Being fearless

How do you teach another not to be afraid?

I have been working on Allie's extreme fear of cars. Having been a stray has instilled a very deep sense of fear in her at passersby in cars. It's tough, walking on the road with her. I try to choose a time when there is little traffic, but one car can be enough to set her off. I watch her . . . even from a mile away, the sound can start her anxiety. By the time the offender is close enough that I can see the driver, Allie has pulled over to the ditch, nearly pulling me INTO the ditch. This is a dangerous thing as our ditch is really a river and about 15 feet deep! And heaven forbid the driver should stop to talk (I DO live in the country!) or ask directions. Did I mention we have no sidewalks?

I have recently started to give in a little - sometimes I let HER walk on the left side instead of Joey, or instead of being direct with her to try to make her pay attention to me and not the vehicle, I stop when I see a car approaching, letting her "sniff" off the road. Or so the ruse goes. It's better than having her stop without notice, nearly yanking me over.

In the two and a half years I have had her, I can't get her to realize it's okay. She's not going to get hurt. I will be there with her. She is not alone. I have not helped her forget her fear.

But, how can you stop someone else from being afraid when you don't know why s/he is afraid in the first place? You can speculate all you wish, but unless that individual can communicate it to you, you are on your own. Sometimes literally.