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Post by Trixie's Mum on Jul 29, 2012 9:54:07 GMT -5
Since I got Trixie I noticed that sometimes on our walk she would stop but after I knelt down and spoke to her she seemed to come round and continued walking on. I just put it down to being a quirk of hers. We (me and husband) came back off our hols Thursday. Trix didn't seem any different and was herself. Yesterday we were walking and a car ran over a plastic bottle which really frightened her but we managed to walk home fine. However this morning she is terrified. We got outside and out of the gate and she just stood there in the pavement tail between her legs. I knelt down to try and talk her round but it didn't work. She just stood there still unbudging. The only place she would move was back into the garden and back inside the house.  I woke hubby up so he could walk with us this morning. She seems to enjoy it when we walk together and I thought as he usually walks infront of us she might follow but no.  We spent a while outside and she did start walking but then she stopped again. Some clever so and so stuck their head out of the window and shouted I bet that didn't get very far on the race track. We spent a while trying to encourage her to move and we did get her to go around the park eventually. We've just got in from church and we both tried to walk her again but we couldn't get her to move at all this time. Not even half way down the road. I honestly don't know what to do. We've tried coaxing her with some kibbles to get her moving but she has no interest. Is she ill? Is she depressed? I don't know. Help! I could really tug on her leash and pull her along but I think that would make things a lot worse and scare her more? |
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Post by sassbu on Jul 29, 2012 11:14:53 GMT -5
Aww Bless Trixie must have had a real fright  If she's moving well round the home with ease and eating and drinking and toiletting as usual then she's probably not ill. I'm presuming that all is ok in these areas??? It really won't matter if it takes a few days to coax her back to walking as long as all the above are normal, so no need to force her. I'm no expert but I would suggest you carry on with the coaxing, try every few hours with some really special top class treats (like cheese or sausage) when you get outside  and speak to her in a really happy but calm voice when you get out there. If she wants to go back, let her and then try a few hours later. I see you've not had her long so she's probably still in the settling in stage and not used to strange noises and working out what's going on. Main thing is don't panic. There's no rule that she has to go walkies x times a day for x amount of time, so if it was me I would try and build her back up with little bits of exposure at her pace until she feels safe again Sarah x P.S. If still no change in a couple days maybe she has a canine friend locally that could come and walk with her to reassure her everything is ok?? |
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Post by samburns on Jul 29, 2012 11:44:38 GMT -5
Agree with all Sarah has said.
If she is very noise sensitive and probably a little nervous out and about it may be worth trying one of the many calming products available online.
We give Sibs scullcap & valerian tablets and valerian tincture to help relax her ..... others use DAP collars and/or sprays - some of these things work for some dogs and not others though.
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houndie
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Post by houndie on Jul 29, 2012 12:04:03 GMT -5
my girl lily was like that when she came to me in dec.
she had been to 8 different 'homes' (trainers & rescues) in 5 months before coming to me
she was terrified each time we went out of the garden gate as she thought she was being taken somewhere else. She would jump into the car but not get out under any circumstances the other end in case we left her with someone else. At the time I had a beautiful old grey who was bombproof and she helped a lot but still lily wouldn't leave the garden.
As sassbu said, let her go as far as she's happy then take her back home . she will venture a little further as she gets more confidence but if she stops at any time just take her back, don't try to force her in any way.
eventually we were able to walk the fields opposite but if I dared go round the field in the opposite direction she would freeze.
we also took her out in the car and would stop, open the back and sit with her talking to her but letting her see we were in a different place. Then we would shut the door and drive home again.
She soon came to realise that if she went out she always came back home. It did take a few months and was very slow, sometimes even going backwards, but now she is brilliant. She is still a little nervous of other people & some other dogs but we have no problem taking her anywhere.
good luck, there are plenty of remedies on the market but the one that is the best of all is called patience.
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Post by lurcherlot on Jul 29, 2012 12:38:02 GMT -5
I imagine the noise of the squashed plastic bottle could have sounded like a firework or possibly a crack of thunder .... I have a couple of dogs that are terrified and would react in the same way as your hound. You could try Rescue Remedy in drinking water or a few drops directly into her mouth.
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Post by Trixie's Mum on Jul 29, 2012 13:53:52 GMT -5
:-*Thank you everyone . I think it must have been a very scary thing for her she did really freak out. I've noticed she is a little scared of our cats. If they come near her she doesn't seem sure what to do and backs up. They arn't bullying her but they are stange to her. So many things are strange to her. She doesn't seem to like a lot of fuss either. If I bring her in the lounge she just goes stock still quite often and I have to place her on the sofa. I havn't done that the past few days though just let her be in the kitchen.
I just want her to be happy really. She does seem scared of the simplest thing.
I kinda wish I hadn't left her last week to go on holiday but my mum did do a fantastic job it's just I was building up a relationship with Trixie and it feels a bit like being at square one again (or even a bit further behind that!). Still I am with her everyday all day now I just hope she comes around soon.
Bet we looked quite a sight earlier standing in the middle of the street with this big dog that wouldn't budge ;D and I was stood there repeating gently "Go on darling" and my husband just looked unamused - felt like we needed a greyhound breakdown service ! ;D
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Post by andywillow on Jul 29, 2012 14:17:37 GMT -5
Does she travel well in the car? Might be worth taking her for a short drive to somewhere nice to walk away from traffic etc. Hope she settles soon, its a whole new world for her now |
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Post by houndie on Jul 29, 2012 14:58:12 GMT -5
i'm not sure how long you have had her but it sounds as though she is quite new.
I think you are wise to let her stay in the kitchen or wherever she feels safe. Let her choose her own spot and she will just watch everything that is going on and try to assimilate it in her mind. be patient and let her go at her own pace and she will come round much quicker.
do you know her history?
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Post by Jo&Chris on Jul 29, 2012 14:59:01 GMT -5
My Lizzy can be exactly the same, there are certain routes she simply will not walk, she is frightened of children so if she hears any playing she will either try to bolt or stand stock still. Agree with all the above, just bear in mind that this is a huge new world and you will have to go at her pace, and also bear in mind that it may take a vey long time for her to come round, we had had liz a year before she would do a full walk
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Post by Trixie's Mum on Jul 29, 2012 15:51:54 GMT -5
I don't know a lot about her background. She came from a kennels where the man had 80 dogs and raced them. Trixie wasn't fast enough so he was rehoming her.
Unfortunately we don't drive so can't take her in the car.
This is puzzling me because she was completely fine at first. We were doing 1 hour walks morning and evening and a shorter walk in the day time.
Maybe it's all overwhelmed her a bit.
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Post by kamkay on Jul 30, 2012 1:34:05 GMT -5
Am a comparative novice myself, but would agree with all the advice you've been given. Imagine that you'd been put in a place where you didn't understand the language, knew nobody at all and did not know what was expected of you - that's how Trixie feels at the moment. When Jet first arrived he was very aloof , spending most of his time away from us in the kitchen. However, the door to the front room was always open and with time he chose to be with us some of the time. It took him 6 months to find his way on to the sofa. We now have a routine in the morning where he comes to have a huge fuss made of him once he's had his first short trip out. He still chooses to spend a lot of time in his bed in the kitchen , but that's obviously where he feels safest and most comfortable.
Are there any other greyhound owners in your area - maybe Trixie would be happier to walk in company. I'm sure these are just teething problems - welcome to the quirky world of greyhounds !!
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Post by houndie on Jul 30, 2012 5:18:33 GMT -5
she will be very overwhelmed. Try to think as she is thinking as kamkay has posted.
maybe just shorter walks closer to home for a while until she gets more confident. It could be that an hour seems an awful long time to her as she is most likely worrying the whole time what is going to happen next.
let her settle at her own pace, some dogs take longer than others.
often they will be fine for the first few days and then the enormity of the situation will hit them and they reverse back into their shell.
my bridge baby annie took 6 months to come out of her shell but boy was it worth the wait. also my last boy rusty took 2 months to find the courage to get on the sofa, now only 1 month later he owns it!!
stop worrying, as she will pick up on your concerns, just allow her to do her own thing and then sit back and enjoy every step of the way because there is nothing so humbling and rewarding as watching them emerge as confident, happy, loving hounds.
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Post by julies on Jul 30, 2012 13:04:37 GMT -5
I agree with everyone else .. and remember that everything - everything - is strange and new to her - her life was very very routine, kennels, possibly quiet lanes where she would have been walked with other greys to get them fit then taken in a van (not a car) to the track where she was encouraged to run after a flapping thing ... just take it at her own pace but a greyhound friend or two can really help- shame you don't drive but if you could contact your nearest RGT or GRWE branch as they often do greyhound walks and see if someone can either come and join you or collect you when they next walk and make going outside fun Good luck with her Julie |
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Post by Trixie's Mum on Jul 31, 2012 3:34:11 GMT -5
could contact your nearest RGT or GRWE branch as they often do greyhound walks and see if someone can either come and join you or collect you when they next walk and make going outside fun Good luck with her Julie Sadly I don't know anyone who owns another dog nearby. I'll have a look into RGT and GRWE. Would be nice to meet up with some other greyhound owners too |
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Post by kamkay on Jul 31, 2012 4:44:23 GMT -5
Where do you live? There are likely to be Gappers in the vicinity - they get everywhere!!
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