Freaks out on walks

[Stellza]

Hi all,

Ive had my 2 and a bit year old female grey for 9 months now and our walks aren't improving. My grey loves the idea of walks but when we people come close she freaks out and tries to run and goes nuts on the lead - almost sending me flying. I’ve tried stopping to the side and letting people pass but it doesn’t help, I’ve tried walking on quieter paths but people cant always be avoided. We’re in lockdown at the moment so anywhere we walk is busy. She freezes too but i know how to manage that with her. Does anyone have any tips for me? 
Thanks

[HeyRunDog]

Apart from the obvious of walking her early in the morning and later in the evening when no-ones around I think it's a case of gradual exposure to people.

Is there another dog and owner you could walk with so your greyhound can take her cues from a calmer dog?

Some of it is how you react. If you tighten the lead in anticipation when you see someone, you are sending a signal to your grey that danger is approaching and get ready to run. Try and remain relaxed and carry on walking as if there is no problem, ignoring your greyhound.

Grace doesn't like noisy humans, especially children, and if they are playing football she does as your grey does and goes nuts on the lead, but after 3 years she now only pulls moderatly on the lead to get away without the twisting and turning.

[Stellza]

1 hour ago, HeyRunDog said:

Apart from the obvious of walking her early in the morning and later in the evening when no-ones around I think it's a case of gradual exposure to people.

Is there another dog and owner you could walk with so your greyhound can take her cues from a calmer dog?

Some of it is how you react. If you tighten the lead in anticipation when you see someone, you are sending a signal to your grey that danger is approaching and get ready to run. Try and remain relaxed and carry on walking as if there is no problem, ignoring your greyhound.

Grace doesn't like noisy humans, especially children, and if they are playing football she does as your grey does and goes nuts on the lead, but after 3 years she now only pulls moderatly on the lead to get away without the twisting and turning.

I think walking early morning/evening will have to do - even just now she froze because someone was 200m away on the other side of the creek.

re walking with a calmer dog, ive tried and it didnt make a difference:(

the only time her lead gets tightened is if another dog is running up to us, thats mainly for my safety as she almost sent me flying trying to run with another dog!

hopefully she calms down in a few years, she loves a walk and is so excited until she see’s someone it breaks my heart! Thanks for your help!

[mansbestfriend]

Hi. Your dog (EDIT: may be) fearful of a perceived threat (the other dog), in those moments, and is trying to get away from a threatening situation. The closer the other dog gets, the more fearful your dog becomes. It's stress levels go through the roof and it becomes overwhelmed (freaks out).

If you can't avoid those situations where you walk, try find a place and/or time where some space is always safely available. If the path or area has 'bottle-necks' where space is limited, be prepared to U-turn and backtrack until it's safe for your dog and she is comfortable.

My grey is reactive. We walk on paths a lot, always having in hand the option to take a detour away from 'scary' oncoming walkers&dogs. Cheers and best wishes.

PS. Once the dog's stress levels are more stable, counter-conditioning and other training with Positive Reinforcement is a good next step IMO. 

 

Edited June 2, 2021 by mansbestfriend

[hudsy]

My Grey seems to have some sort of agoraphobia as well, so I've been working on this problem a bit myself. Here's a bit of advice I got from the adoption organization owner when I brought this up with him:

 

He suggested teaching a "look at me" command, that you use to refocus your dog's attention during walks onto you, rather than anything else that might spook them. You obviously need to practice it on-leash in a very calm, controlled environment at first (in the house, in your backyard, progressively moving to a place with more and more stimuli), but I've found it to really help the dog focus back on you.