Scared of traffic

[Jason Wilson]

Monty was raised in the country, and now we have brought him to the burbs in Portland. He is afraid of traffic, including bikes (a big problem in this town!) He won't walk anywhere. If I carry him to the car I can take him to the pub or the coffee shop and he is usually quite happy, but walking on the street is a non-starter. I am not wanting to get too concerned about it yet - he's just coming up on eleven weeks old and I imagine we'll get through it. But if anyone has any surefire tips I'd be glad to hear them. Thanks!

[Nikki & Charlie]

Charlie is scared of bikes too! lol Why don't you spend a couple minutes every day near traffic... close enough for him to see/hear it but not so close that he's right beside it? Give him some treats, pet him and just reassure him that it's okay. Keep increasing the time by a minute or so every couple of days and maybe he'll get used to it?

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We deliberately exposed Ned when he was a puppy to traffic, trains, bikes, etc.  You have to be gentle about it but calm.  We would go sit in places where he would be exposed to something and 'watch' so that he could see the sights and sounds.  Since Monty is so young, I don't see anything wrong with carrying him some places as long as you take the time to let him absorb the sights and sounds.  We used a park for bikes and skateboard exposure. You have to be careful to exhibit calm acceptance of this stuff (like it is the ordinary stuff it is)  and not 'reassure your baby that everything is okay' - this only reinforces that there is something wrong rather than reinforcing that it is part of the normal day.

[MichaelJH2000]

He just needs to be de-sensitized to it and to do that, needs consistent exposure several times a day. When he is showing signs of anxiety or nervousness, you need to be calm and behave like everything is normal. Do not console or baby talk him when this happens. He is still very much a young puppy and will get used to it. We live in the city and our dog was afraid of buses, bicyclists..etc and after a few weeks, she was fine. 

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

Find an outdoor cafe so something like that to go and sit often where he can get used to all the sights and sounds of urban life. And be patient. He'll overcome it soon enough if you neither avoid traffic nor force him into an overwhelming situation.

[Jason Wilson]

Thanks everyone. I went straight out the front of our house today and sat him on the curb for a good hour, and he saw cars, cyclists and people. After that we managed a walk around the block. I am sure he will be fine -- I am just a nervous new doodle owner at the moment! Thanks again for your advice.