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Setback!


Guest Jubilee251

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Guest Jubilee251

Molly must've stood up on the front hall baby gate yesterday afternoon and pushed it over. Poor little girl was probably traumatized by the loud crash and the falling, and she was so stressed out and scared. She was in her crate in the bedroom for most of the night, huddled in the back.

 

Now she seems to be terrified of our front door area - especially when coming back from a walk and having to go through it. As soon as we get off the elevator and started walking down the hall toward our unit, she froze and no coaxing in the world would get her to move. She started crying, and we ended up having to pick her up and carry her to our door. Then she stood there trying to back up and tossing her head to the sides (like a bucking bronco), and we finally lured her in by placing cheese around the entrance.

 

I just feel so bad for her and so guilty - this is nothing like my usually confident little girl who follows me around the house and will chase me at full-sprint down the hall if I run. :(:cry1

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Just go slow! Toss some yummy treats up and down the hallway to get her to come out there on her own, etc I'm even considering making Sunshine eat in our hallway to see if that will help her recent escalating fear. Molly will be fine just don't baby her and keep the positive reinforcement up.

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Jessica

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Guest Greyt_dog_lover

I am of the opposite camp. My suggestion is to get a firm grip on the leash and pull her into or out of the house. She will move. Remember you are stronger than her. A few times past the scary object and she will realize its nothing to be afraid of. Be calm, confident and firm. I know it sounds mean, like your dragging her, but they are more resiliant than you think. You arent going to break her, and she will not have a mental collapse. Will she fight it, yes. Will she whine, yes. Pull her past a few times and she will quickly forget about it. I have the same issue with every foster I have when I first try to get them to go down stairs. By the way, has anyone from GO contacted you about the walking issue?

 

Chad

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Guest Jubilee251

Hey Chad - yes, I talked to Jon and Laura about it, and will work with some of the ideas I've gotten. Laura offered to come with her dog and help out, but I want to give it some time and work and see if it gets better. Actually, it WAS getting better...until we got the giant snowfall and everything is covered in snow and all sorts of snow shovellers and snowplows (new exciting things!) came out. :P

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just make sure that however you handle it that you are not feeding into her fear. If she gets spooked by something and you comfort and/or cajole her that tells her that her fears are justified. Try and remain calm and uninterested in the things that are spooking her and she will likely pick up on those cues.

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the same thing happened to us a couple of weeks ago. the baby gate is sort of near where they eat, and the cats knocked the baby gate down. the next day, Lola wouldn't eat her dinner. we couldn't figure out what was wrong. i babied her, and brought her dinner to her (i know some people are cringing) for a couple of nights, since she wouldn't go near that area. i really wanted her to eat; she's a little underweight. anyway, when we figured out that it was the gate that she was afraid of, we just moved it away and the problem was solved. Lola is also afraid of the big green garbage cans at the end of people's driveways. That fear is slowly subsiding, but it's taken several months. good luck with your falling gate setback; i'm sure the things that people have suggested will work for you. :rolleyes:

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Guest Greyt_dog_lover

You cannot send/receive PM's until you have 50 posts (I believe that is the magic number). My email is cpierson "AT" weaverboos "DOT" com if you would like to email me.

 

Chad

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