Hi All,

I have a bitch who i got off a family friend , I have one of her pups as well who is 18 months old.

The dog in question i dont her her past ie first 2 yrs of her life,

Since the clocks have gone back and we have to walk in the dark at times due to returning late from work i have noticed she is terified of the car lights? She panics so much that last night she was sick when we got home....I have now decided not to take her out in the dark as she is that scared!!!!

Does any one no -or have experince of their dogs being like this?

Any suggestons welcome

At present trying to get her out in the day inbetween work hrs so at least she get walks but today went outside in the day light and she freaked out again and pulled me back to the car?

Thanks

I had this problem with my male Rottweiler.  He was terrified of car headlights at night, so much so as he got bigger and stronger I didn't like walking him incase for any reason he escaped.  Now at the age of 2 he is no problem and I can walk him anytime with or without lights on cars!!

I just very gradually got him used to car headlights, we'd walk up and down my road (quiet cul-de-sac) through carparks so he could wander round cars at his own pace and just using the general distraction technique (food or toys).  It took a while but we got there in the end.

Thanks for your post, I tried taking out her fav treats and when we are on the quiet estate she still freaks out!!!

> I tried taking out her fav treats and when we are on the quiet estate she still freaks out

Timing is critical, my 15month old dog has decided car lights are a bit freaky (he too has not been walked in the dark up unitll now). What I am finding to work wonders is, before the dog has chance to get frightened, I offer a treat (exitedly - "whazzzzz thizzzzzzz" in a high-pithced voice), being a foodie, he'll look at the treat, I have this timed to an art where he'll turn his head to me to eat the treat as the car passes, so in only a couple of days he's relaxing allready about carlights, as passing car now = treats.

Failing that, is is possible to sit inside your front door with the dog on a lead and watch the traffic, using distraction and reward to make a positive association, she may be a bit braver inside the front door?

Have you had her eyes tested by a vet?  Might be an idea to make sure she doesn't have night blindness, which might explain why she is so panicked by the sudden onset of headlights.

I am taking her to the vets Monday to get checked out for her eyes!!!

This it the first thing i thought of as i have had another dog who though did not have the same thing but acted like how she is,

Now have appointment tomorrow, Really worried as she presets the same as my young dog when she was first diganosied with Glaucoma....

( sorry for spelling mistakes----on strong pain killers)