anxiety but what can we do to fix this?
 

Manydogs

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I would just sit on the couch with him. Don't even pay attention to the chair-and don't try to get him in it. Give it time, and then sometime put a tempting treat on the chair.
Maybe he will get the courage to go near the chair to get the treat. He probably got:whew: really scared, and of course to bad chair did it to him. That was quite traumatic!
 

JakeP

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May 6, 2014
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My Jake is scared of this metal cylinder that I have in the kitchen. Probably because it shows a distorted reflection of himself or what. He tiptoes around it and walks really really slow (like he is about to wake up the distorted image and bite him) and then once is has walked passed it, he runs! What I did to help him get over it was I put his food and water near that cylinder. But first, I had to stay with him a few times to give him comfort that Mommy's there and he will need not be scared. Now, he is eating in front of that cylinder with no issues.

It takes time and patience. I talk to my Jake like a baby and gives him plenty of reassurance. I guess he picks up that I'm not anxious and he should not be as well.
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
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I would just sit on the couch with him. Don't even pay attention to the chair-and don't try to get him in it. Give it time, and then sometime put a tempting treat on the chair.
Maybe he will get the courage to go near the chair to get the treat. He probably got:whew: really scared, and of course to bad chair did it to him. That was quite traumatic!


Agree -- ignore the chair for awhile and let him warm back up to it. Maybe even place treats near it and have him 'find' it on his own

Banks was terrified of empty trash bags her whole life -- I could place it on the floor and she would play with it, but as soon as it was in anyone's hand -- she hid behind the coffee table.
 

TyTysmom

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Nov 4, 2014
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Tyson aka "Ty-Ty"
Tyson was terrified of foil. I would take it out, and he'd run for the hills. So I started putting a piece on the floor, with a treat on top. He would run, grab the treat, and take off. LOL it was so funny. But I think like others said, let the "chair" cool off, and give him some time.
 
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madie4589

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Feb 9, 2015
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okay, so I'll have to cool it with the chair thing! It'll be weird because that's where I always sit and BF is always on the couch. guess he'll have to share with me and frank for a while :)

I feel so bad that I was blaming my boyfriend when in reality it was an incident that happened with ME!! :ashamed:
 

2BullyMama

I'm not OCD....now who moved my bulldog?
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Jul 28, 2011
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Gilbertsville, PA
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Chelios (Frenchie), Nitschke (2004-2011) Banks (2005-2014) and Lambeau (2014-2024)
okay, so I'll have to cool it with the chair thing! It'll be weird because that's where I always sit and BF is always on the couch. guess he'll have to share with me and frank for a while :)

I feel so bad that I was blaming my boyfriend when in reality it was an incident that happened with ME!! :ashamed:

Nah, you can still find a reason for it to be his fault :D
 

Jackieshoes

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Sep 30, 2012
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Dexter
Dexter acts like this with any object he deems 'unsafe' I never know what it'll be from day to day. Always the flyswatter, any kind of aerosol spray and a lot of other stuff. Sometimes he attacks it and sometimes he hides. We have made a joke of it now... He's just scared of everything
 

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