The only thing I would add to Allison's post is that, depending on the dog and severity of the fear, the time finally comes to give a correction and tell them to "cut it out". In other words this is not acceptable and enough is enough. Some do get better with age, some do not. You do walk a fine line with these dogs and the way the handler deals with the situation can make all the difference. It is a matter of reading the dog and knowing when to push and when to back off. Take it slow and don't push too far, too fast.

Debbie

Nick. It's good to hear that he is unphased by the many other noises that he's exposed to. You live in LA....how is he with gun shots? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

If he's just a pet, I wouldn't get rid of him either. I had a GSD for 8 years (too short) who had weak nerves. (She was American lines...go figure.) She was just a pet. I did basic obedience work with her, but that was it. Anyway, she was always timid around strangers and startled by very loud noises (gun fire, car backfiring). She did get progressively worse as she got older. Instead of warming up to a new person in the house in only 10 or 15 minutes, she would need to see them over the house several times before she was okay. (She would bark at them, then run.) She also grew to be scared of thunderstorms and fireworks. Other then a shaking GSD tring to climb in my lap during a thunderstorm, it really wasn't a big problem for me. I would crate her when new people came over and I didn't take her into situations where she would have free access to strangers, especially children. She never did become a fear biter, but that could have been because I was aware of the issue and didn't let her get into that kind of a situation.

You can try some of the suggestions that others have written in the post. I did try most of them with her and none of them worked. Just be aware of the potential for fear biting in the future, watch for signs and plan/act accordingly.

Have you ever heard of noise desensitivisation tapes? For dogs? In Europe you find those - very selectively. Anyways, make your own...and use it like you would with recently born puppies during imprinting. All kinds of sounds, start with low volume and increase it.

At first it will be a pain in the ass, but you'll begin to block it out.

Your dog will too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hunting dog folks used to use 'em all the time.
But, it works better if they are exposed during critical periods before the startle reflexes come into play. Of course in a one year old your stuck desensitizing the dog if you can.

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By telling a dog, "good boy, it's ok..." when they are nervous, you are only nuturing that feeling and he thinks that he has an approval from you to be nervous and the problem worsens. By ignoring his nervousness and calmly, confidently(and mostly silently) applying a little more stress (depending on your dog, that may mean getting closer to smell or walking a block away again) to prove that there's nothing wrong. Depending on your bond and leadership, your dog should look to you for a reaction. Would anyone else agree?

I agree mostly, but I don't think speaking calmly necessarily reinforces the reaction. My pup (5 months) seems to do well with calm reassurance in fearful situations. For example, she was fearful when first encountering steel doors in a sidewalk. They bounce and bang and emit strange odors. The first time she tried to turn away, obviously fearful. I parked her a few feet away and waited for other people to cross the doors while I petted and reassured her. Then I moved closer to the doors, allowing her to remain stationary, still speaking to her in a low voice. Finally I moved onto the doors and squatted, with her at the other end of the leash, and coaxed her nearer. She finally sat with me on the doors. Now we walk over them like it's nothing. I think reassurance was the key. It's possible that what works at 5 months won't work at one year, but at least for now, my method is to reassure her while continuing to face the situation until she is no longer anxious. This has worked in other situations as well.

It would be hard to desensitize a dog to fireworks in such a short time. I would look at the herbal solutions for the time being, but work on the stressful situations a little bit at a time. Learn or hire a trainer to help you understand your dogs body language so you can reinforce the the right behaviors.

Check this link. Ed sells herbal products online
http://www.leerburg.com/48.htm