Help With Phobia/fear

[greytpets]

We have a 16mth old female greyhound here. She is from an accidental mating so only spent her very early life in greyhound kennels. Since then she has been in several homes but hasn't yet found her forever home. We have taken her on to try to change that. I've only had her here a few days but it is very clear she is affraid of being in the backyard. She will refuse to go out & if you take her out she runs around in a frantic state before returning to the door desparate to get back inside. The whole time she is outside she is shaking & her tail is tucked up. She is like this when I or my dogs are with her.

I have checked back into her past & it seems she has always had a phobia with the backyard but no one knows why. It was probably made worse when she was with a carer who worked full time & she was left in the yard all day even though she had the company of other dogs. In the recent past she escaped from the yard of one home & hid under the house in another because she was put out.

In the house she is fine, a relaxed couch potatoe as are all greyhounds. She does have a problem with house training which is understanable when she won't go outside. She is also fine on walks so it is not the outside in general just backyards. We have tried taking her out on a lead but she is still just so frightened she won't relax to go to the toilet. She will go when in the yard during her frantic dash sometimes.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Erny]

These are just a list of ideas. As to what will or won't work depends on your new dog and also on you being able to judge for the best as to which suits the most. You might use one idea, or you might randomise .... again - your judgment. Of course, your house lay-out has a bearing on what you can and can't do, so what I've written are merely tips/ideas as opposed to advice - particularly as I don't have the opportunity to see your girl in action.

• You've only had her for a very short period of time. I would leave it for a few days or so more - just letting her bond with you, before you begin asking any of what I've written below.
  
• Once you two have bonded and you've earnt some of her trust, you might be able to use yourself as the "lure". Try having the back door open, but prevent her from access to the rest of the house (eg. access to laundry only). Go outside. Ignore her. Spend time with your other dogs, having fun, being quiet, etc. etc. She might get enough 'steam' up to be willing to venture out to be with you. If she doesn't, don't worry about it. Just keep trying this method over and see what comes.
  
• Try feeding her with her bowl as close to the open door (the one to the backyard) as she can comfortably cope with (ie where she IS willing to eat). Gradually, over feedings, close the distance until she is finally eating outside.
  
• Take her on lead and practice walking exercises. Have the back door open. Back and forth, back and forth - not overtly pushing her to make it outside, praising/rewarding her simply for the loose lead walk. Your goal (which your Grey doesn't know about because you are so subtle about it) is to get her comfortable about approaching the open back door. Be happy to finish the session on simply just getting close/r to it without her balking/showing concern. I think you see where this would eventually lead?
  
• If/when she can handle venturing past the 'threshold' of the doorway to the yard (have her on lead) then don't keep her there for long - return inside and continue with the exercise. Let her know that going outside is not about having to remain out there for any great lengths of time.
  

Taking your grey out and about will also be helpful. Something like agility could work well for her. Just the "Foundation" level. Not from a 'sporting' pov, but as a "confidence building" exercise. Whatever you do, be calm; be assertive; be understanding but avoid molly coddling to her fear. When you do get to having her outside, keep it short at first. Once she is going outside even just a little bit, begin feeding her outside, assuming she is not so nervous that she won't eat.

Toileting would be difficult and although I don't normally recommend this as part of the usual "toileting regime" for pups/dogs absent of issues such as your new Grey's, teach her to go on something in particular (eg. newspaper; or puppy toileting pads). It will mean a second step in toileting later on, but at least it will avoid her learning that toileting on tiles or carpet is ok.

ETA: Chose the best times, weather wise. Eg. Greys are fine coated and feel the cold, so picking a cold day to venture out may well work against you. At least have her wearing a jacket so she doesn't feel the cold as an additional aversive to being outside.

Edited September 20, 2008 by Erny

[anniek]

thanks Erny - the "grey lady" in question is a foster dog of ours, so agility isn't an option.

Julie (greytpets) and I had a chat about her last night, and the ideas you have given are along the lines of what we have been thinking about trying :rolleyes:

will let you know how we go

annieK

Edited September 20, 2008 by anniek

[Tonymc]

I would also as well as following Erny's suggestions,check the dogs eyesight. Tony

[Lablover]

Poor dog. I doubt all (fearful) stimuli can be controlled enough to help especially to rehome.

Would like to hear of the outcome.

[anniek]

Would like to hear of the outcome.

She's been doing really really well, and within a couple of days was able to venture into the back yard (on her own).

I will get greytpets to give more details.

thanks for the interest

annieK

[greying-fast]

Some dogs had to be moved about for reasons unrelated to this foster. She came to me (she'd been with me for an earlier stint, and was reasonably settled with our lot).

Tonight I watched her as she lay in her favourite lounge chair, listening to her brother and one of my other dogs rumble (rather roughly) in the next room. I looked at her with her ears back, and thought 'you poor girl, it must be so scary listening to those rough dogs play' ... before she lept off the chair and straight at the neck of the dog contesting with her brother.

She's been through quite a bit lately but she is pretty much a demonstration of the saying 'that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger'.

My teenage son (used to inciting the dogs to the max for physical play) is now complaining of how 'out there' she is. She's still a darling, but certainly not backward in coming forward. :cool: And despite being the tiniest daintiest girl, has the deepest most macho bark in our pack. :D

[percyk]

i once helped a friend desensitise her goldie to the car

we did everything as close around the car as possible - all good things were to become associated with the car

so wed wait til meal times and feed her as close to it as we could

we eventually over the long weekend got her hand fed sitting near the car -my colleague sat in the drivers seat and i held her leash

once she got that close without baulking her sons took over and within a week she would sit in the back and have treats

thats when they turned on the engine on and off expecting that that would set her off but it didnt

id expect that like with any phobia youd just go about being calm and never use a reassuring voice - only praise when she is actually setting foot in the yard

tame her like a wild animal and forget she is a dog - if the wolves came to the fire with a bit of coaxing then i think a grey will finally stay in the backyard

good luck!