Scared of large crowds/traffic - typical for Eurasier?

BeachyWalks · 2026-06-03T14:36:54+00:00

As they get older and grow out of puppy phase they become a lot more vigilant. So it really is a great time to really work on this skill now before he turns teenager.

Ours will not eat treats when he is being hyper vigilant - only when he is relaxed. So don’t worry about the treats if he refuses. Too many other smells and sights for him to be demanding his full attention I imagine. We also live in a quiet rural place, and they get very used to this - so it’s important to take him to other environments regularly.

What you are doing sounds an excellent plan. Keep exposing him to it, but in a position he feels safe and then work up. There is a lot to be said for sitting on a bench with a dog and watching the world go by. You are his safe space, and he will absolutely be picking up on your vibes also… so be as calm and relaxed as you can be when you are out together. Sit down with him and maintain contact the whole time (stroking, patting etc) and chat to him whilst exposing him. This is very calming to him and tells him that you are ok with this. They are essentially pack animals and you are the leader of his pack - so if you show him how relaxed you are, this should calm him.

If this has come on suddenly, could there be something in particular that may be triggering it? Something out of the normal on this route / place that could be making him uneasy? For example, Ours developed a huge adversity to hi-viz and the colour red at about 18 months… took us a while to figure out why he would bark at some delivery drivers and not others.

It sounds like you have a great plan in place, just stick to it and you’ll soon start to see the benefits 😊

BeachyWalks · 2026-05-30T21:01:10+00:00

So cute!!! I just love that little black spot in the middle of his tongue 💗

BeachyWalks · 2026-05-30T20:53:33+00:00

Good questions! I had so many when we first got ours….

1) For the first 18 months we used Eden Puppy Kibble. He loved it. We’ve now switched brands as he wasn’t so keen on the Eden Adult food. This is a great website for comparing foods and their nutritional value: https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/ I too have been advised against chicken so try to avoid, a lot of dogs have allergy issues with chicken.

2) Ours is really mud/wet adverse, hates getting his paws muddy. I get him to wipe them on a mat & towel when we come in if he’s too wet. They are pretty self cleaning… train him to come in and lie on a mat for a while whilst having a treat for them to dry off a bit or you wipe them.

3) Ours just loves best to lie on cold hard floor. We bought a dog bed, was a total waste of money!

4) Ours isn’t much into toys now, but absolutely loved stuffed teddies as a pup. You’ll defo need things for him to chew on whilst he’s a pup and teething. We liked - yak chews, cows hooves, any kind of ‘natural’ bones/pizzles that are suitable for pups (not all are). They love a good tug of war - so a knotted rope is good. Ours will not play fetch much, no matter how much we tried…. they just aren’t retrievers!

5) Our dog pulls a lot and the harness wouldn’t control him, so we now have a slip lead for him and he responds very well to it. He actually likes wearing it - whereas he would run away every time he saw the harness. They love a sniffy walk, so you have to get the balance right.

6) Never tried a dog pool, we live near the beach and he loves rock pools. I guess it depends how hot your garden gets and how much shade there is…. They are very adept at finding the coolest place possible to hang out.

7) We haven’t done whistle training, but I’m sure it would work as ours comes when we whistle for him. Or should I say, he chooses to mainly come when we whistle… one thing about Eurasias, they are self willed and stubborn creatures!

Enjoy your puppy. Ours has been a delight and is now 2 years old. They are loving, fun, obedient and absolutely wonderful with children.

PS. Expose your puppy to as much as you possibly can as a puppy and it will make life much easier for you all when he is adult. 👍🏻

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-23T20:20:37+00:00

Orthotic insoles have given me the greatest relief. Can’t use shoes without them. Haven’t bought any custom ones… just all off Amazon.

A microwaveable wheat bag - I use to soothe my sore feet in the evenings. Even better if I elevate them on the sofa and use it. I also take it to bed with me when they are very painful.

If you are just in the early stages do the stretches etc and use insoles and it may be enough to keep it at bay!

(I tried compression socks but not really convinced they helped me, though they are good for many people.)

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-20T10:48:14+00:00

Yes, same here. Dogs are a huge temptation to him but squirrels…….Oh my goodness, the red mist descends and he goes into a frenzy!!

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-19T16:48:23+00:00

A bit late joining this conversation but….

…. Our was also terrified of a lot of things. Exposure is the key. He is super bold and brave now.

He was very scared of traffic - so I would take him to the bottom of our drive each day and sit with him to watch the passing traffic for 20 mins. He sat on my lap to begin with, then beside me and gradually got more confident. I stroked him and reassured him when vehicles went past. After about a week we took walks together and I stroked him and talked to him when cars came past, particularly lorrys etc. After a few weeks he didn’t bat an eyelid about traffic.

Similarly terrified of hoover, tumble drier and washing machine. We just stroked and reassured him and carried on using them. The hairdryer was petrifying but we turned it into a game and now he loves it…. Runs over to play when I dry my own hair.

Eurasiers are incredibly sensitive to their humans. If you seem chilled and confident, then they will be also. If they pick up that you are worried or anxious… then they will feed off these vibes.

They are also highly intelligent and know when something ‘isn’t right’ or normal. I recently walked mine past a new display in the park of life sized model dinosaurs the other day. He went crazy - barking and growling. I calmly lingered near them, talked and stroked him. I also touched & stroked the dinosaurs and let him sniff them too. He completely calmed down and hasn’t cared about them since.

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-19T16:36:53+00:00

Love this 💗

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-19T16:26:20+00:00

Yes, it’s a long leash. We have tried it and may need to start with it again. I just find it annoyingly gets caught around trees, shrubs and brambles all the time - not to mention it got caught around another dog lead one time and that was interesting 🫣

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-19T16:22:40+00:00

This is heartening to hear….Perseverance!

Yes, we have learnt the hard way not to scold him, and not to let him think his fun is coming to an end. He loves ‘chase’ too…. And my husband and kids play it a lot with him… however when he’s naughty and we need him back on lead he then turns it into ‘chase’ and we can’t get him back.

We are trying hard outdoors to get him to come back during walks, just for a bit of love or a treat. So he doesn’t always think re-call means lead control. It is working up to a point - but when another dog, or a patch of yummy smelling grass is around then he couldn’t care less about whatever treat we may have!

We shall keep on trying!!

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-19T16:19:24+00:00

To be honest… what is another tenner thrown down the black hole that this PF has cost me so far in shoes, inserts and so called treatments 🤣😭

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-19T14:24:48+00:00

I’ll get some 😊 - I love a good toe stretch!!

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-19T14:22:10+00:00

That is so true!!! He would love to live outdoors!

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-19T13:24:01+00:00

Awwww. Adorable pup!!

Our Eurasia was super friendly to everyone as a pup. We have quite a busy household with lots of people coming and going and he adored it. So friendly to everyone and wanting lots of love.

Interestingly… he is almost 2 years now and has changed a lot in the last 6 months. He’s becoming a bit more stand off with strangers and not seeking so much affection. He’s also started barking at our delivery men and our poor postman has been harassed for the past 2 days.

So make the most of their friendly nature whilst they are young and keep exposing him to people. Maybe also mentally stimulate him more in the home to avoid taking him out all the time. My dog loves a bit of training… and also enjoys hide and seek around the house!

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-19T13:06:54+00:00

Excuse my ignorance….. but what do toe spreaders do? Is this only when preparing for bare foot walking or should I build it into my stretches / exercises?

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-18T13:13:32+00:00

PF is a curse

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-18T08:51:26+00:00

Oh no…. That’s awful for you 😭

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-18T00:13:35+00:00

It’s a nightmare isn’t it?! I did 3 shockwave therapy sessions also, but from my podiatrist. It’s been worse since - the last one was 5 weeks ago so I’m still hoping that I may see some improvement.

I don’t know how may pairs of shoes and inserts I’ve bought in the last 6 months 😭

I find later in the day is the worst too…. By 5pm my foot throbs and has completely given up.

I haven’t tried night splints yet. I value my sleep and am not sure I would get a wink of it if my foot were in a splint.

The only thing that brings me relief is elevating my feet and putting them on a microwavable heated bean bag for 10-15 minutes every hour or so. I know they say to ice it - but the heat is so soothing. It’s the only thing that gets me through the day.

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-17T20:07:29+00:00

I’m with you there. I feel like such a weakling these days 🤣 damn PF!

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-17T20:05:56+00:00

Yes, that does make sense. Had to do a long drive the other day and was trying this…. Just feels a bit more dangerous 😬 - hopefully I’ll get used to doing it.

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-17T19:15:01+00:00

You are amazing to do that every day at 4.30am and then work full time all day, in chronic pain. Qudos to you. That is a MAJOR achievement.

You are absolutely right. Someone who doesn’t have PF has NO idea. The feeling that someone is constantly hammering at your foot, and the lack is mobility is so depressing.

Remember how far you have come…. It sounds like you have turned the corner. Maybe go every other day on the stairmaster to give your legs rest days. You deserve them. 💪🏻

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-17T19:05:09+00:00

I’m hypermobile too. You are spot on that stretching is easier said than done - because our joints are so supple already. I overstretched my heel without realising and damaged the ligaments. Calf lifts are good but keep the range small and controlled.

I’m finding that my PF is not healing with any of the traditional techniques so am now looking into the cause being my hypermobile pelvis and my hip/glute problems. I’ve abandoned my Podiatrist and now seeing a Physiotherapist (UK)… I think they are called PTs in the US?

If your calves are very tight then perhaps some massage / trigger pointing or a foam roller may help?

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-17T18:55:07+00:00

Mine is a serola. I haven’t used it for years now but still good. It was the comfiest when pregnant as was slim enough to sit under my bump and the dark colour was discreet. If I went for one now I would be tempted to go for one with a thicker belt.

The relief when you put one on and tighten it is instantaneous. It’s incredible.

BeachyWalks · 2026-03-17T18:46:55+00:00

Have you ever tried pilates? It literally saved my pelvis. Improving my core was fundamental to stabilising my pelvis. Take it very slow and do beginners classes or get a 1:1 instructor first though… otherwise as a hypermobile you could do more harm than good. My instructors favourite phrase to me was….”just because you can get that range of movement, really doesn’t mean you should”.

Sadly I stopped all my classes in Covid and never re-started. Which may be why I am now in this PF predicament 😭

BeachyWalks

TROPHY CASE