When you live with a fearful dog, I’ve found that it’s easy to get weighed down by all of their issues. The fears are often the only things you can think about when you consider your dog and watch them interact with the outside world.

Pyrrha is our fearful dog, and she will always have fear issues. I’m coming to terms with this reality, but I also want to take the time to consider the ways in which she’s made progress and the things she’s overcome since coming to live with us in May 2012.
This probably seems like a silly list to someone who has a confident, stable dog — and trust me, if I had to list the things Eden wasn’t afraid of, we’d be here a while — but these things represent milestones in Pyrrha’s gradual development.
So, here are:
10 Things My Fearful Dog Isn’t Afraid of
- Me! (Now, she treats me like I hung the moon and the stars, but for the first few weeks in our home, she didn’t want anything to do with me. Our relationship has clearly transformed since then.)
- House guests. (She’s even not afraid of male house guests anymore, which is a big accomplishment for her.)
- Squirrels, birds, and any other small vermin. (Her wavelength: Mmm, mobile snacks!)
- Other dogs, when the dogs are in an off-leash context. (Despite her reactivity to other dogs on walks, she actually adores other dogs and loves playing with them.)
- The guitar. (Used to hide in her crate when Guion played the guitar; now sees it as a normal part of life.)
- Riding in the car. (She loves car rides and has always traveled like a champ.)
- Fireworks.
- Thunderstorms.
- The elderly.
- Skateboards or bicycles or other similar moving objects on the street.

If you have a fearful dog, how have you seen her or him progress? What are some things your fearful dog isn’t afraid of?