Obsessed and frightened

Question
I have kind of a double question, both directed toward the same dog. We got him about a year ago from a family we know who was taking care of him for around a week while his owners were away. They were abusive and didn't love him, so we got him. Before that family he lived with a drug dealer who also didn't treat him well.
Needless to say, he is a great dog, and we've trained him well, except that he does a few strange "things" that we would like to sort out a bit. He is a Jack Russell Terrier.

His first weird thing is that he has a strange obsession with water. We live by a lake, and he and our other dog go swimming regularly on warmer days. But when he sees water, he charges into it as fast as he can, and swims and barks a high pitched squeak. He does not come back to shore unless he something is thrown, and then the moment he gets back, he charges out again. If we weren't there to keep an eye on him, he would never come out of the water and drown. This is not nearly a "want" to go in the water. This is a "need". If he isn't in the water, but near it, he barks and shakes uncontrollably. If you splash a hose near him, he'll go after it with such ferocity that if your hand is near the water and he gets you, he draws blood. I'm not sure if I'm describing it right, but it's just . . . weird. I'd really like to be able to go swimming with him without having him squeak or fear him drowning. He's swam into the middle of the lake before, and we had to rescue him on a boat we found by the water.

The next thing is that he is terrified of these windows in my house that make a loud noise when we open them. He cannot go in a room with them, and we would like to know how to calm him down enough so that he can get over it and come into these rooms.

Thanks! He is a great dog and we love him to death! He just needs a little . . . work.  

Answer
Hello Andy,

Your dog suffers from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). Perhaps it was caused by abuse at the hands of his previous owners.

Depending on his age, the prognosis can be good. The older he is the more difficult the problem is to rectify.

You want to initially concentrate on honing his obedience skills. Train him to reliably do all the core commands such as sit, down, stay, heel, etc. This should teach him to "cue in" and focus on you.

Next, you should gradually expose him to the stimulus that evokes response (water, windows). You must remain calm and confident during the process so that he may cue into your calmness. Correct inappropriate behavior and reward calm behavior. If he is treat oriented, use food rewards.

OCD is a complex issue that it very difficult to treat. Be patient and go very slowly. It often takes months to correct and if you don't see any progress you may wish to consider professional help.

Good Luck!

Sandy