Scaredy Pants - Just a Phase?

[Baxter Tiberius]

Baxter has been terrified of everything lately. So weird because just a few weeks ago when he was a younger pup (pre puberty), he was the most bold dog I'd ever seen. Bulldozing into everything without a care in the world. Nothing has happened in his environment to make him terrified except the stupid people above us starting construction. Now any noise, or object, and he literally runs out of the room full speed. Its the strangest thing. I put down a tiny water bottle and his ears went flat on his head in fear, and he took off running .... all the way outside the house out onto the balcony.

This is the kind of behavior that Cesar would say is a result of mistreatment, or poor training, poor socialization, etc. But its like it started literally overnight. He's developing so fast, so im sure this is just part of the many changes I see in him almost daily. For the first time in the car today he was aware of his surroundings outside the window. Its like he was taking it all in, even though he'd ridden in a car 100x before. Im sure all part of growing up.

But is this just a phase? Do English Bulldogs have a "terrified of everything" phase that they hopefully grow out of? I mean this was a tiny little water bottle. Empty. He wont even go in certain areas of the condo anymore which is just plain weird.

 

[Bazza]

Baxter has been terrified of everything lately. So weird because just a few weeks ago when he was a younger pup (pre puberty), he was the most bold dog I'd ever seen. Bulldozing into everything without a care in the world. Nothing has happened in his environment to make him terrified except the stupid people above us starting construction. Now any noise, or object, and he literally runs out of the room full speed. Its the strangest thing. I put down a tiny water bottle and his ears went flat on his head in fear, and he took off running .... all the way outside the house out onto the balcony.

This is the kind of behavior that Cesar would say is a result of mistreatment, or poor training, poor socialization, etc. But its like it started literally overnight. He's developing so fast, so im sure this is just part of the many changes I see in him almost daily. For the first time in the car today he was aware of his surroundings outside the window. Its like he was taking it all in, even though he'd ridden in a car 100x before. Im sure all part of growing up.

But is this just a phase? Do English Bulldogs have a "terrified of everything" phase that they hopefully grow out of? I mean this was a tiny little water bottle. Empty. He wont even go in certain areas of the condo anymore which is just plain weird.

LOL, There has been a few posts on this so funny how they seem to have so many of the the same issue's. Bazza is a big sook, he is scared of wind, loud noises, loud trucks going past when walking, our big lamps, things that aren't usually in the room he proceeds with caution. Hairdryer, toothbrushes etc etc. One big sook.

 

[AlphaOfGino]

Yeah, Gino has been a scaredy pants lately too.. My clothes, keys, bottles. Funny because he's not scared of big dogs at all but the smallest thing scares him.

 

[ddnene]

I do believe that bully's can be scared of unusual things, seemingly out of the blue... Bella would go ballistic over brooms, plastic bags, etc for NO reason!!! But you also have to remember, I'm sure he's still getting over that hawk incident. It seems to me that dogs do NOT forget that kind of stuff, and he may still be shook up about that. One time my boxer got hung up in the dishwasher bottom rack, and when she pulled away the entire drawer came out w/her... SHE FREAKED OUT!!! To this day she steers clear of the dishwasher... LOL

 

[Lisabear123]

Brie has recently developed a little but of a barky scare thing over a bunch of things too that makes no sense to me. I think it could be a phase, but I do know that dogs see shapes and get startled easily if those familiar shapes change...which is why sometimes they get barky at their owner out of the blue when they are wearing a hat all of a sudden, etc. bullies seem very sensitive to change. Hopefully it is just a phase!

 

[brutus77]

Did he start this behavior before or after the hawk incident? If after, I think that could have been pretty traumatic for him and I would just give him time to re adjust.

 

[fastmatt613]

It is odd but did make more sense remembering the hawk debacle. Did he used to play with water bottles with no issue as well? Rocco is fearless and barrels through anything in his way I don't think I would mind too much if he had SOME fears. I'd say give Baxtera few days, keep on the same schedule and routine you've had since you got him, and see if he improves.

 

[Samantha Orts]

We have never mistreated June with a trash bag, but she is terrified of them, and grocery bags. I guess the sound of them as we are opening it up to put in the trash can. She's also scared of the hairdryer, vaccum and broom. She just runs to her crate, or my bf or I when one of those items is being used. Again, we've never harmed her with any of those objects haha.

 

[Manydogs]

So many new sounds and traumatic hawk incident! Pups go through phases-just like kids-you know-the hang on Mommy's or Daddy's leg phase, scared of fireworks, etc. If this is after the hawk thing-it probably shook his confidence and made him QUITE conscious of everything around him-thinking it might attack!! Little by little with reassurance-but not an over abundance of cuddling each fearful time, he will gain his confidence back-he's just a little kid! Dad, reassure him-he will grow up to be a confident man!! Some people I know, left their Yorky outside to pee, and a hawk carried him off-poor old fella'. I was soooooo angry at them.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Sometimes fears do come from something traumatic or scary that has happened, sorry I missed the thread on the hawk incident, so don't know what happened, but it sounds like it was something that definitely scared him. And sometimes their fears or nervousness is something that is just their personality, and nothing that has happened, or any known cause. My male Bulldozer has been skittish since day one when we brought him home,he is afraid of the vacuum, the broom, he is afraid of bags, loud noises, or bangs, fireworks freak him out, and he becomes a bundle of nerves, he doesn't like walking on busy roads, the sound of the traffic whooshing by scares him. My female who is his sister and litter mate, we bought them at the same time, and have been together since birth, has a very different personality, she is full of beans, always full of energy, she is fearless, nothing phases her, and she is very dominate, not in an aggressive or vicious way, over her brother, but she definitely is the boss, and she will take everything away from poor Dozer, but he doesn't care, and he lets her. They love each other, and sleep and cuddle together, but she's the boss of him. Lol. Blossom loves to walk and will walk for hours, and go on long trails with us, but Dozer, well he's just Dozey, he's very lazy, and doesn't like to walk for more than 10 minutes, he will literally flop on the ground with all 4 legs sprawled out and will refuse to walk. He would much rather sleep. They have been brought up the same, but just have very different personalities.

 

[JennieS]

Ruthie went through a period where if the wind blew wrong she would freak out. She's getting much better but is still scared of lots of things.

 

[mer55]

So funny you posted this! Bogey as a small pup would stop dead in his tracks for anything that scared him, but would then BRAVELY investigate and move on. Now at a year old, he is afraid of aluminum foil, ONE of my kitchen chairs, any loud noises outside at night only (during the day the noise does not bother him!) and get this- I put a scary looking pumpkin that lights up out on our porch, SURE that this would totally freak him out! Nope, he just sniffed it and moved on. But, Ed put out new solar lights the next night, and Bogey would not walk past the last one. For some reason, the first 3 didn't bother him! And they say WE are neurotic!

 

[Davidh]

It's from the construction above. He hears the noise and feels the vibrations under his feet and it is freaking him out. Try not to react to his behavior, but try to redirect him to something else, like a toy. I would not give him a treat or he will think it is OK for him to be scared. When we have a thunderstorm out side and it's thundering, we try not to react to this and if they bark, I will tell them to knock it off like I always do when they bark at something. Sometimes just turning up the TV a little more will calm them down as they will think it's coming from the TV and will pay no attention to the thunder. It will just take time for him to get used to the noise.

 

[Samantha Orts]

Oh, and June is scared of the rain gutters on the sidewalk where we walk a couple times a week. She won't even walk towards them! I have to pick her up, walk over the mean scary rain gutters and then put her down and she'll walk happy as can be. I think one of the first times we took a walk, one of them moved and made a noise as I walked over it and scared her.

AND my bf put these scary pumpkin zombies on the porch and she wants to play with them!?! I think they scare me more than her... why couldn't he get some cute ghosts or something?!

 

[Lokismom]

Loki is the biggest puss ever! He was the most outgoing fun loving bully ever till puberty came then everything started to change. One thing I figured out that he HATES change so if I move something around set something where "it doesn't belong" or the neighbors decide to leave a ball in the back yard he is scared. Until I show him it is ok. He was coming out of it until the seizures then we reverted back to scared of everything