I was thinking more about all this, Irene.

I was thinking that of all the challenges with a dog's fear and reactivity that we might encounter, the kind that is centered on one specific item is the kind that is least likely to be a result of some innate imbalance in the dog. At least, that's my experience.

All the things you've noticed about the dog's acceptance of noises, etc., that trigger fear in other dogs -- these bode well, IMO.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

I was thinking more about all this, Irene.

I was thinking that of all the challenges with a dog's fear and reactivity that we might encounter, the kind that is centered on one specific item is the kind that is least likely to be a result of some innate imbalance in the dog. At least, that's my experience.

All the things you've noticed about the dog's acceptance of noises, etc., that trigger fear in other dogs -- these bode well, IMO.

TOTALLY AGREE. This is an exceptional and pretty-well balanced dog in almost every other way. This avoidance of the TV business is akin to my own avoidance of, say, dancing.

On second thought, this dog may be more balanced than me, but...well, OK, no rythym, you get the idea

Which then brings us back to Irene's original point. Is this really a problem? So maybe the dog just goes away when the TV is on - as long as she's not uncomfortable - so what?

Connie and Rob – thank you for putting so much thought into this issue! I truly appreciate your input.

Connie, I think you have a good point. Perhaps I’ve been expecting change that is slower in coming than I might prefer. The set sits well above my dog’s eye level and is not one of those huge sets – wow…can you imagine her reaction to a large set?! – but, it would be really difficult to move to another location. I will try dimming the image or simply leaving the cable box off and turning on the set. This would result in a fuzzy, non-moving image and a bit of static. The sound makes me nuts, but doesn’t seem to affect Mika. I will start again at the 20ft level and progress according to her progress. When working with Mika I do tend to focus tightly on her, part because she sometimes has problems keeping her focus and partly because she really is a joy to work with. I’m trying to come up with some new games or activities to divert her attention from the set and onto me.

I don’t watch much TV, nor does anyone else in the house. This, of-course, helps, but in some ways it hurts because the dog is not always subject to seeing the image. BTW: her crate is still in the family room, but the door is almost always open and when the TV is on, she is permitted free run of the house. When the set is off she generally prefers spending time in her crate with the door open.

I cycle in and out of concern and anxiety about this issue. Most of the time it really doesn’t bother me that she needs to be away from the television, I mean who cares if she doesn’t enjoy the thing? But, the concern exists because I would like to take her out on the road with me and worry how she might react in a motel room. At the same time she adjusts to new environments pretty quickly, so, who knows, perhaps she’ll be just fine.
I do see Mika as essentially well balanced. She is exceptionally high energy – even for a GSD – but, she is well mannered indoors and very responsive even when running free. All in all, if this is the worst of her issues, I can’t complain too much!

Irene, my wife just wondered aloud about some sort of visual/perceptual difference that affects your dog. She's in the mental health field as well.

Have you ever just taken her into the TV room with the TV off, and put her in a down/stay facing toward you and away from the TV? Then turn on the TV? A treat every now and then to keep things engaging?

Hi Irene,

Are you able to cover the TV screen with a sheet going from opaque to sheer as she progresses?

Also, you mention her lack of confidence being an issue but your posts, don't; IMO describe a dog who lacks confidence.

What behaviors made you feel she lacked confidence? If they have been addressed by training that probably bodes well for desensitizing her to the TV but there might be a clue to what triggered the TV episode "no pun intended " in her earlier behaviors.

Also you mention you did not recognize fear the first time it happened....details about what happened the first time you noticed her react to the TV could hold some clues too.

I guess why isn't really that big a deal because desensitizing is probably your best solution but I'm curious and it could help someone else reading the post to avoid a similar situation.

And as far as the ADHD theory...why not? But why limit Mika with a label? The only thing I would be concerned with is if the studies showed seizure activity in dogs exposed to flashing lights...then I would let her handle the way she is.

Thanks, guys!
Let me address your questions: Mika doesn’t react at all when the TV is off. Her crate (door is always open anymore) is in the family room and this is where she chooses to rest whenever the set is off. Mika is not very food responsive and when anxious, she won’t even look at the best treat (beef or chicken).

When Mika was younger she became anxious in any new environment. “A new dog? Oh, I better growl and snarl before it comes near me.” New people? “I have to go hide and then growl if they come near me”; New environment – house, barn, car, etc.: “I better duck my head and not look up or it will attack me”. “YOU want me to climb that rock? I can’t go near the rock.” She often refused to walk into a new place; growled at newcomers and all unknown dogs; ducked her tail and raised her hackles at new sounds or sights (yes, I have connected this with the TV) and ran away when she saw an unknown dog or person. At one point I was concerned with her becoming fear aggressive and sent her to my breeder who is also a trainer specializing in work with aggressive dogs. She immediately taught me the difference between fear aggression (and other forms of aggression) and simple lack of confidence. Mika was there for two weeks and it made a huge difference; although, to be honest, the biggest difference was in how I learned to handle her.

Today she is much more confident and shows no signs of aggression toward animal or person. She does still show hesitancy when encountering some dogs (I can never tell which dogs will prove frightening) and some people. However, long before either the person or dog gets close I have complete control over her. If off leash, I recall her and put her on leash. We simply keep moving forward. This forces her to shift attention onto me and away from the object of her anxiety. She no longer growls at the dog or person. She does have moments when I notice she is tensing – usually in a new situation – but, I’ve learned to recognize the early warning signs and then distract her by engaging her attention in an activity such as play or obedience.

The first time she showed great anxiety around the TV was an evening when I had some friends over. We were trying to watch a movie and Mika kept pacing in front of me, whining and then cowering. I, stupidly in hindsight – got impatient and ordered her to go lie down. She did, but then started pacing again and I ordered her to go into her crate – which she did. When she still paced and whined, I shut her into the crate and failed to notice (for about 5 minutes) she was trembling and beginning to hyperventilate. When I did realize, I took her outside and allowed her to run around the dog yard for a while. It helped, but when she came back inside she still would not settle into the room. At the time I did not fully trust her loose in the house without supervision (she was just over a year old) and finally ended up putting her into another dog’s crate in the kitchen. I admit I was impatient and frustrated and did not give good energy this time.

These days Mika has the free run of the house and I no longer respond to her anxiety about the TV and simply allow her to lay down where she is comfortable – usually the doorway. As everyone has said (including me) this is not a huge issue, but if there is someway of helping her overcome this fear, I’m going to give it a try.

This might be totally out there, but does your TV have the option to dim the picture?

Since she doesn't react to the sound I am envisioning dimming the picture until it is almost invisible and doing some fun training in the vicinity, or feeding her in the vicinity etc.

Then you could SLOWLY brighten it, one setting at a time over days or weeks or even months. If she reacts let her leave and go back down a notch.

Irene,

Wow! You've really accomplished a lot! Any chance Mika might be ok around other TVs and just fear yours? After reading your explanation it sounds like a lot was going on other than the TV so maybe she hasn't generalized the fear.