Help! New Dog Absolutely Hates Going Outside

[Guest kirby3021]

Hi all,

 

I'm new to this forum and new to owning a greyhound (I've had dogs in the house my whole life, but two have been Border Collies and one was a Husky-German Shepard mix). My wife and I just got to rescue a retired racer, Ace, after six months of waiting! He's a 63 pound male who's been in three different homes over the past three weeks (a foster home, then with the head of the adoption agency we went through, then finally ours).

 

He's been doing great at home so far (we only got him on Thursday, a few days ago), but he absolutely hates going outside. Just so you know the situation, my wife and I live on the second floor in a condo. An airport is about forty minutes away, so occasionally you'll hear a plane fly by. We're also close enough to a major road that you can hear occasional traffic (depending on the time of day) faintly when you go outside, if you listen for it.

 

We've had to force him outside for his past few potty breaks (we do four a day, one at 6:30am, 9:00am, 5:00pm, 9:30pm), which I really don't like doing. I've tried coaxing him outside with treats and even with some food in his bowl (he LOVES mealtime), but that hasn't worked. I'd try toys, but they haven't been as big a motivator for him as food. I don't want to do any negative reinforcement, but I am concerned that he will have accidents inside if he doesn't get his potty breaks (happened once already).

 

He was ok for the first two times we took him out, but then during one of his breaks a motorcycle went by and you could hear it in the distance and two planes flew overhead. Since then he's been terrified and trembles the whole time he's outside. It is cold outside (we live in Utah, temperatures are down in the 20s and 30s), but we have a coat for him. I've been considering putting some booties or socks on his feet (there's some snow on the ground), and my wife and I will try that today to see if it helps.

 

When we walk him we give him lots of praise, especially when he does his business, and we take time to stand still and let him get stock of where he is. Is this pretty normal behavior for a new dog, and any tips on how we can get him more confident going outside for a potty break, or at least get him to come outside without forcing him? I really don't want to traumatize him.

 

[Houndtime]

Time. Just time. This is all new to him. Think of how you would feel in a strange environment. I think walking, right now, is better than just putting him outside. Walking gets thinks moving. Lots of scents.

 

Our first girl used to statue on walks; she wouldn't move. I knew nothing about that, and used to drag her down the street. She eventually got over it and loved her walks.

 

Again, time.

[Time4ANap]

in addition to the above, some of this may be reluctance to go potty while on a leash. That is something new to him also. These hounds are typically used to turnouts off-leash and not having someone hovering while they go.

 

We had a similar issues with Rocket when we first got him. Wind chills were minus 25 degrees and our fenced area for turnouts wasn't installed yet. We gave him as much room as possible and let him go behind bushes so that we weren't practically on top of him. You must keep a death grip on the leash though, as you indicated the local noises spook him.

 

We also made part of his routine going directly outside after every meal. Once the bowl is empty, he goes to the door. You must be ready to go at that time, not getting coats and boots on and getting out 5 minutes later. By that time, his focus on going out is lost.

 

All of this will become more routine the more it is enforced and practiced. It's very early in his new life, and he is still figuring out what is expected of him. Good luck.

[Scoutsmom]

You've received good advice from the other posters. The only thing I would add is consider walking him with a companion dog. Do you know someone with a confident greyhound or a dog that he has met and liked? If so, ask if they could join you on your evening walks. It will help show him that the noises are anything to worry about if the other dog remains calm. Otherwise it is just time and patience.

 

I'm not sure why he would need boots in the snow. I'd only use them if there is salt on the roads or if the snow has icy chucks that might cut his paws. My dogs have no problem with walking in snow and give no sign that their paws are cold. But we don't live in Arizona and I don't know what your winters are like.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Scoutsmom

[Hawthorn]

I'd also consider trying some calming supplements for the next few months. There are various ones available and each dog responds differently to each one, but I had good results with Zylkene for one of mine, at the maximum dose stated on the pack.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Please make sure he is wearing a properly fitted martingale collar. Or better yet..a harness.

You do not want him to get spooked and slip out of his collar.

 

And yes! He needs to be walked. He has never ever had to go potty while on a leash. Immediately after eating is the best time.

My guys have a fenced yard, but they eat and then run to the door to go,out...even if they were just out 10 minutes before their meal.

 

My hounds never wear boots in the snow. That said, we are very rural and don't walk on salty sidewalks.

[GeorgeofNE]

He doesn't need boots or socks. And he doesn't need his coat for a potty break. But this dog needs to be walked like everyone else has said. You can't just take a dog out to relieve himself when you live in a condo with no yard (like me!).

 

He will get used to the noises in time. Positive reinforcement and also you have to have that "hey, it's no big deal" attitude and body language.

 

When I got Buck he was terrified of pretty much everything. I pretended he wasn't. Just did my normal routine that I've always done with dogs. One by one, things stopped scaring him. Now the only thing that still scares him is children and men, but it used to be flags, trucks, rocks, blowing leaves, etc.

 

A walk of at least 30 minutes, preferably twice a day, is essential. He needs to be a bit tired.

[locket]

Just a silly thought, but if he likes his food so much, how about feeding him outside? Right by the door?

[Guest kirby3021]

Thanks all for your suggestions and encouragement! It's only been a few days more, but he seems to be doing fine now. There are still things that spook him (helicopters, garbage trucks, etc.), but that's fine. He's dealing with the regular noises quite well now. I found it helps when my wife and I go together and when we talk to each other instead of to him during our walks.

 

Just another quick question I was curious about - when we leave him alone in the crate with the door closed, he whines and barks and peed in his bed once. Over the past bit I've tried leaving him alone with the crate door open while my office door is closed and working very quietly (I keep an eye on him through Skype) and he seems to be doing just fine. This is probably a stupid question (and I apologize for it), but could something as simple as just opening the crate door really cure what we thought was separation anxiety (I'm beginning to think it's just that he doesn't like his crate closed)? Anyone else had a greyhound like this (fine when the crate door was opened, whining and barking when it was closed)?

Edited December 7, 2016 by kirby3021

[Loves2dogs]

Hi, excellent advice by all. One of mine has very sensitive hearing, she just doesn't like loud noises in or out, the other could care less, so it might help if you can determine this overtime. When I hear a trash truck coming I stop and try to cover her ears. My other hates to go outside because he thinks he's going to miss something. I have to encourage him to go when he starts "wiggling".....he has free use of the doggie door and plenty of yard but he's been known to stop and pee instead of going all the way out....we learned the hard way....now after a year I still try to make an effort to encourage him all the way out the door. I make him go before we go to bed and he just hates it! I think the advice about taking yours out as soon as he eats is really important....that's the way a puppy learns too. Glad he is doing better.

As far as crating, sorry can't help as we have never crated, they are most happy on the couch upside down ... plus don't forget they are crated all during their racing time, can you imagine?

When we go out and leave them, they have free rein and use of the doggie door.....the only thing my male does is tear up the couch cover and we make sure to put any newspapers up, they just don't seem to be (too) destructive types....you might think about having 2, if you work or are gone a lot.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Nixon liked the crate shut ...and would only eat in there if it was shut.... but only the first few days he was here. Gradually he started started staying out more and more and we took it down.

Ruby destroyed a crate at her first home, so we never even set it up here.

Same with Nigel...he hated his crate at his first home, too.

 

However...I am a bit confused...

Do you work at home? And choose to crate your dog in another room in the house while you are working?!?

 

If so...no wonder he cries....

Why don't you allow him to be with you?!?

I'd cry and make a fuss if my human was in the house and had me locked away in another room.....

[SPDoggie]

Our first boy hated his crate, and once we figured that out, he was totally fine... so not separation anxiety but crate anxiety!

 

Also, Kingsley was quite scared of noises, so throughout his entire 8 years with us, a big noise outside could set him off from wanting to leave the property for days/weeks. So your hound might be the same way. He'll calm done somewhat in time and exposure, but he could always be less-than-confident outside.

[XTRAWLD]

Yup, he's still brand new. Have you walked the neighbourhood?

[Guest kirby3021]

Nixon liked the crate shut ...and would only eat in there if it was shut.... but only the first few days he was here. Gradually he started started staying out more and more and we took it down.

Ruby destroyed a crate at her first home, so we never even set it up here.

Same with Nigel...he hated his crate at his first home, too.

 

However...I am a bit confused...

Do you work at home? And choose to crate your dog in another room in the house while you are working?!?

 

If so...no wonder he cries....

Why don't you allow him to be with you?!?

I'd cry and make a fuss if my human was in the house and had me locked away in another room.....

 

I occasionally work from home, but usually I'm in an office that's about 15 minutes away. My wife works as well, but our schedules are such that she leaves at 9:30 and I get back between 4:30 and 5:00. Occasionally I can take a lunch break and come home real quick (my wife too), but unfortunately that's not the norm. I've been trying to get him used to being alone by keeping an eye on him while my office door is closed through a webcam (most weekdays he'll be home alone during those 7 hours), but he's too smart for that so I don't do it anymore (only tried it twice, first time he just slept all day, second time he knew exactly where I was). I'll freely admit I was probably going about it completely wrong.

 

I'm going to try taking a walk later today for about a half hour or so and keeping an eye on him through the webcam to see if he does well with the crate door open. My wife and I have made sure to put all the dangerous/precious things away and I've looped up all the blind strings so he doesn't get tangled up in one of those. If he still seems anxious when we're gone, any tips on how to deal with that anxiety?

Edited December 8, 2016 by kirby3021

[GeorgeofNE]

DAP diffusers seemed to help my dog. Those are calming doggy pheremones. You can buy online or at larger pet stores. It's like a Glade plug in, only them emit a smell only your dog can smell. Also, some dogs like the radio playing. A toy that dispenses food is nice--they make Buster Cubes and other devices. You put some kibble (remember to deduct from his daily rations so he doesn't get fat) and the dog has to push the toy around to make kibbles drop out one at a time. Also, if he can hear YOU, simply saying something like, "Take it easy, you're OK" seemed to help my dog a lot.

[MSTmom]

We crated our boy for a few weeks when we got him. At first I worked from home, and would only leave him alone for an hour or two here or there, but most days I was with him all day everyday. Then I got a full time job and Steven (our grey) had some serious SA and got pretty destructive. We got the crate which is totally loved. So for a few weeks, maybe like 6, he would stay in there while we were at work and after that we left him out all alone and he was fine. Every blue moon he chews on something, or moves a shoe, but mostly he's great.

 

He does get weirded out by garbage trucks and bikes though. Thats pretty normal.

[Brandiandwe]

Being tired seems to help with the anxiety. Mine, when tired out, all snooze all day. the one with SA did take some work but she's a lot better now.

 

For walks, at the start when we just had Brandi (who was our anxious little butterfly), we had most success when we all walked together. Brandi walked in between DH and I. When she saw something scary, we stopped, looked at it and said 'What is THAT?' in a big happy, thrilled voice. When she looked at us, we gave her a treat and a pat. Then we moved on. Or we let her watch. Sometimes she wanted to see what was going on. We followed several garbage trucks up the road very slowly while she watched it all happen. We also only took one specific route every time those first few weeks. She got to know it and all the different sounds and smells. And then we began to go elsewhere. She got there. We were living without a backyard at the time as well, so toileting on leash she needed to learn. She got there eventually.

 

Alone training is your friend!

[Guest kirby3021]

Thanks again - I never thought of slowly following a garbage truck so he can watch it and learn that the noisy truck won't hurt him. We've found we're going to need to leave him in the crate when we leave - he's been having accidents around the house when we're gone (and now sometimes even when we're here).

 

I feel really bad right now - he peed, then grabbed some Dollar Store gloves we're giving our niece for Christmas off the counter and chewed them up while I was finishing a call for work. When I ran in to take the gloves from him, he growled and snapped at me when I tried to take them away from him. I lost my temper, yelled at him, and put him in his crate (he took the gloves with him). Then when I tried to take him outside, he growled again (he's probably confused and scared). Now I feel absolutely awful about it - such a stupid thing to get mad about, especially because he probably still doesn't know better (we've only had him for a week and a half), and I know that greyhounds are very sensitive dogs. It's the first time I've lost my temper in years. Now I think he knows that something's wrong because he's been sulking in his crate (I opened it about 5 minutes after I closed him in it because I never intended to use it for punishment), and I'm really hoping I didn't irreparably damage our relationship. How did you guys get your greyhounds to respect you as 'boss', and how can you repair a damaged relationship with one?

[Brandiandwe]

I didn't try to get mine to respect me as 'boss'. I just behave consistently and reinforce consistent expectations. 'Uh uh' is the most I use generally, and I only shout to break up a potential squabble or when they've got something living in their mouths or about to be. When getting them to give you something, try trading up (search the forum). He went to his crate because it's his safe spot.

 

He's probably having accidents because he's not emptying out when out. You need to start walking him. And you haven't irreparably damaged your relationship. But I'd start as if he was just arrived. Literally first day. Get into a routine and stick to it. Not too much affection unless he asks for it. But get up, walk, home, breakfast, toilet, leave house, home, walk, lounge, dinner, toilet, bed or whatever. Give him a structure to his days. Don't leave things lying around and setting him up for failure. You're the one with the thumbs. You're the one responsible. Positive reinforcement, not negative.

 

You'll get there.

[Guest nnamdismom]

TOTALLY normal for a new hound to be unsure of a new environment. It is something different with every hound and over time he will be okay with his routine. Its good that you are making it a true routine at specific times and doing the same thing every time. Try treating each step of the way. Calling him to the door, treat. Getting out the door, treat. Going down the stairs, treat. Going outside, treat. My dog gets really nervous when you call him to come for some reason, even to this day. If I want him to come, instead of saying Come Nnamdi come here boy that would normally send him running in the other direction, I say words he likes, like Do you want to go outside? Or Do you want a treat? He learned to trust me over time that way. You'll find out what thing he likes to come for, and start saying it in that way. You never know that things these dogs went through before they met you, and what connotations they have with certain noises or words. I don't know the exact answer but all I can say is that it will NOT last forever. The first two months are the hardest, and after that you forget everything from the beginning because you suddenly have a perfect dog.

 

The stairs may be what is giving him anxiety, although he can do the stairs he may literally hate them. I have three steps to get outside the front and the back door, and for the first couple months I would say lets go outside, and Nnamdi would run away because he hated the stairs. Over time and repeated exposure to nothing bad happening, he got used to it.

 

Allow more time for coaxing outside too. If he doesn't want to come, take a break, try again in a little bit. Try saying lets go potty, lets go for a walk, different things until you figure out what gets him excited. It takes greys more time to trust than it does other dogs, but he will trust over time. He can't trust you if he is afraid of you. He is growling because he does not trust you yet, and that is okay. If you are good and kind, he will you just need to give him time and reason to trust you. I wanted to be Nnamdi's "mom" not his boss, and I gained trust by being trust worthy. He had a boss at the track and I'm sure that he would not run to that guy lovingly if he saw him again. I was calm and kind when he messed up. I replaced his bad behavior with good ones. You can start over any time you want. We have ALL had moments of frustration. Try to think of your dog as an orphan. No parents. Unwanted and abandoned after racing. Lived in a crate his entire life. Not much love or individual attention. Repetition is the quickest way for these dogs to learn and a firm no should suffice. Its pretty sad for me to think of greyhounds spending much time in a crate in their new home, because they had no freedom their entire life. If you keep a good watch on your dog and keep saying no and replacing his chewing with a toy, he will learn very quickly. Grabs a sock, No, here is a toy. Trys to bite the outlet or sofa leg, no, here is a toy. These dogs want to be loved, not treated as a subordinate. If you are the one setting the routine and providing the food, you are already alpha. Kindness will be deserving of alpha, impatience will create more anxiety and more destructive behavior because for dogs, chewing and peeing are signs of boredness and anxiety, not disrespect.

 

PS Dogs can sense frustration or anxiety. Sometimes when Nnamdi isn't listening at all or is having an anxious moment, even thought I don't express it I start to feel anxiety and stress about it and that ALWAYS makes it worse. Focus on staying perfectly calm and casual when its time to go out, even though inside you may be dreading it! It helps to chant "no big deal no big deal" in your head. LOL

 

Good luck to you and take heart that if you are patient and kind to your dog, he will learn very quickly to trust you.

Edited January 4, 2017 by nnamdismom