Pup Afraid To Go Outside At Night Since Hearing Fireworks

[goldee]

Ever since New Years Eve when there were fire works going off, my 9 month old golden retriever, will not step out side once it is dark!

Before this, she was perfectly happy to, went out side and took her sweet time sniffing around before going to the bathroom before bed. Now, she wont even step outside. If i pick her up, she runs back in. She sits inside, ears back, looking scared.

I dont live in an area that has firework displays, but this year they must have planned something as there were bangs going off that sounded like bombs, and people on the street setting off smaller ones for a few hours past midnight.

So, trying to get her to go to the toilet before putting her to bed just doesn't happen. We end up putting her to bed with out her going to the toilet, and while this isn't ideal, she just wont go! Thankfully she hasn't had any accidents in the night.

What are some ways of fixing this? I dont want her to be afraid to go outside when its dark. She is happy to outside during the day with no problems at all.

Thanks.

[corvus]

Counter-conditioning. Take a handful of treats, start with feeding them to her as close to the door as she will go, then take a step and feed some more until she's relaxed, then take a step and feed some more until she's relaxed and so on. Don't just stop once she's outside. Keep feeding until she's relaxed, then go back to the beginning and see how quickly she can go through the routine again. Rinse and repeat until she is over it.

Use a "safe" well-known behaviour if she knows one to get her outside. Something like targeting or maybe fetch. Personally, I think counter-conditioning is the way to go because it goes directly to the emotion driving the behaviour. The only way a safe behaviour is going to work is if it's so amazingly fun that just asking for it makes her happy. Takes a while IME to get a behaviour to that point. If you ask for it when she's in a frightened state before it can put her in a happy state, you risk diminishing her enjoyment in it and gain nothing.

[poodlefan]

I'd go one step further than Corvus.. garden furniture will help

Start with getting the family to spend half an hour outside every night after dark. Don't make a big fuss, just everyone move out. Leave her to make the decision as to whether she comes but my guess is that some treats (toss one on the ground where she can see it) can help. Don't put pressure on her, just head outside and hang out.

Once she's coming out, the next step would be family expeditions with her onlead.

Was she outside when the fireworks were on?