Question:
I have a four-year-old German Shepherd and every time she hears someone bouncing a ball she freaks out; she tries to find places to hide just to get away from the noise. Why is this?
Vanessa Thornton
Answer:
Your poor little pooch obviously has a bit of a ball (or general noise) phobia. Maybe she had a scary experience when she was little that has made her very wary. Does she act like this with thunderstorms or fireworks? If so, it’s a noise phobia (these are the most common). If not, it may be more the fast movement of the ball that frightens her. Either way, keep her at a distance from the ball playing and give her treats and praise. You are trying to teach her that nice things (like rewards) happen around balls and nothing bad happens. Take it slowly, even give her the ball to smell and check out. If the anxiety is severe she may benefit from some short-term medication to help treat the problem. Remember, if she needs to hide that’s okay — don’t push her but otherwise, gradual conditioning is what she needs to teach her that balls aren’t all that bad!
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