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Hi, this is my first time posting and we need some help. My dog refuses to go outside, even to potty. We got our grey, Shelby, Sept 2012, when she was 2 1/2 years old. For the first couple of months she loved going for walks. Then, suddenly, she had to be coaxed to go for a walk, although she LOVED to run around in fenced yard and would pee and poop out there. We hadn't trained her at that point, and only my husband was able to get her to go out for a walk. Long story short, we hired a very good but VERY expensive trainer for about 4 months in mid-2013. She showed us how to lead Shelby, get her to focus, and we were able to walk her again. Fast forward to about 8 months ago. Shelby started refusing to go for a walk in the morning. My husband leaves for work very early, and sometimes she would come downstairs and he'd let her in backyard to potty. But when I tried to takeher out again around 8:30, she refused to even come downstairs. I tried EVERYTHING to get her down (treats, going outside, starting my car and coming back in with garage door opening/closing) with only rare success. That meant that she wouldn't go out again until around 3:00 pm!!!! She only had 1 accident in the house. Otherwise, she'd go out with husband when he came home from work around 3. She didn't seem sick and had normal poops and pee. We'd take her out at night before bed without any problem, and she was fine then too. However, she wouldn't touch her morning meal - probably because she didn't want to have to poop again??? About 3 months ago, she started refusing to go out at all, even at night. We'd get her leash and she'd run to her bed in the den, or the couch. However, once we were able to get her outside (morning or night) she was fine. Then, about a month ago....it started again, whether on or off leash. On the rare occasions I am able to get her out, she goes down the driveway, pees, and then stops. Maybe I can get her halfway down the block, but after that - she digs in her heels and I cannot and will not drag her down the street. I try the techniques the trainer taught us (that once worked before) but now nothing works! She won't even poop. And worse - she won't even go outside. She won't even go out when out neighbors try to walk her, and she loves them. She used to go for walks with them without any problem. She is afraid of certain loud noises - school bus, "booms", and others - but even when there is no discernible noise she won't go. I do not know what to do! She's a little better with my husband, who has established himself as the alpha, but she won't budge with me. We have a vet appt in a couple of weeks for her yearly, but I don't know how much help he'll be. I'm really worried about her physical/digestive health, in addition to mental health. We cannot afford another trainer or a dog walker. This is not normal behavior. I feel like such a bad parent!!!