Chihuahua very frightened of my son, he goes or the dog

My 10 month old chihuahua has always been extremely frightened of my adult son who lives with us. On the day we got her as a pup he stomped his feet & clapped his hands at her which terrified her. He has never done it again but she continues to be terrified in his presence. She will bark continuously & loud enough that your eardrum hurts. Her hair stands up & she shakes with terror. In his presence she will not--eat when hungry, take any treats from us, let anyone touch her or near her. She hides in a corner, barking loudly, growling, shaking & runs from everyone. But when he leaves the house she becomes happy, loving & well trained. She is never afraid or barks at other adult men, even strangers in the home. I try saying No & using a water spray but she is too frightened to listen. Either my son goes or the dog! I chose the dog.
Posted: 14/09/2007

Answer: very frightened of my son, he goes or the dog!
Oh bother, this all sounds very unfortunate. Well - it seems that some real damage has been done and that it will take lots of time and dedication to fix it. I could only suggest a qualified animal behaviourist. With one or two sessions a behaviourist maybe able to show some very gentle techniques that will slowly help to change the current situation. Unfortunately there is no quick or easy fix. Good luck!
Posted: 28/09/2007