Why so scared?
Posting on this sub for a more nuanced opinion. I’ve had three pit mixes and they’re all so scared all the time. Is this a genetic thing, rooted in them being rescues (possible trauma?), or what?
My childhood dog was sweet and protective of me but as she got older would lash out horrifically towards other dogs, so ultimately we had to surrender her because she was unsafe and we did not have the resources to deal with it at the time. I had to break up a very bad fight once and it scarred me from handling dogs in general for a few years.
My dogs right now are much more stable (because our environment is much healthier), but unusual compared to my peers’ pets. The older one (inspiration for this post) is very timid and likes to jump into my arms or hide behind me at any strange sound. She’s leash reactive and has a nasty growl when around bigger dogs on walks, but if she gets loose will just wander around our house until someone notifies us. She loves to jump to “boop” people, but this is obviously unacceptable because she’s upward of 70 pounds and looks scary to the uninitiated. Last summer we had a horrible scare where she did such to my mom’s old friend and bit her in the process, then immediately ran off scared when everyone started freaking out. She’s getting older and grumpy and achey, so I want to be more diligent as a pit owner.
My other guy is lithe (only about 50lbs) and very friendly but submission pees so much and darts away at the slightest noise. Training has been hard because of how much he pees. Pat his head, grab his paw, push him back because he’s blocking something and there’s a 60% chance he pees. Vet has found no problem with him and it seems to just be nerves.
I guess my question is if the breed’s background in fighting/rat hunting could be cause for the severe anxiety, and what steps can be taken to lessen that. Harnesses and muzzle training on walks have been a huge help, and I know that some people in the other sub have mentioned Prozac but I don’t know how feasible that is. Thank you in advance!