Freezing During Walks

[Guest Bsteawrt09]

Hi everyone! I'm hoping you can provide me with some advice. My husband and I adopted Reggie, a 4 year old retired racer, a little over a week ago. He was very nervous when we brought him home, but has since become much more relaxed inside the house. The problem is with our walks. In fact as soon as we walk out our front door he tucks his tail. Once I get him walking he settles down, but several times during the walk he will freeze. Sometimes I can pick up on what is scaring him (today it was a guy with crutches walking out his driveway) and other times I have no idea. I've tried using treats and toys (he loves those squeekers) along with lots of encouraging words to get time distracted and to move away from what is scaring him. Neither has worked. I've tried redirecting him/herding him with my thighs but that doesn't always work either. My husband had to pick him up and carry him home today because the poor guy was so scared he wouldn't move. Is this behavior normal and will go away as he relaxes in his new environment? Any suggestions on how to make him feel more relaxed while walking. I don't want to traumatized Reggie, but I want him to get his exercise!

[Walliered]

I would just take him out to do his business and that is all for right now. Everything is so new to him right now and you are right saying that everything is very scary to him right now.

[BatterseaBrindl]

I would just take him out to do his business and that is all for right now. Everything is so new to him right now and you are right saying that everything is very scary to him right now.

 

Just go to the end of your driveway and back for a few days.

Then try going a little bit further.... increase a little bit every other day.

 

Have super tasty/ smelly treats.

Praise. Praise. Praise.

 

His whole world has been turned upside down and a week is not nearly long enough for him to adjust.

Time, time, patience and more time is needed.

[Scoutsmom]

Just a couple thoughts:

Freezing is very normal for a newly retired greyhound. The world is just overwhelming for the poor dog. It will get better.

 

Be careful not to try to comfort him when he freezes. Instead be very upbeat and cheerful-you don't want him to think that there is a good reason for him to be afraid. Also do not "reward" him with a treat when he freezes. The time for a treat is just before he freezes or after he has taken one step out of his freeze.

 

Is there another dog that could walk with him? Another confident grey or a neighbor's dog that he knows. He will relax if he sees the other dog is enjoying the walk and is not scared.

 

If the location is safe and you are not pressed for time, you could just wait for him to unfreeze. He is not going to spend the rest of his life frozen! When he does take a step, treat and praise him.

 

Finally remember "this too shall pass."

[rsieg]

Where are you walking? Another trick can be to take him somewhere he will be so engrossed in sniffing that he forgets to be afraid. Also helps if the place is actually calm. Often a park can be a good choice, especially compared with an urban area with lots of noise. Keep in mind that a dog "sees" the world through his nose - give him time to sniff things, go slow. In spite of being racers, they tend to go *very* slow on walks. Max and Logan are routinely passed by the woman in our neighborhood walking three chihuahuas, or by old people who have no business being faster than greyhounds :-)

[MaryJane]

If you have to walk - walk places where it is very quiet and very little activity. Everything is so new to your new companion that Reggie doesn't know if he should be scared or not - so he just stops.

 

This was a problem I encountered frequently with my fosters and I ventured out into the world very slowly with them. Sometimes I would just go to the end of the driveway and stand there for 10 minutes or even less if the dog started to get nervous. After a few days, I could go further just as long as there minimal distraction - if there were too many cars, too many people - it would set us back.

 

You can get past this and it usually just takes time.

[sobesmom]

I agree with the others. Keep it short, simple, get "the business" done, and go back home quickly, with a treat. Don't get hung up on "what" might be the issue - the whole thing is the issue, so just go slow. Find a patch of grass that's CLOSE, that he's OK going to, and call it good.

 

I'm sure you were told that exercise is important, and that walking creates a bond. That's true - but NOT NOW. Right now, minimizing stress, and getting your dog to "go" outside is the goal. The rest will come later. Don't walk him to the point he freezes, even if that is 6 feet outside the door. 6 feet is enough for a few days. Then it will be 15, then 100 yards. The point is to not push. Just wait. It will happen. Stay positive - stay upbeat! Everything is OK! Show confidence! Small steps are GOOD steps. Just don't ask too much, and in 2 weeks - you'll be SHOCKED at how far he's come.

 

I had a foster that was totally cool in my fenced yard but freaked out when we left it. I had to carry him back. So - I square-walked him. On leash, walking in squares. Bigger and Bigger squares, in the yard, for weeks, until he was bored. Then we went out of the yard. No issue.

[lrbb]

Hi,

 

We experienced a very bad case of freezing when we first got our boy in Feb of this year. I seriously thought he would never get over it. We went so slow we were practically moving backwards. He wouldn't even get off his bed without some serious coaxing. Not to mention outside to pee (we live on the fourth floor of a condo). We stuck to around the premises for weeks.

 

I got some wonderful advice here with the takeaway being time and patience are key.

 

6 months later, our boy will go anywhere, even into a busy store, does Meets & Greets, he will go virtually anywhere if we are going. He is still shy but the difference is unbelievable. He is also the star of our condo building because everyone knows how far he has come.

 

Agree with others, short and sweet. Give it time. He will be fine. You are doing a great job.

[sobesmom]

Hi,

 

We experienced a very bad case of freezing when we first got our boy in Feb of this year. I seriously thought he would never get over it. We went so slow we were practically moving backwards. He wouldn't even get off his bed without some serious coaxing. Not to mention outside to pee (we live on the fourth floor of a condo). We stuck to around the premises for weeks.

 

I got some wonderful advice here with the takeaway being time and patience are key.

 

6 months later, our boy will go anywhere, even into a busy store, does Meets & Greets, he will go virtually anywhere if we are going. He is still shy but the difference is unbelievable. He is also the star of our condo building because everyone knows how far he has come.

 

Agree with others, short and sweet. Give it time. He will be fine. You are doing a great job.

Great story! Thank you for sharing that for the OP and others.

[Guest nicky604]

I've had 4 foster greyhounds over the last 3 months and my first one, Turbo D. did this too!

 

What helped?

 

For us, it was sticking to our back alley at first.

 

He wanted to go inside other people's yards or up onto their front porches (looking for food and safety) and was fascinated by

 

garbage cans and recycle bins.

 

I let him use his nose to sniff even though it inevitably led us to ANOTHER RECYCLE BIN but hey at least he was moving forward!

 

At the end of the lane, we'd jog along home. And I'd sing a little tune: "Come along Turbo, let's go home ..." in a very happy sing-song voice

 

while holding out a treat for him.

 

He liked to run along (towards the house) and eat the treat while we were running along.

 

If a human (he was terrified of strangers) appeared, he froze and had to watch the human until they COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED in the distance

 

+ a little longer for good measure.

 

Other dogs, were good though and if another dog appeared, I would tag along behind them as the other dog walking ahead would keep him moving forward.

 

He was great with other dogs, a very polite and well socialized 4 year old.

 

Unfortunately though, he was adopted as an only dog.

 

But to a very nice, gentle family.

 

Next, I would drive him to super fun places like enclosed fields where he could zoom around off leash or to the beach or to a Greyhound Meet Up and then

 

drive almost all the way home, park the car and walk the rest of the way home.

 

Each time, I'd increase the distance we had to walk home: first one block then 2 blocks and so on ...

 

Other things I did: I put him on a long line and we played and hung out in the front yard so he could get used to being outside of the back-yard.

 

(He was super relaxed in the fenced in back-yard but as soon as we went outside of the back-yard on leash, he was scared of pedestrians, cyclists, skate

 

boarders .. all things STRANGE and HUMAN!

 

Only one of my friends, a big tall man with a nice deep voice made him feel safe walking on leash.

 

He walked on one side, me on the other with Turbo sandwiched in-between. It was our best walk.

 

He was a newly retired oval-track racer as is my current foster.

 

My other 2 weren't ex-racers per say. One was used for local recreational lure coursing and the other was a farm dog (both purebred greyhounds though).

 

Keep in mind that with a retired racer, suburban city streets can be very scary and going for an on-leash walk is really boring compared to track racing.

 

(No Nicky, Turbo D is not thrilled at the idea of going to Stong's with you! On the contrary, he thinks it's a dumb idea ... unless of course, he gets to

 

eat all the food..)

 

So for exercise, you have to take him to an enclosed field so he can run about and have fun until he gets comfortable walking on leash in your

 

neighbourhood.

 

Don't keep him cooped up as he'll get depressed from lack of exercise.

 

Take him in the car to a safe, enclosed field or even an enclosed tennis court will do.

 

Slowly, slowly slowly.

 

Use whatever works to lure him along like squeaky toys and treats.

 

Get into position with him just slightly behind you on a little bit of relaxed leash, keep him close to you and just slightly behind (Like an obedience "HEEL"

 

position) and do inside and outside turns around trees and bushes on the boulevard. When he completes the turn,

 

PRAISE HIM!!!

 

Keep it fun and upbeat!

 

Inside and outside turns will also prevent him from shutting down when he doesn't get to go in the direction he wants (which in the case of a fearful dog will

 

always be towards your house!)

 

Be decisive when you walk him. Always walk him on the SAME side (either on your right or on your left).

 

And in the same "HEEL" position with just a little bit of loose leash.

 

If you always walk him on your ® side, teach him to follow your ® leg by mixing up your walking with sudden changes of direction preceded by "THIS WAY" just before you make the turn.

 

Always fun and upbeat with lots and lots of praise for following your lead leg.

 

Walk confidently! Change pace. If he stops, try picking him up with a 360 turn and decisive step forward.

 

If he stops and WON"T move forward even with a 360 pick up, pretend that you haven't noticed.

 

DON"T get frustrated, impatient or into a power struggle.

 

DON"T STARE at him, beg or plead. It will make him EVEN MORE nervous.

 

Keep your chin up, look up at the sky and notice birds flying about and such.

 

Comment on the weather.

 

Allow the offending stimulus to pass (i.e. the pedestrian that is spooking him) wait a little bit longer and then 360 degree pick up and step forward... march!

 

Trust me, he WILL move forward soon enough, you just have to calmly wait it out.

 

Thankfully, I never had to pick him up to get him home.

 

Just go really slow, don't push too hard.

 

And keep it positive!

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest FritoBandito]

Just a couple thoughts:

Freezing is very normal for a newly retired greyhound. The world is just overwhelming for the poor dog. It will get better.

 

Be careful not to try to comfort him when he freezes. Instead be very upbeat and cheerful-you don't want him to think that there is a good reason for him to be afraid. Also do not "reward" him with a treat when he freezes. The time for a treat is just before he freezes or after he has taken one step out of his freeze.

 

Is there another dog that could walk with him? Another confident grey or a neighbor's dog that he knows. He will relax if he sees the other dog is enjoying the walk and is not scared.

 

If the location is safe and you are not pressed for time, you could just wait for him to unfreeze. He is not going to spend the rest of his life frozen! When he does take a step, treat and praise him.

 

Finally remember "this too shall pass."

 

I know this thread is a bit old but thanks for this great information. I feel like we have fallen into the trap of rewarding Frito with treats when he freezes. Any suggestions for reversing the learning he has picked up on getting treats when he freezes? Frito has gotten so bad we only walk him inside our apartment building because every outside interaction results in a serious freeze.

[Guest SeeMoreGreys]

 

I know this thread is a bit old but thanks for this great information. I feel like we have fallen into the trap of rewarding Frito with treats when he freezes. Any suggestions for reversing the learning he has picked up on getting treats when he freezes? Frito has gotten so bad we only walk him inside our apartment building because every outside interaction results in a serious freeze.

I am in the same situation with our guy. So anxious outside that I can barely get him to get off the steps. Then when he does finally do it, he wants to go in a certain direction then gets overwhelmed when he does. Were trying to stay in the yard but he still freezes all the time.