My 14 month old mixed breed dog is suddenly afraid of objects he's been exposed to in the past, advice would be appreciated!

Hi Cindy,

I have a 14-month-old intact male mix breed dog who recently developed a fear of overhead objects like signs, statues, and awnings. All day to day things he been exposed to before. He’s well exercised with 2–3 off-leash walks daily, plays tug, is e-collar trained, and walks politely on leash.

This started after a desensitizing session outside the dog park. He’s very social and excitable (no aggression), and I was applying negative pressure with a slip lead when I saw signs of arousal. Two dominant pit bull mixes ran the fence line, which stressed him out. I moved him away, had him sit, and a gust of wind kicked up debris into a nearby statue, which startled him. He backed away, tail tucked.

Since then, he’s been more anxious and reactive to overhead movement and noise. I’m worried I applied too much pressure and created this fear—or was it just bad timing and too much too fast?

Any thoughts or advice would be really appreciated. Thank you!