# Why is my dog so scared to go out for a walk all of a sudden??



## km1617

Why is my dog so scared to go for a walk all of a sudden?
My dog is 2 years old and goes for a walk twice a day. Recently, however, iv noticed some strange behaviour. My dog gets very excited to go for a walk but the minute we open the front door, he puts his tail between his legs, ears back and refuses to come out of the driveway. This usually happens at his evening walks, he tends to walk fine with my mum in the mornings. He just won't budge and drags his heels to the floor and runs back towards the house again. This is becoming extremely frustrating for us as now he does his business in the garden and is not getting enough exercise. He is normally energetic in the house, but no longer walks. He seems to start shaking and stop when he hears loud noises/cars going past. He also will not respond to positive encouragement or treats. Has anyone experienced this before, and if so what did you do to turn this around? :confused1::confused1::confused1:


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## cbrookman

Is it anything to do with fireworks? I know we had quite a few going off round here last Friday. Has your dog heared some that you may not have been aware of? Just a thought. I know my pup has reacted to fireworks in an anxious way and barks when he hears them. Think my boys will be spending Bonfire Night tucked up with curtains shut and TV on quite loud.


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## km1617

There haven't been any fireworks around my area lately so I don't think it is that. It's very confusing.


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## Sled dog hotel

km1617 said:


> Why is my dog so scared to go for a walk all of a sudden?
> My dog is 2 years old and goes for a walk twice a day. Recently, however, iv noticed some strange behaviour. My dog gets very excited to go for a walk but the minute we open the front door, he puts his tail between his legs, ears back and refuses to come out of the driveway. This usually happens at his evening walks, he tends to walk fine with my mum in the mornings. He just won't budge and drags his heels to the floor and runs back towards the house again. This is becoming extremely frustrating for us as now he does his business in the garden and is not getting enough exercise. He is normally energetic in the house, but no longer walks. He seems to start shaking and stop when he hears loud noises/cars going past. He also will not respond to positive encouragement or treats. Has anyone experienced this before, and if so what did you do to turn this around? :confused1::confused1::confused1:


Have you had him since a pup, only ask as if he is a recent older rescue it may be something to do with nights drawing in and darkness frorm a previous life.

If you have had him from a pup and its sudden and recent, then there must have been something I would have thought that has scared him sufficiently enough to have become phobic almost. As he seems to react to loud noises,
is there anything you can think of that may have occured. Dustbin men, road works, car backfiring, even fireworks as its getting to that time of year. 
Not being able to bribe him with treats, is a classic sign of extreme fear too they wont take food if in a stressed fearful state. Ive had the problem with one of mine and its far from an overnight quick fix.

I used DAP Dog appeasing pheromones now called Adaptil. You can get a Plug in diffuser form for the house so thats going all the time, and You can also get a Collar, you have to make sure it has close contact with the skin and is not covered by the normal collar, Failing this you can get a spray, obviously the spray isnt such continuous action you would have to keep spraying but you can even spray that on a bandana and then put it on his neck. These products emit an artificial version of the pheromone mum emits to calm and soothe pups. Works on older dogs too though. Another thing that is good for 
nervousness anxiety and even travel sickness and especially noise phobia such as storms fireworks etc. is Scullcap and valerian, its natural herbal doesnt cause drowsiness and quite safe. Dorwest is where you can get it. Using natural calmatives like these should certainly help, whilst dealing with the problem.

The usual practice for dealing with noise phobias is desensitisation. Introducing and playing the sounds to the dog, at a level he can cope with, when he is relaxing or doing something pleasureable to make a good association with the sounds.
The only way you can do this in a controlled way is a CD. Sound Therapy for pets do various CDs Traffic, fireworks just about everything. Sound Therapy 4 Pets  Sound Phobia Treatment CDs, Pet Products and Publications The idea is you play the CDs starting at barely audible level, when you are playing with the dog, doing a training session, The dog is eating its dinner, chewing a chew (Incidently chewing is a de-stresser for dogs) Kongs are good for this if you havent got one. Solid hard rubber but have a hollow centre that you can stuff with wet and dry food or all manor of goodies Dog & Cat Toys & Dog Treats - Pet Toys, Dog Chew Toys | KONG Company check out the section how to Kong for ideas what to fill them with. As the dog then learns to totally ignore and cope with the sounds, you then very very gradually at the dogs pace turn the volume up slightly a bit at a time. There is no time frame to give you,some dogs it may take days, other weeks. It may even be wise to give the nightime walk a miss in the meantime if thats the one really freaking him out, and instead play indoors and do a training session followed by his wind down with a Kong or chew whilst doing the sound therapy instead.

To make a positive association again with going out. I tackled mines problem
by taking him in the car (he was Ok with the Car) starting in quiet areas like the park away from traffic, where he could have fun without being stressed and build up his confidence again. After he was happier and more relaxed, we progressed to small bursts of quiet roads, where he would only encounter a car or two, then a bit longer on that type of "roadwork" then a short burst of a little bit busier road, then a little longer, and so on and so on building up to really busy roads when he could cope.

Another way to get them used to traffic, is if you can find a location where you can get away from traffic but hear it at a distance, starting at a distance he can cope with, praising and treating when he doesnt show fear.
Then as he learns to cope more, you move slowly nearer and nearer, until he can cope with visual and traffic going past nearby.

With any fear related behaviour, you cannot rush any stage, you have to do it at the dogs pace. If you do not feel confident enough, it would possibly be an idea to have a chat too and think about getting a behaviourist. They would assess him and give you a tailor made programme to sort the ptoblem out and give you support and guidance through the programme. If thats something you would like to consider. CAPBT - COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers E-Mail [email protected] should find you a COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers member in your area.


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## km1617

Thanks very much for the information you have provided. I will definitely do what I can.


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## Doolally

First of all i'd get him checked over by a vet - it could be something to do with his hearing or eyesight.

It's starting to get dark earlier now so it could be to do with this - have you ever walked him in the dark/twilight before?

My dog was attacked by 2 dogs a few years ago....straight after he refused to walk at all, fair enough, but then he would start a walk and all of a sudden stop, and there was nothing I could work out that was the trigger for it, it could have been a smell, a far off noise, who knows, but to be honest, what it was didn't really matter...I just had to increase his confidence in me, so that he knew no matter what worried him he was safe with me.

It did take me a year to get him fully over it. A DAP collar really helped, I could tell when it was coming to the end of the 4weeks as he would get worse. I did consider getting a Thunder shirt, but never needed it in the end. 
I worked really really hard to perfect his 'touch' command around the house/garden etc. That way when he got 'stuck' (and his getting 'stuck' was cowering down shaking refusing to move), I could get him to target touch my hand to get him moving again. I learnt to read his body language in the minutest detail, so in the split second before he got 'stuck' I could see it and get him into a really intense chase or tuggy game so he never had the chance to think about what it was that was going to worry him. I did a lot more clicker training with him in general as clicker training increases a dogs confidence and the more confident a dog is in one situation the more confident he's likely to be in other situations


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## JessiesGirl

Back at our old house, my dog would sometimes seem startled during a walk and then drag me back to the house. It took me quite awhile to figure out why, as the only thing that seemed consistent was that approximately half the time, she'd smell a bush and then this behavior began. 

One day, I finally saw a cat paw coming out from the bush to swat her and realized that my dog was put off by feral cats. (Unfortunately, they were a huge problem at our last house and my dog has alway been fearful of cats.) Sometimes she'd actually have to see a cat to run back to the house, but other times she could just smell them and want to go right back indoors.

As your issue seems to happen at twilight and in darkness, I'd wonder if there may be some animal that comes out then. Raccoons would be a good candidate here, though I don't know what might be in your area.


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## Malmum

Could have heard fireworks you haven' t noticed, had some go off round here recently.
Flynn, 3 1/2, wouldn't go out after dark recently because of them even if none had gone off so I bought him a thundershirt and he's fine now. Of course he won't go out if fireworks are actually going off but I put his thundershirt on in the house on those occasions and he just goes to sleep.
Without it he would pace the floor and try to hide.


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## newfiesmum

km1617 said:


> There haven't been any fireworks around my area lately so I don't think it is that. It's very confusing.


Just because you haven't heard any fireworks doesn't mean he hasn't. My dog is afraid of loud noises because some idiot went and let off fireworks when he was a puppy and sleeping in the garden, two weeks before firework night.

It could be lots of things, by if I were you I would start by changing the routine, if it is possible, and taking him out the back door.


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