Hello everyone,

My husband and I have adopted a sweet shelter dog (lab mix, about 50 lbs) and have had her about two weeks. She's got some separation anxiety issues, which we're working on with increasing success, and some housebreaking problems, which we're also addressing with positive reinforcment and treats while she's on her walks or outside.

We feed her twice a day, once in the morning, once in the evening and take her for a walk shortly thereafter. We each come home at lunch to let her out as well, so she's never alone for more than 3-4 hours. She ate her way through a crate during her previous adoption, and keeping her in one room of the house hasn't worked out either (she escaped) but letting her have run of the house has been great - she's as docile as a mouse.

Our problem? She's now afraid to go outside or go for a walk. She won't go near the door and puts her tail between her legs when the leash is put on her. My husband has actually lifted her through the door and down the steps, and once she's out, she's fine, but she's too heavy for me. I went home today and nothing, I put the leash on her and she rolled on her back. Not even her favorite "trail of treats" would entice her outside.

We have had a few thunderstorms the past few days, could that be it? Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks.

labman

The material I quoted was meant for puppies, but some of it can be used for older dogs. Yes, it is important not to reward a dog for showing fear. Partly the difference in what I was doing was the confidence I was showing. Tone of voice is very important, more important than words the dog may not understand.

I don't give my dogs Greenies or any other consumable chews, not even the flavored Nylabones. The post somebody, that I knew and trusted, made on another site about watching her Boston Bull Dog choke to death in front of her eyes wasn't pretty. There is a large class action lawsuit working it way through the courts. I am surprised any retailers risk having them on the shelves.

For more on chew toys, see the sticky starting at http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/in...tml#post251802

There is plenty of good material there even a crate isn't best for your dog.

RubyPitbull

PPC, both bushg & labman are right. The greenies have been found to be choking hazards and overall not good for the dog. There has been a class action lawsuit over them. Supposedly the formula has now been changed, but I personally would not take any chances with it. Labman has some good advice in the link he supplied. You can use Nylabones and Kongs filled with a little peanut butter and some dog treats, safely. They will keep her busy.

And, bushg is right about not petting the dog during a thunderstorm. I am sorry I didn't mention it. I don't have time to read the link at the moment but if it covers that, follow the advice given. You need to act completely normal and with confidence during a violent/noisy storm. With the natural anxiety products, if you know a thunderstorm is approaching, try to give her the pills about a half hour prior to the sound of thunder striking. It is not always easy for us to detect exactly when it hits, so just be aware of the weather conditions.

I think the training classes are the right place for you to start. It really helps to see the practical advice be put into action if you haven't trained a dog in a while. It also gives you access to a trainer who can help show you what you need to do when a particular anxiety or problem arises in your dog. It is always a challenge for us when we are trying to integrate an older dog into our homes who has been through heaven knows what during the course of their lives. Please try not to get discouraged if your work progresses slowly or if she appears to have a bit of a backslide. This is quite normal for rescue dogs. It will take much more than a few weeks to undo the years of damage and retrain her. Persistence, patience, and good leadership are the key.

MissMolly99

Hi Penpapercoffee - I'm not sure if you're still using this site or not, but I'm curious as to how you're dog is doing and what techniques worked/didn't work to get his confidence built up to be comfortable going outside.

I just adopted a rescue dog - female black lab - and we're running into a similar situation. She's still learning the stairs so we have to carry her down - and she hates it. The first week we had her she was great outside. Now the last week she is absolutely terrified. Sometimes she won't stay out long enough to relieve herself. and unfortunately, we leave in a apt in the city so we don't have a private yard for her to go in.

We've only had her 2 weeks but it just seems strange that she's not terrified and was fine before.

We've been teaching her how to recognize her name and to sit in our apt. We've also been trying to employ techniques to show we're leaders. We're also going to look into obedience training, but it's getting to be a major issue just trying to get her outside.

Any advice would be very welcomed!