I have a very strong dog that is highly reactive. There have been incidents of him getting loose and running out in the street. I am petrified of him pulling me down. I am so embarrassed of clinging to trees or mailboxes when something goes by. Everyone else I know can walk him okay. I use a cane and have a bad leg. This keeps us from getting exercise we both need. It's gotten so that if I see a car come around the corner, I panic. Now we walk out in the back field, where, ironically, I actually DID fall when I tripped on some tall grass. We have had trainers. I'm brave when someone else is around, but once I'm alone....
Fear of falling down
- Thread starter Janie
- Start date
janemariesayed
Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2016
- Messages
- 2,417
- Reaction score
- 509
Hiya Janie. Nice to have another Jane here! 
I have two strong active dogs as well but I don't really have the same problem to your degree. The answer is for you to go with your dog to dog training class once per week. Just you and him. He is not seeing you as the Alpha when you are out together. School will train you both how to overcome that properly. He may see your disability as a weakness and know that he can get away with things. He doesn't mean to harm you, he does love you as one of the pack, but he is alpha over you, not you over him.
So you need to change that and the proper way to go about it where you will see change is to go to class. I hear you say that you have had trainers but how was this? Were other members of your family present? It is vitally important that no one is present other than the two of you. And it is also important not to train him at his own territory.
You and him must go to a strange ground with a new trainer. Even if you have to get a taxi there, don't even have a member of your family drive you. Your dog must feel like he is out with you and you alone. Then the two of you get instruction. He will then begin to realise how he has to behave when he is out with you and start to see you as the Alpha. At the moment he see's your disability as a weakness and uses it to misbehave.
Please let me know how you get on. Fellow dog lover.
I have two strong active dogs as well but I don't really have the same problem to your degree. The answer is for you to go with your dog to dog training class once per week. Just you and him. He is not seeing you as the Alpha when you are out together. School will train you both how to overcome that properly. He may see your disability as a weakness and know that he can get away with things. He doesn't mean to harm you, he does love you as one of the pack, but he is alpha over you, not you over him.
So you need to change that and the proper way to go about it where you will see change is to go to class. I hear you say that you have had trainers but how was this? Were other members of your family present? It is vitally important that no one is present other than the two of you. And it is also important not to train him at his own territory.
You and him must go to a strange ground with a new trainer. Even if you have to get a taxi there, don't even have a member of your family drive you. Your dog must feel like he is out with you and you alone. Then the two of you get instruction. He will then begin to realise how he has to behave when he is out with you and start to see you as the Alpha. At the moment he see's your disability as a weakness and uses it to misbehave.
Please let me know how you get on. Fellow dog lover.
Hi Jane! I was pushed down an escalator as a kid by accident and also almost died as a kid by tripping down the stairs (luckily my dad caught me) to this day I can't go down steep stairs or escalators always have to take elevators everywhere! No big deal for me but extremely annoying to other people! That's just one of the three main phobias I have! Perhaps, in your situation a new trainer could help? Tame him a bit more? I lost most of my eye sight in my right eye freakishly so it makes depth perception even harder! So I can relate! It seems like just with my escalator phobia an alternative could help.. have you tried reaching out to a phobia specialist?
janemariesayed
Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2016
- Messages
- 2,417
- Reaction score
- 509
So your mishaps as a child has caused you to have a fear in your older life. That is the way it goes I'm afraid. I haven't reached out to any phobia specialist because I don't really have any phobias. Not that would warrant that kind of therapy anyway. My problem is PTSD, anxiety and agoraphobia! So yes, I do have that phobia but the reason needs to be addressed by the world's governments. Till that is done, then I'm staying put in my little safe abode.
Why do I need a new dog trainer?
Mine do pull on the lead but it's not a problem for me. I'm the boss and they behave very good as pets for me.So your mishaps as a child has caused you to have a fear in your older life. That is the way it goes I'm afraid. I haven't reached out to any phobia specialist because I don't really have any phobias. Not that would warrant that kind of therapy anyway. My problem is PTSD, anxiety and agoraphobia! So yes, I do have that phobia but the reason needs to be addressed by the world's governments. Till that is done, then I'm staying put in my little safe abode.
Why do I need a new dog trainer?
I was replying to first Jane lol.. sorry for the confusion about the dog trainer!
XmasCarol52
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2016
- Messages
- 1,117
- Reaction score
- 258
I do not have any pets but I can tell you I did have a very bad fall about 14 years ago before that i kept on falling .Even went to the hospital the doctor refused to check me in ,I even used my walker I later found out that my legs were weak.I even fell here twice now,So I do have a major fear of falling that is why I dont go anywhere unless I have someone near me.
janemariesayed
Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2016
- Messages
- 2,417
- Reaction score
- 509
janemariesayed
Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2016
- Messages
- 2,417
- Reaction score
- 509
My dad had to use a stick for the latter part of his life. He had a tin leg since he was 18, so by the time he had retired, it was his good leg that had started playing up. Probably because he had been putting most of his weight on that leg all his life. I get arthritis in my hip and I know that I would find it difficult to walk at some point. I'd get one of those motorised chairs to get me about. I'd be afraid of falling too so I know how you feel.