Harming herself

[Car]

Help. I would appreciate any help or thoughts.   I have 2 greyhounds, to they are 6 and adopted them over 2 yrs ago . One pf them has always had some really, all i can describe it as odd behavour. If it were as simple, i would say she 100% has some form of canine autism. She is very obsessed with routines, wont step on certain parts of the floor, prefers her own space, doesnt like walks that much and does repeated behaviours. The one i am really struggling with is this. Any temperature, its -1 she wants to stay in the garden. If it's hailstorms she wants to be in there. She won't come in unless i literally have to drag her. She digs her heels in and looks really sad when i do this . I can leave her outside with the door open even when i go out, but worry as she doesn't appear fo know when to bring herself in. I learnt this before and came back from being out and she was ice cold shivering on the grass laying down. I've never felt a dog so cold. Even if i put a jacket on her she has taken it off on one occasion or  i feel it's so cold in out and she doesn't look move when out there it doesn't really help.Why does she do this? Im scared she will freeze to death as she doesnt recognise when she should come in . What shall i do??? Im really upset she is so desperate to stay outside almost like self harming herself. Any help would be massive help  xx

[LBass]

What a difficult situation.  Have you discussed this behavior with your veterinarian?  Has the possibility of trying medication for her been discussed or attempted?  Have you considered consulting a veterinary behaviorist?

[cleptogrey]

i know someone who had a male with very similar behavior. being the saint that she was clicker training(the most benign)was attempted with much patience and professional  one on one guidance. no response- after years of trying everything she realized that nothing could be done with this poor lost soul. his ventures were limited to a very small yard to pee and poop and quick inside. no affection from him, going to the vet included a strong person to lift this 80lb boy in and out of the car. it was not easy, but as i said the owner was a saint.

i feel for you, it's a difficult situation. the poor dog did eventually pass, major body fail and complications somewhere around age 10. but it was a good 6 years of stressful dog ownership. i think your label is exactly what this male had. do ask for support from your adoption group. possibly someone who has a good size group of GHs out there has room for another kennel dog. in a group the behavior is not as noticable and possibly your dog might find comfort in numbers and blend in w/ the pack.

best of luck, the male i spoke of was very very similar to what you have.

[Car]

1 hour ago, LBass said:

What a difficult situation.  Have you discussed this behavior with your veterinarian?  Has the possibility of trying medication for her been discussed or attempted?  Have you considered consulting a veterinary behaviorist?

Sorry i forgot to say she has been on anti anxiety meds for about 5 months. They worked at first really well but now don't. Thank you for your time 

[macoduck]

Is the floor portion something other than carpeting? Will she walk across the same floor material if its in a different part of the house?

Walking one of my podencos is like dragging a cinderblock, so no walks for him. He is hesitant to go into the fenced backyard, but once there will walk around with other dogs. That's a big change from when I first got him - he had to be leash walked in the backyard for months because of his fear.

It's been almost 2 years since he came here. He has gained some confidence in being around my other 2 podencos. Working with my vet we tried everything, from Adaptil collars and plug ins diffusers, dog-safe AnimalEO brand essential oils, benadryl, and several Rx meds. About six months ago my vet, (with a strong pharmacology background), and I were about to give up. She suggested an older med: Amitriptyline. Normally for arthritis relief it has a side benefit in aiding anxiety. We noticed improvement starting in 2 weeks. It is inexpensive and does not sedate. If your vet is willing to try it he/she will need to check for compatibility with other meds. It cannot be taken with Trazodone. My boy still doesn't not want to go for walks, but is less stressed, less fearful, and enjoying more time in the backyard.

7 minutes ago, Car said:

Sorry i forgot to say she has been on anti anxiety meds for about 5 months. They worked at first really well but now don't. Thank you for your time 

Which meds were they?

 

[greysmom]

It's a complicated situation.  And it sounds like you're in the UK??  In many ways, vets in the UK are *very* reluctant to try anti anxiety medication, and are somewhat behind where regular vets here in the states are in regard to knowledge and use.  Since most of us are in the US we are more used to asking for prescription help and receiving it from our regular vets.  You may need to seek out one that specializes in canine neurology, or one who is more familiar with anti anxiety medications.

First, it's entirely possible she does have a form of canine autism.  We often call dogs like her "spooks" and they are fairly common - enough so that you can do a search here and find a LOT of threads regarding them.  I had one myself, and I can tell you they are not easy, but they can be rewarding.  

You identify many of the symptoms that she has in common with human autism.  Some of the same treatments used to help autistic children can help her too.  Keep her on a strict schedule for eating/exercise/pottying/daily events.  My girl did not do well any time her normal schedule was changed.  Try and not put her in situations where she has to make decisions about her own safety - she can't evaluate them properly and her anxiety rules all, hence she will stay outside in the cold rather than come inside through a door or floor that scares her.  Try using another door.  I also had to leash walk her in our yard nearly every day of her life.  In the beginning she would follow the other dogs (we had four other greyhounds at the time) inside and outside, but as she became more comfortable in our home, she started not interacting with them as well.  It could take her a couple hours of running around our large yard before she would get tired enough for me to catch or for her to want to come inside.  She also felt more comfortable outside - where she had easier escape routes - than being inside.  So I just kept her on her leash all the times we were out.  She was still getting exercise due to walking, but I couldn't trust her off leash in the yard, so she stayed on.  

The thing that help my dog the most was building a strong bond of trust with her.  We did some different forms of training, I hand fed her for a time, we went on solo walks away from home (with a regular martingale AND a harness for safety).  Spooks often don't respond to normal dog treats due to being too anxious, so it's important to find a reward she does respond to - a very high value food treat (roasted chicken, freeze dried liver, cheese, etc), or even squeaky toys or other items she has fun with.   My girl LOVED playing with the lure pole, for instance, and that was a good activity we could do together.

If one anti anxiety med was helping for a while it's possible you may need to try a different one in the same class or a different class all together.  No one really knows why anti anxiety medication works - in humans or in dogs - so it's often a crap shoot finding the right one that helps to balance your individual dog's brain chemistry.  Most anti anxiety medications are "off label" uses of human medication, which is why it's important to have a vet who is comfortable and knowledgeable with them.

You'll find a ton of more info and stretegies if you search for "spooks" and/or "spooky dogs" here.  It can be a difficult behavior to deal with, but my girl was also very loving and snuggly once we bonded.  I just had to always be congizant of her restrictions and treat her accordingly.

[Car]

Thank you all so much for the time you have spent responding. I am so worried about her at times and have been orobably stressing ber out worrying. Its really helpful to hear other greyhounds advise. I will try these suggested things and keep my fingers crossed i can make her enjoy her days in her own little way . Thank you so much