Phobias

Question
I rescued a Golden/Cocker mix 6 years ago-she's about 11 now.  She has always had phobias in particular: Fire (anytype- fireplace, candles, bonfires) she wants far away right away.  I tried once to make her stay with me on the couch about 10 feet from the fireplace.  She shook like a leaf.  After 5 minutes I let go of her collar and she ran to the back door wanting out-leave a large deposit between the couch and the back door.  I cannot have a fire in the fireplace or light candles because she freaks so much.  She is also afraid of fireworks and thunderstorms.  She paces and shakes and hides whenever these occur.  Her newest phobia is when I'm cooking in the kitchen- she shakes like a leaf and wants outside right away. I know for a fact that this is because I placed a smoke alarm in the kitchen over the stove about 6 months ago.  It was very sensitive and went off sometimes when I cooked.  I'd say 5 times before I moved it.  Needless to say, when it did go off she shook like a leaf and wanted outside right away.  Now anytime I cook (even though I moved the smoke alarm) she freaks out.  Is there any thing that I can do to get her over these fears?

Answer
Hi Sharon,

Dogs can indeed have phobias, and it sounds like that's what your dog has.

Treatment can generally be carried out by using anti-anxiety medication to control the abnormal behavior and through "behavior modification", or training techniques to help desensitize and counter condition the dog to whatever is causing the fear response. In your dog's case, it's fire and smoke.  

Using  anti-anxiety medications alone is not as successful if it's not paired with training. I suggest you contact a dog behaviorist so you'd get the fastest results, though an 11 year old dog may never be fully trained out of the phobic response. Your vet can probably refer you to a behaviorist, or you can locate one here:

http://www.dogtrainersearch.com/owners/find.php

Another thing you might try is using dog pheromones to calm your dog. Dog-appeasing pheromones (D.A.P.) are commercially available,  they are marketed for its calming effects on dogs with anxiety problems. In theory, D.A.P. should be beneficial to dogs that suffer from phobias too. You can read more about Dog-appeasing pheromones here:

http://www.cal.net/~pamgreen/dog_appeasement.html


You can read more about treating fears and phobias in dogs here:

http://www.happytraining.info/publications/fears-phobias.htm

http://www.animalhumanesociety.org/bhv_desensitization.asp


Best of luck,

Patti