I'm New and in great need please help if possible

[pisces_princess]

Hello all,

My name is Diana, I live in the United States in Delaware. I am 26 years old and am in a wheelchair because I was born with Cerebral Palsy. I love animals I currently have 4 cats, one of which is a rescue that I have been struggling to find a proper home for, and my main concern among many others at the moment is my beautiful 8-year-old lab/golden retriever mix named Autumn.

I have lived with my mother and grandmother my entire life on a sizable property and I have had Autumn since she was 5 weeks old. She has always been afraid of walking on a leash, so she has always been exercised in our yards. She is absolutely terrified of getting in a car and shakes violently when going for a ride. Though we have always had a pool and I know she can swim well, she is extremely afraid of water and this includes bathing. She is fairly calm unless she feels that I am in danger and has a habit of clearing or guarding my path. Though protective she is extremely friendly when assured that a new person means no harm and has never nipped or bit anyone.

Sadly in February my grandmother passed away and we will need to find a new home which will likely be a large apartment instead of a house. This will be a big and stressful change for all of us but I'm very worried about how all these changes are affecting her. The vet says the loss of my grandmother has caused her depression. She tends to stay in my grandmother's bedroom which I made into my bedroom in order to comfort her. It has now become her habit to be with me as much as possible as if she's keeping constant watch. I'm concerned that she is sad and feeling a lot of stress.

I have been using treats to try to make her comfortable with walking on a leash using lots of praise and treats and carefully mimicking Victoria as much as possible but it is very hard to drive my wheelchair and walk Autumn she seems to be very stimulated by scent and pulls very hard or does not want to walk at all. She does not want to play as she normally would and gets very upset when we leave the house even to see a neighbor crying and whining.

I have been trying hard to work with her but Victoria says that fearful and stressed dogs can develop health problems and I have noticed that when she lays at my side at night she is trembling and I have failed in my attempts to relax her. I cannot afford a trainer although I think it may be what she needs and I have pestered the vet and have not gotten any useful advice.

I want to be able to take her for walks, give her baths, go swimming with her, play with her, leave the house without hearing sad frantic cries. I am truly afraid that depression and stress is going to shorten her life. I want to do what is best for her and give her what she needs. I'm afraid that I just don't know what I'm doing. After losing grandma I can't imagine losing my dog. Any advice is welcome. Thank you to all in advance.

[emmabeth]

Hiya, Sorry no one has responded yet... (there is a lot to think about in your post though so I suspect that is why!)..

Can you read the clicker training thread in the articles section... (have a good read through any/all of those threads really)..

And then come to the Training Advice section with the issues you want to fix, and which are the most urgent ones to sort out - give us as much detail as you can and also an idea of what you can/cant do and whether you have help available (preferably, the helpful kind of help that do as they are told and not the unhelpful kind that er, dont!)..

Right now - I would look up Bach Flower Remedies and pick out a few that would seem to apply to your dog (you'll need to find a guide as to what each remedy does but they are around and you can mix several together), her personality and specific issues.

[Mattie]

Sorry I missed this. When my husband passed away I found the Bach Flower Remedy Star of Bethlehem helped me and my dogs, it is for grief but it sounds like there is more going on with your dog than just grief. If you go to http://www.bachshop.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=32 you can do a questionairre that will tell you what she is likely to need. It is a UK firm but if you find what she needs you can buy them in the USA in health shops. If you want to know how to use them just say and I will tell you. You will need to keep doing this questionaire because she will change and may need different remedies or some leaving out.

Do you have a manual or electric wheelchair? It is much easier to walk a dog with an electric wheelchair or scooter. Dogs do get used to them, there are many dogs in the UK who go for walks next to wheelchairs.