When you are dealing with something that an animal is afraid of, the best approach is to find his "comfort" distance from the thing that scares him. A busy street makes this a bit more difficult, as you have to find a way to give him that "distance". If you have a car, maybe transporting him to a less busy area might make a good start. Perhaps a side street, where he is comfortably away from busy traffic. You could then walk toward the busy street, pausing as soon as you see some sign of anxiety, and retracing your steps just little until he is in his "comfort zone" again. Gradually…...with the use of bribery and rewards......ask him to approach closer to the scary stuff. Liberally reward him for being there, then retreat. The idea is to not force, let him decide when he is ready. If he feels he can retreat at any time, he will have more confidence. This approach may take awhile, but is less likely to create a permanent aversion. (it works well with spooky horses).
What size martingale collar do you use?
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My girl is 7.5 months now and she is great at not pulling on walks but I would like to use a martingale collar. While she is not fully grown would it be beneficial to buy a 12 inch collar (i think this is the correct size) or what for when she is fully grown?
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You need to be careful with martingale collars that they are not too big, as the dog may be able to back out of them. I think you would need to try the collar on your dog to know if it would be appropriate. When tightened it should not be able to come off!
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We bought them from www.halsbanden.com - she also sends outside the Netherlands. She will ask you to measure your B's neck. They fit perfectly!
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This page has great illustrations for proper measuring. Hope it helps.
http://www.2houndsdesign.com/How-to-Measure-for-a-Martingale-Collar.html
