@abid14385 Hey! I’m also a camper and hiker. This is EXACTLY how I felt four years ago, with my new dog who was reactive and unpredictable around other dogs and humans, and separation anxiety so couldn’t be left at home. I felt SO boxed in, like what the hell, I love my dog but I didn’t sign up for this!
Other commenters are
mostly correct that you need to learn to love the dog you have, not the dog you wanted. This is true. It’s just not everything.
You DO need to forget about taking that idyllic camping trip with them, the worry-free off-leash hike… it does not exist, and it never will.
Here is what
else we’ve done, to great success:
1) Use vet-prescribed meds to manage his anxiety. They work. They make his life better. And mine.
2) Train what we can, manage what we can’t. We spent years and $$$ reconditioning his reactivity and anxiety, making bits of progress here and there. We jingled the keys without leaving, closed the door for ten seconds then a minute, stood on the other side of the street dropping high value treats as dogs walked by, “look at that”… but could only achieve full results by also incorporating meds and management. If I need a break or have stuff to do… he might be getting crated for a few hours. He hates it. Too bad. Taking breaks helps me care for him better the other 90% of the time. We use a gentle leader on walks so he can’t lunge at other dogs. He hates the leader. Too bad. Not reinforcing destructive behavior is worth it. He still loves walks. Thankfully he’s small enough that if we encounter a dog on a narrow trail we can just pick him up. On a road, we just create some distance, use ourselves as barriers and walk right by. We
manage the situation. It makes it routine, less of a big deal, less anxiety.
3) We found a friend who wanted a dog, but couldn’t commit to having one on their own. A few years back, we had a friend who would take him for specific weeks that worked well for their schedule. We planned our vacations during those weeks. It was great. Now we have a dear friend who takes him every other week, we basically have a dog-share. Doggo loves seeing both families, and we get a break when we need it, we can travel and get out every other week. It’s a total win-win and honestly changed my life.
I hope that helps, buddy! You’re not alone!