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Old 04-16-2013, 08:13 PM   #5
yorkietalkjilly
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Location: D/FW, Texas
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I would keep doing what you are doing for a few more times until she gets the point that it isn't always scary to walk past those dogs and that you are there for her. Then, in time, when she readily relaxes with being carried past those places and it's kind of ho-hum to her, can you maybe try starting to put her down and then pick her right up again when you get to her scary place and just keep doing that for a while until she figures out that while she is down on the sidewalk, nothing bad happens even though dogs are barking and besides, you pick her up soon and get her quite safely past it and continue the walk on the sidewalk?

In time, you should be able to leave her down a little longer each time and eventually even encourage her to take a couple of steps before you pick her up and walk her past that place. A nice treat for that each time, too.

Showing her it is possible to endure the scary places with your help should start to calm her in time and start to make her feel these dogs are not so scary so that setting her down and then back up shouldn't be that bad and slowly work up to her walking by on the sidewalk in time. Usually, with enough repetitions, both she and the other dogs should grow used to this happening and the barking dogs stop barking so very wildly when she comes by and just bark an acknowledgment and go on with their lives.

But this method will expose her to the the sidewalk and being down there on the leash where the dogs bark at her in very short bursts whereupon she's immediately relieved to be whisked back into your arms and security. She'll settle into accepting that and one day you will leave her down there just a tad longer before you pick her up and walk past. Worked up to slowly that way, she should accept being down there with them barking for long enough to walk on past as just part of what happens. I'll bet you two can do it in time.
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