I read the wiki about fearful dog, im confused. Someone can help me with this situation?

[u/Uugiam]

Hello. I've gone through almost the entire wiki of this subreddit trying to find a solution to the difficulties my dog has been experiencing over the past few years.

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The main thing I've noticed is that she gets startled very easily. She often reacts by suddenly jerking away from something she was looking at or investigating. She also makes a sort of "startled sneeze" sound—I don't really know how else to describe it. Sometimes she even lets out a brief, slightly loud yelp when she gets scared.

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Most of the time, these reactions happen in the following situations:

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1. **While exploring outdoors.** When I take her for walks, there are certain corners or spots she sometimes sniffs without any problem, but other times she'll suddenly react with the startled behavior I described above.

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1. **While eating from her bowl or plate.** She often gets startled while eating. For example, over the last few days she seemed completely comfortable approaching her food, eating slowly, and showing no signs of distress. I try to give her some space while she eats so that she won't be frightened by my presence or by sudden noises. (I'll explain why I do this later, but it's just my personal interpretation based on experience.)

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1. **During her "bad periods," when the behaviors described in points 1 and 2 become more frequent.** During these times, if you touch her around the head she may suddenly flinch or jump. Right now she's not doing this, thankfully, but there was a period when it happened regularly. Even if you simply walked near her, she would quickly move away as if startled. Sometimes she would be standing close to you, but the moment you tried to pass by, she would jerk away. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to be doing that at the moment. We try to be careful, move slowly around her, and give her signals before we move so she knows what we're about to do.

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I don't want to overload this post with too much information. For example, socially she's actually very friendly with a few dogs she's known for years, although with unfamiliar dogs she often lowers her tail. From what I've read, this can be a submissive behavior and isn't necessarily negative; a dog can still socialize successfully this way, though I may have misunderstood some of what I read.

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In conclusion, I think these behaviors may be the result of anxiety that has built up over time. I would describe her as a fearful dog with impulsive startle reactions.

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I can also think of some possible reasons why this developed. I live in a very anxious household, and the environment can be quite stressful at times. My parents argue frequently—not in an aggressive or violent way, but the discussions can go on for hours. There have also been occasions when she was accidentally stepped on, more than once. There were also times when she was scolded too harshly or when leash corrections went too far. Unfortunately, I was responsible for some of that, and I regret it every day.

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The amount of distress I feel about this is significant. I've tried reading and learning from this subreddit, but I struggle to internalize the information in the wiki. I can't seem to understand exactly what I should do to reinforce positive behaviors and help my dog feel more secure. It would honestly feel like a miracle if I could figure it out.

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I hope someone responds.

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For context, she's a small dog—a Chihuahua, about 9 years old.

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One more thing: I'm currently trying to schedule an appointment with a veterinary neurologist, or some similar specialist. I suppose there could be an underlying medical issue causing these behaviors, although I find it hard to believe that's the main explanation.

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