When I found Lillie,she was very young,3 months old,and I wondered if she could remember her life before I got her.She is a very friendly dog,but,she is leery of strangers,most especially men.She doesn’t have an aggressive bone in her body,she just is unsure about some things.Most are funny,like when she was attacked by the hole,andthe weed,and the giant grasshopper that tried to eat her,but some are strange.When she’s with my husband,she is fine,but,when she’s with me,she gets spooked easily,and I wonder if something happened before she was dumped in my mother-in-laws yard that she could remember.I asked my cousin(who is also my mentor,and taught me to groom dogs)who has been involved with dogs for over 40 years.She rescued several,and bred champion standard poodles,and also rescued a pit a year after I did.One of her dogs Alex was rescued at 3 months as well,and had the same fear of men,because she had been beaten as a puppy before she was rescued.So,it is possible that this fear comes from her previous history,and the best thing you can do is love her to pieces,and try to comfort her when she is scared.As far as the fear of storms,and loud noises,ALOT of dogs are afraid of these things,and I have seen several natural remedies for calming dogs.There is usually stuff at natural food stores,and pet stores,but always check to make sure whatever you find is safe for your dog.Agood place to start your search is with “calming aides”,at a pet store or vet.
