I’m honestly at a loss and really need help.
Our 8-month-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever was extremely well socialized from the start. We got him at 2 months and exposed him to everything: trams, subway, busy city center, loud environments. He handled it all perfectly.
At the beginning of October, one incident changed everything. During a walk near our house, a skateboarder started doing tricks right next to him, slamming the board loudly against the concrete. My puppy had a full panic attack.
Since then, he’s terrified of electric scooters, skateboards, and walking around our own block. He often freezes or tries to run back home.
The confusing part: if we drive him somewhere else, he’s totally fine. Forest walks or different neighborhoods are great. He walks normally, relaxed and happy. But starting from our house? Almost impossible.
We’ve had multiple consultations with two different behaviorists and tried everything: treats, toys, comforting, ignoring, carrying him, controlled exposure, slow desensitization. Nothing helps. The only thing that works a bit is when another person joins us for the walk—then he can walk farther starting from home.
I feel completely hopeless. We love him so much and it’s heartbreaking to watch him be this scared.
On top of that, we’re expecting our first child in mid-March, and I’m really worried about how we’ll manage walks with both the dog and the baby.
If anyone has experienced something similar or has advice, success stories, or reassurance that this can improve, I’d be incredibly grateful.
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