New Greyhound Freeze, Hates Going Out.

[lrbb]

Hi everyone,

 

I am new to this forum but lurked for several weeks. We adopted our first retired racer on Saturday night ( four days ago). He's an all-black male that we've called Ollie. He's such a sweetheart. He turned 3 on Monday. Retired from racing in December and we got matched with him a couple of weeks ago. Not our first dog. We had a coonhound and a coonhound whippet prior to Ollie but now live in a condo in the city versus a house in the bush.

 

Ollie did very well on his first night with us, all things considered - some panting but he seemed to settle fairly quickly after he had a 30+hour trip to us. We have his bed right next to me and it is his safe spot and he has taken to it as if it were his crate. To make him feel safe, none of us disturb him on there unless he is wide awake and we say in a happy voice "Hi Ollie!" We live in a small condo ( 700sq. ft) and its open concept except for two bedrooms but the doors are always open. In other words, we can pretty much see each other at all times. We have two calm, mellow and very mild mannered daughters ( 9 and 5) who are so gentle with him and he loves them. Already going to them for cuddles and pets and he almost falls asleep when they do that. Same for me. He follows me about quite a bit now and he will go into the girls room and check out what they are doing. He'll spend a lot of time on his bed but is regularly coming out to visit us and he is super curious at everything. He's definitely afraid of males and is very reluctant to go to DH. We all take turns hand feeding him which he happily accepts from us girls but will not do it from DH yet. That's okay we gently work on it. I only feed him in the presence of DH so he hopefully associates him with his food ( which he loves). He's definitely the nervous type though. Loud noises startle him but we have learnt to say "oops! Kaboom!" or "oops no biggie!" in a big happy voice and laugh and if he comes over we cuddle him and that seems to help. He will come over to the vacuum and is okay with it now as we give him treats when it comes on, same with the dryer. We live in a very quiet condo in the city but everyone has dogs here and they are super great with Ollie, taking the time to approach slowly and trying to build trust. Ollie is really improving at meeting people and has met lots of little dogs and generally likes them, and the more people he meets the better. He still freezes when he meets them but he doesn't try and bolt now. Slowly I am getting him over to the window with blinds where he can see the city and hear the noises and it is going a little better. Point being that repeated exposure seems to be working.

 

All except going outside! Which is essential since we live on the 4th/top floor of a condo! The day after we got him we took him for a quiet walk in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately, a big noisy truck trundled past and he freaked out. He tried to run/bolt and then he froze completely rigid when he got around the corner and we could not get him to move a muscle, so we eventually picked him up and went back home. The next day I took him out to the little walkway on the condo premises ( nice little trail, quiet, away from traffic, short with waterfall and doggie toilet area). He managed okay but then could faintly hear the traffic and froze. 30mins later he was still rooted to the spot. So I picked him up ( he's about 63 lbs and more than half the size I am and very under his racing weight of 71lbs) and carried him back to the door. He couldn't get back in fast enough. We still continue to take him out 3 or 4 times a day to do his toilet ( which he is very good about) and a very short walk on the dog walking path ( 10-15mins) but I end up having to carry him over these seemingly imaginary lines that he will not cross whatsoever. I use a high value tasty treat like cheese, chicken, liver, sausage but he won't accept any treats whilst he is frozen. Only when his paws touch a 'safe spot' and he becomes mobile again, lol. Often if I carry him to a safe spot he just runs all the way to the door to go back in.

 

At first I babied him but now I know he has to get out so I try and walk him a a circle, try to stand at the end of the leash with a treat, tried giving him a gentle push with my thigh on his shoulder ( he would rather nose plant first I think!), tried stopping and cuddling ( which really relaxes him normally), saying " oops kaboom" or "no biggie" to get him moving again, riding it out until he feels relaxed but nothing at all is working, other than picking him up. The only other time he moved from statue was when he met a puppy and the puppy trotted off ahead of him and he happily followed ( not chasing, just felt better with the other dog). Then, I had a feeling this would happen sooner or later, but last night he refused to get off his bed for a walk. I didn't force it at the time but this morning he had to go to the toilet so I waited until he came to us and then shut the door so he couldn't go back to his bed and got him out. I had to carry him over the threshold of the door and to the elevator ( he doesn't mind the elevator and can do three stairs at the door too) where he got in and likes to be the first out. We then ran from the building to the dog trail making it fun in a big happy voice until he found a spot and froze, lol. So close. I end up trying to gently pick up his back legs and he reluctantly moved his front paws! Praised like mad and tried to make it light and fun.But its so hard for him.

 

I know its going to take time. I know its only been four days and I see massive improvements in all other areas. He certainly trusts us a bit more everyday so I am hopeful that he will overcome this in time ( or am I being unrealistic?) The other day I got a tiny little tail wag when I said his name and he will sometimes come when I call him. He's learning what a Kong is, if i hold it. He doesn't know what toys do and shows no interest in them yet but we are working on exposure to little things every day. I'm trying to keep a sense of humour about it all and we laugh about it when the neighbours see us and they wave gently and say "Morning Ollie!" Our adoption group meets once a month for group walks and I was hoping to take him out on those but so far it seems a long way off but I do have this feeling that other confident greys will help. In general he is panting less, nose drips less and he has less dandruff so less stress, all but for going outside. Often now I see him roaching on his bed in the middle of the night and he is actually sleeping more during the day though its not a deep sleep and will open his eyes if I walk past. But in general he can calm himself down. So this leads me to believe he is not a true spook, just trying to adjust. And try he does! He regularly comes to check out unusual noises in our condo now, at least peeking his head out and will approach if I'm there and call him over ( and then I treat of course!) We all adore him and it makes me so sad to see him struggle but he needs to go out! So, am I doing the right things? Is it okay to carry him? I'm super gently with him but also I have to get him out. I don't want to be doing the wrong things and setting him up for failure.

 

As a young adult I went through a spell of agoraphobia so I know some of how he feels. The only thing that worked for me ( and cured me completely with repeated exposure - I've since travelled the world!) was going for car rides where I was exposed to the noises and outside world but in a safe 'bubble'. I was wondering if this night work for Ollie in a few weeks time when he trusts us more?

 

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!

lrbb ( Little Red and Big Black, lol)

[greysmom]

You're doing all the right things, it's just going to take a while for him to get used to all the changes his life is going through right now. Some dogs can take it all in stride, while others like your boy need to get over their fears gradually.

 

I wouldn't worry about the walking part so much right now. Let him potty - even if it's right outside the door - and then go back inside. As you can see him begin to become interested in things, try a few steps beyond, then a few more. Treats and praise for him as he finds his courage.

 

You might try walking him with a harness (like this one http://www.ruffwear.com/30102-web-master-harness ) it's built for hiking and you can pick up your dog and carry him if you need to.

 

The other thing you might try is see if one or two of your dog friends in the complex can meet you when he goes out. Just having a calm companion with him might help a lot.

 

It's only been a few days, so just be patient. This phase might last a few weeks or months, but once he begins to take steps forward, he should settle in faster and faster.

[Walliered]

Time and patience.

[Scoutsmom]

I agree with what you have been told so far, but I wanted to comment on Ollie's relationship with your husband. My timid Henry was terrified of men when I got him, to the point where he would try to bolt if they approached him. It was not that he had been abused by men--he just had not been around many men and they are big, loud and scary! I met his trainer at my group's picnic and she confirmed my suspicions that all his attendants (servants) had been women.

 

If your husband is large, have him kneel down or sit on the floor by Ollie. DO NOT let him lean over Ollie as that IS VERY SCARY. If your husband is loud, have him speak softly around Ollie. Bribing with yummy treats is always good. And have your husband be the person who sets dinner down for Ollie. These actions and patience will bring Ollie around. Henry's favorite person in the world (after me) is now his Uncle Don. But he is still a little nervous meeting big, loud strange guys and probably always will be. He likes to hide behind me when strange guys are around.

 

Have fun. Ollie sounds like a great dog!

[lrbb]

Thank you so much. It's so reassuring to come here and get advice. Time and patience we have in spades for Ollie because he's such a doll. Thanks for the suggestion of the harness, I was trying to find one because when he got really spooked his martingale tightened but he tried to jerk his head away / spin around and it looked very uncomfortable if not harmful to his neck. I felt like I should have something in the centre of his body to hold on to for extra security and being able to lift him slightly to get him moving would be a real help. I will look into getting one.

 

Thanks so much for the reassurance that we are on the right track. That's a huge relief. I feel so much better now!

 

I saw a little step forward again today. When we were out on his third toilet break he took more interest in sniffing and exploring rather than being focused solely on the noises. Just something little but it was so great to see. And he apparently got over one of his freeze points and walked through it all of a sudden. So this also tells me we must be doing something right.

 

We will stick to the short potty breaks for now and build up from there.

 

Many thanks!

[lrbb]

Thank you Scoutsmom. Yep, DH is 6'2" and even his little sister was afraid of him but he's a lot like Ollie in his personality, lol. Total introvert. I will get him to crouch down. He's has been setting his dinner down. We wait until he is home from work or before he leaves in the morning so he can do it. Ollie waits until he is on the couch before approaching his bowl, lol. If I put it down or hand feed him he lets me sit right there but zdH has to back right off before Ollie will go near it. Thanks so much. Yes he is a great dog and we love him to bits.

[lrbb]

Should I offer a treat when he is outside in general ( he's hiding and shaking now when I get the leash out)? Or only for any forward movement no matter how small? ( he got out of three statues today and moved several steps forward by himself before re-freezing but I take that as progress).

 

What I don't want to do is reward a fear response but at the same time I want to reward just getting out, even if it's by me picking me up so he associates being outside with yummy treats.

 

Thanks again.

[greysmom]

IMO, you can reward any positive action. What you can do is teach him something easy inside - like a "watch me" command - so it's like loading a clicker response. That way, when he freezes, you ask him to "watch me" and he's already conditioned to look at you - OK! treat! Let's GO! And you might get him to move a few steps - OK! treat!

 

If you can break his attention at all, that's a positive. If he sniffs the ground, OK! throw a treat in front of him! If he will walk one way but not another, OK! treat! it's still a win for *him.* You're trying to build his confidence, not just get him to potty!

[lrbb]

Super, thank you that's really helpful. Coincidentally I began " watch me" training this afternoon with him and he is picking it up very quickly so inside I will work on that more and see if I can get the response outside. And let him change direction: I let him do that today when he wouldn't cross the invisible line and then he got going again to the other invisible line and back again to the other one, and although my heart sank for him that in his head he was stuck, I couldn't help but chuckle a bit because I could kinda predict what he was going to feel stuck at some point but still, it was progress and once I carried him over one of the lines he got going again despite all his shaking.

 

Boy, we love this dog to bits already. He is such a sweetie. He's doing so well really and is so polite in the house and hung out with our daughters for over an hour today as they built Lego. Loves cuddles too!

[greysmom]

Baby steps! Just continue being patient and encouraging. It will be so worth it in the end!

[Scoutsmom]

One technique I have heard of for getting a dog to accept someone is to use treats. Have your husband drop a treat near Ollie without looking at Ollie every time he (your husband) walks by. Soon Ollie will look forward to your husband being near. Bribery works!

[Trudy]

I would also try to work with a neighbor with a confident puppy/dog and head out together for short potty walks so Ollie sees another dog not react to the noises.

[SPDoggie]

You have gotten great advice. But I will just add my commiseration as our first hound, Kingsley, was always nervous outside. He loved being with other dogs... so we used that trick, but even when we got a second hound, he was never great outside.... and yes, that one noisy truck/garbage can/whatever would set him off for days... so, just know I've been there.

 

He also always loved the car--- so we might drive him just a block away, and then walk from there, cause often his biggest hurdle was just leaving the property!

 

Patience and time! (like, a year) You're doing great

[lrbb]

Thank you so much for all the wonderful replies. I love this forum!

 

Ollie has taken some amazing steps forward recently and I couldn't wait to share them with you. We have met up with some greys from the adoption agency and been for trail walks with them and they are very supportive and helpful. He still freezes from time to time but waaaaaay less than he was doing alone. One or two of the other confident greys circle back and we all try and get him moving forward again or reassure him and I'd now say 80% of the time that works. Towards the end of a walk, after he's had a few freezes he's completely done and I gently pick him up and carry him back but there is a huge difference.

 

He decided to braves and walk down the street ( his own choice) a couple of days ago! He just decided to go for it and even though he was nervous and froze In a couple of spots he managed to unfreeze and walk on, calmly and slowly and taking it all in. I had tears streaming down my face as it was the bravest thing I think I've seen in a long time!

 

He has made huge steps forward with DH, going up to him for pets, treats and sniffing his socks (!). He no longer runs away when DH puts his food down and he can stay in the kitchen without Ollie stressing too much.

 

He's spent more and more time with us in the living room, hanging out and getting pets and playing Uno.

 

He is meeting other dogs and getting along really well, wagging his tail sometimes and even copied a play bow today!

 

He is not running away from strangers and even lets then gently pet him or will take treats as long as they kneel down and are gentle and calming which most people are when I explain he's nervous.

 

He loves me dremeling his nails and goes to sleep. Comes to me for pets and belly rubs. He even let DH gently rub his belly!

 

So the freezing is definitely getting less and he can get himself out of them more often than not now. When I can tell he's completely done he is happy to be carried a few steps and then gets going again.

 

When he sees me with the leash or his coat he suddenly roaches on his bed,sighs and sticks his tongue out as if to say, " nooooooo, please!" But will begrudgingly get up for a treat and be carried to the door. Once out of the door he walks out of the building, in the elevator, down stairs,upstairs, outside himself....it's just getting him off his bed, lol.

 

And it's been just about two weeks. It's unbelievable. I am so happy for him. I know he'll,be more on the nervous side but he's learning to trust us more and I think the quality of his life is rapidly improving. He's such a sweet boy,and tries so hard to do the right thing and is making massive improvements.

[SPDoggie]

wow--- HUGE growth for Ollie! So glad that your efforts are seeing results!

 

Great job all around!

[lrbb]

Thank you! Yes, it is huge!!!!!! This morning he also got up himself and didn't move back to his bed when I got his coat on. He walked all the way out of the building, around the walkway twice, went to the toilet, and all the way back again without freezing once. He also didn't try and run when we happened to run into the underground gate opening ( it's a bit of a noise) but we stayed and watched with interest as a car pulled out ( I gently hug him so he feels safe) ...and then we went to investigate the gate! Lots of yummy treats this morning!

 

I'm so happy we must be doing something right to make him feel better.

 

Many thanks for all your help. Such a great place to come to for advice and share our successes.

[Scoutsmom]

Good Dog, Ollie!!!!!

[GeorgeofNE]

You're doing great! Just be patient. 4 days is nothing. My current greyhound was afraid of EVERYTHING when I adopted him, and now he's much, much braver. Still afraid of men (please don't read anything into that or let people tell you he "must have been abused by a man." Some dogs are just afraid of the deeper voice, etc. of men) but generally a fairly normal fellow now!

 

Congratulations and enjoy your new friend.

[lrbb]

Thank you all for the great replies. Ollie is continuing to make great progress, especially on our local trails, beaches and forests. However he is still very fearful of traffic and urban areas, and where we live in this fairly busy area. So in the week, when I am car-less, we continue to work on gradual, daily exposure around the neighbourhood. He is really such a sweet guy and tries so very hard so it is easy to have patience with him. Yesterday we stood and watched the garbage truck and waved to the driver on our neighbourhood around-the-block walk,which takes us quite some time but he is working hard all the time. Not much physical exercise but he is pretty exhausted after that kind of walk. I use it also to work watch commands which he has nailed inside the house so I think it is slowly helping outside.

 

The nature trails he loves and we go out for long walks on Saturday and Sunday in quieter areas. He only freezes if we do an out and back walk when he doesn't want to head back to the car, lol. I don't blame him! So we try and do loops whenever possible. He meets other dogs and people with no problem in this situation. Today we took him on the beach where he ran along side me for a bit and went into a big play bow with me! It was so awesome to see him clearly happy. He also met some extended family and their children and did awesome with them too!

 

He gets tons of compliments and comments whoever we go!

 

The vet, experienced with greyhound, recommended an Adaptil collar for him for a few months to try and help soothe him outside in urban areas. Has anyone tried this? Would love to hear some thoughts.

 

We are going to work more on separation next as he is very attached to us now ( even my husband!) and although he doesn't appear to make a sound for the 20mins we have left him he is now waiting right by the door as opposed to his dog bed when we first started it. We are actually at home a lot but I would feel happier knowing he will be okay on his own when I take my kids out to the library etc. This is where it would be good if he could come with us but he's not there just yet, understandly so. He's only been with us now for 4weeks today! We are in awe of this sweet guy, knowing some of what he is going through. He's so motivating and is helping my kids learn to conquer their fears ( of the dark etc).

[Aelfa]

On 2/28/2017 at 4:35 AM, SPDoggie said:

You have gotten great advice. But I will just add my commiseration as our first hound, Kingsley, was always nervous outside. He loved being with other dogs... so we used that trick, but even when we got a second hound, he was never great outside.... and yes, that one noisy truck/garbage can/whatever would set him off for days... so, just know I've been there.

 

He also always loved the car--- so we might drive him just a block away, and then walk from there, cause often his biggest hurdle was just leaving the property!

 

Patience and time! (like, a year) You're doing great

 

On 3/19/2017 at 11:23 AM, lrbb said:

Thank you all for the great replies. Ollie is continuing to make great progress, especially on our local trails, beaches and forests. However he is still very fearful of traffic and urban areas, and where we live in this fairly busy area. So in the week, when I am car-less, we continue to work on gradual, daily exposure around the neighbourhood. He is really such a sweet guy and tries so very hard so it is easy to have patience with him. Yesterday we stood and watched the garbage truck and waved to the driver on our neighbourhood around-the-block walk,which takes us quite some time but he is working hard all the time. Not much physical exercise but he is pretty exhausted after that kind of walk. I use it also to work watch commands which he has nailed inside the house so I think it is slowly helping outside.

 

The nature trails he loves and we go out for long walks on Saturday and Sunday in quieter areas. He only freezes if we do an out and back walk when he doesn't want to head back to the car, lol. I don't blame him! So we try and do loops whenever possible. He meets other dogs and people with no problem in this situation. Today we took him on the beach where he ran along side me for a bit and went into a big play bow with me! It was so awesome to see him clearly happy. He also met some extended family and their children and did awesome with them too!

 

He gets tons of compliments and comments whoever we go!

 

The vet, experienced with greyhound, recommended an Adaptil collar for him for a few months to try and help soothe him outside in urban areas. Has anyone tried this? Would love to hear some thoughts.

 

We are going to work more on separation next as he is very attached to us now ( even my husband!) and although he doesn't appear to make a sound for the 20mins we have left him he is now waiting right by the door as opposed to his dog bed when we first started it. We are actually at home a lot but I would feel happier knowing he will be okay on his own when I take my kids out to the library etc. This is where it would be good if he could come with us but he's not there just yet, understandly so. He's only been with us now for 4weeks today! We are in awe of this sweet guy, knowing some of what he is going through. He's so motivating and is helping my kids learn to conquer their fears ( of the dark etc).

Hi. I wanted to know if your greyhound ever managed to get over his fears of the outside? 

 

Sx