Scared of dog walker

[alixb]

My dog has been getting more nervous about going with her dog walker. The dog walker has been trying to get her to relax & lie down in the van. Hope is very noisy in the car. She pants loudly, trills & cries. The last few times Hope does not want to leave. She goes into complete submissive posture & shakes like a leaf. I'm a bit torn because she comes back happy & I need help but her fear is really upsetting me. She has enough to deal with as I brought her to the city from a hunting farm. Thoughts?

[LucyTudeOn4Feet]

Find a new dog walker. Both of you walk Hope together for a couple of days and have play sessions with Hope together (paying for the person's visits, of course) before the walker is on their own with Hope. That's what I would try.

And there's no way I'd let Hope go anywhere with the old one. I wouldn't subject my dog to a person that caused her to behave that way. I don't care how inconvenient it was for me; if my dog was acting that way with a person, I'd err on the side of caution and have my dog's back.

[SunDance]

Why is this dog walker working with her with the van? She already has issues with travel...why isn't the walker just walking her? Could easily be that Hope is just anticipating the ride...not afraid of the walker, especially since she returns happy.

[Maxx&Emma]

I am going to go out on a limb here and assume your current dog walker is initially transporting Hope, along with other dogs, to an appropriate area for off leash play time. If this is the case , knowing Hope has serious issues riding in a vehicle, I think your only option is to find a dog walker that will walk Hope without putting her in a vehicle. I would definitely put the skids on putting Hope in such a stressful situation, immediately.

[alixb]

I am going to go out on a limb here and assume your current dog walker is initially transporting Hope, along with other dogs, to an appropriate area for off leash play time. If this is the case , knowing Hope has serious issues riding in a vehicle, I think your only option is to find a dog walker that will walk Hope without putting her in a vehicle. I would definitely put the skids on putting Hope in such a stressful situation, immediately.

I have pretty much decided that I will do that. The walker seems more intent on "training" her. I never really asked her for that. i mean I appreciate her help but I have a trainer, who is one of the best in Canada. I agree with you, I don't want her to be anymore stressed than she already is. thanks for helping me.

[alixb]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I called Hope's trainer who said she is probably overwhelmed by the other dogs & being in a van not properly restrained.I didn't get a good feeling the first time I put her in that van. Even today, twice Hope didn't want to leave for a walk with me because she thought she was going with the walker. She went into that fearful position & started shaking, wouldn't come down the stairs with me.
anyway: no more walks with this dog walker. Since poor Hope has so many other things that are new, maybe I made a mistake on this one.
thank God I have that one great trainer who always has my back

[Maxx&Emma]

We all make mistakes with our dogs, it is all about correcting them appropriately! I am very glad you have stopped this dog walker, it sounds like more was going on than you were aware of.