scared beagle

Question
I have a very scared 5 year old female beagle named Molly. Her quality of life is not very good, due to being so scared. She just mopes around all the time looking very sad. She has not always been this way, and it is getting worse. She will not play at all anymore with my other beagle. They both stay in the house, any little noise at all sends her under the bed.  I am worried about her, because it has triggered seizures before. How can I get this out of her?      Thanks, Eric

Answer
Hi Eric,

You didn't say if you've already ruled out medical causes for Molly's fear, or for the seizures.   You also didn't say if Molly had fearful responses to things other than loud noises or not.

You can try a "Desensitization Technique" which can help Molly get used to loud noises. It can help with her level of fear, though it may not make her completely fearless.

How to Use the Desensitization Technique

Begin by exposing Molly to a very low level or small amount of whatever it is that's causing her fear. For example, if she is afraid of bicycles, start with a bicycle placed at a distance of 100 feet from your dog.
Reward her for calm, non-fearful behavior in the presence of the bicycle. Gradually move the bicycle closer to her. As long as your dog remains relaxed, reward her with treats and praise. If at any point she becomes anxious, move the bicycle further away and proceed at a slower pace.
When your dog can remain relaxed in the presence of a stationary bicycle, move the bicycle 100 feet away again, but have someone ride it slowly by her. Again, gradually increase the proximity of the slowly moving bicycle, rewarding your dog for remaining calm and relaxed. Repeat this procedure as many times as necessary, gradually increasing the speed of the moving bicycle.
This process may take several days, weeks, or even months. You must proceed at a slow enough pace that your dog never becomes fearful during the desensitization process. You need to be patient with your dog and work hard not to become frustrated during the desensitization process. If you move too quickly you won't be successful.

Because desensitization conditioning can be difficult techniques to master, and because behavior problems may increase if these techniques are done incorrectly, you may want to get professional, in-home help from an animal-behavior specialist.

Since Molly hasn't always been so fearful, and it's a condition that's getting worse over time you may want to consider medication. Medication is available to help reduce Molly's anxiety levels for short time periods. Drug therapy alone may simply suppress the behavior rather than eliminate it unless new responses are taught. So contacting an animal-behavior specialist while medicating Molly is your best choice for success.

Here is a short article you can read regarding fear and phobias in dogs:
http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/fear2.html

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,
Patti