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    betty wood's Avatar
    betty wood Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Dec 12, 2012, 10:41 PM
    My dog was sprayed by a skunk and...
    My dog a poople was sprayed by a skunk and since then she has changed. She has gone from a nice friendly dog to a dog that hids under the bed and want lay by me. What can I do so she goes back to the dog she was.
    mogrann's Avatar
    mogrann Posts: 860, Reputation: 193
    Dogs Expert
     
    #2

    Dec 13, 2012, 09:46 AM
    Have you taken the dog to the vet to make sure she did not get injured by the spraying? I am thinking maybe some got in her eyes or ears and it hurts. You could call them and ask them on the phone if you need to bring her in. I do know vets can be expensive.
    Lucky098's Avatar
    Lucky098 Posts: 2,594, Reputation: 543
    Ultra Member
     
    #3

    Dec 13, 2012, 12:47 PM
    Does she still smell? The smell could be stressing her out. I've heard that tomato juice helps get rid I the smell

    She was probably traumatized by getting sprayed by a skunk. Some dogs just aren't brave
    Alty's Avatar
    Alty Posts: 28,317, Reputation: 5972
    Pets Expert
     
    #4

    Dec 13, 2012, 04:38 PM
    My guess would be that your dog is not only upset by the incident, but likely by your reaction to it. Most fears that dogs have are created by the people that love them most, unwittingly.

    How did you react when she was sprayed? Did you handle it calmly or did you freak out? Be honest with yourself, and know that I'm not judging. I don't know many people that wouldn't react badly if their dog was sprayed by a skunk.

    This may be a reaction to your reaction, in which case you'll need to teach her to be unafraid. Not an easy task, and not something I could help you with online. I'd recommend a behaviorist specializing in fear based anxiety issues.

    One case I'm reminded of was a great dane that was afraid to walk on the kitchen lino. The owner had no idea why the dog was so scared. When the history was gathered, it came to light that one day the owner was washing the kitchen floor. The dog came in and the owner freaked out, didn't want the dog to track dirt on her newly washed floor.

    After that the dog was terrified to even go near the kitchen, because of the reaction of the owner.

    It took a lot of patience and positive reinforcement, to get the dog used to walking on the floor again, and get over her fear.

    The only main issue I see for you is that there's really no way to get a dog over the fear of a skunk, without introducing a skunk, and I think we can all agree that that's not going to happen. ;)

    Find a good animal behaviorist in your area, that would me my suggestion.

    Good luck.

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