2 year old chow very anxious - need advice

[Bluechow730]

Hi, I am new to this site. I own my second chow; my first one was wonderful and died at 14. When Ziva left her Mom she was flown to my state. The first night I had her at home, she broke leash and was lost for 4 days. We were so fortunate she was found. She is a beautiful, full breed blue. She lives with me, another adult female and an adult male. She is very sweet to us females but does not like the male. I have had 2 different trainers but she remains very anxious and is currently on Prozac. She will not allow anyone to enter my home. Her fear turns to aggression. Otherwise, she is well-behaved, follows commands, and is good on walks. I am growing very frustrated that my grandchildren are so frightened by her and have to run to the basement when they come over. I have tried adaptil to no avail. When we go for walks she often looks back over her shoulder. She likes to sleep cozily under my king sized bed where she feels safe. She is very socialized with dogs and goes to daycare one day a week where everyone loves her. Can anyone give me suggestions on how to work with her to become less anxious and to be more accepting of strangers?

[Constantina]

She is territorial. I am a bit anxious my advise won't work as she is already 2 years old and may be wise to my tricks. Anyway here goes. Try meeting up with your grand kids on neutral territory and beg them to not be nervous. Stay calm and ignore the dog until she is done sniffing them. Keep your baby on a leash close to you and introduce them to your grand kids and friends. Your house is her territory so she is naturally protective of it. Eventually when she gets to know them she will feel quite at home and welcome them. Why don't you take her for visits to other homes? Dogs are a lot more behaved when it is not their 'territory'.

As a puppy I took mine everywhere with me and had people carry her with me close by. I exposed her to children, the elderly, my hubby and his friends, my siblings etc. now at 1 yr old she welcomes everyone in the house. She loves people but is wary of other dogs.

[Ursa's daddy]

I have lots of questions, but we will gloss over that for now. Are you taking her out in public regularly? She needs to be exposed to the wide world. I have two chows, fairly well socialized, BUT, if I don't take them out in public they become overly protective. If she has a problem being out with a number of people, take her to a park or somewhere she can see people at a distance without having to directly interact. She needs to learn that the three adults she sees regularly are not the only people in the world. It will take her a LONG time to get used to being out and seeing other people, even at a distance.

The suggestion of meeting your grandchildren in a neutral area is a good one. I can put the harnesses on my two, and there personality adjusts. They know that the harnesses mean a ride in the van, a chance to see different things and some treats. They understand that it means they do not have to defend their territory. It really is a remarkable change. I will not say that this will happen any time soon with your dog, but she will learn that there is a difference between home and the greater world.