LariP
..........
- Aug 4, 2010
- 8,293
- 452
- Country
- USA
- Bulldog(s) Names
- (HRH) Her Royal Highness Princess Gracie & Princess Amelia Pond (Amy)
We've only had Gracie about a month. And we realize she's undergone a huge change in her life so some fears are normal, but we thought she'd be getting better about some of this stuff by now and she really isn't. Sudden sounds or movements seem to terrify her. She scurries under the safety of the computer desk or cowers momentarily.
She only wants to be in the family room and acts extremely afraid to venture into any other parts of the house. Only goes outside (which means walking through a small hallway and the kitchen) voluntarily when she absolutely has to Go first thing in the morning. Any other time of the day we have to carry her or take her by the harness and literally force her to go outside. Once she's outside she does her business quickly, and makes it clear she's ready to get back inside. As soon as we let her back in she scurries as fast as her little bully butt can right back into this room.
We want her to eat in the kitchen, not the family room. But she normally won't venture out in the kitchen by herself. We've tried to just gate her in the kitchen with us while we're eating dinner, and she acts like she's being punished to the max. She won't eat her food out there (or very little of it), but if it's brought to her in the family room she'll eat it.
Now when we're in the room with her (which is most of the time during the day) she's extremely loving, wants to be constantly petted and loved on. She seems to love everyone who she's met, dogs, cats kids and adults, but does show a preference for women and smaller people. She will cower a bit when first meeting men but not badly. She's extremly complacant when being groomed. Takes all the wiping, bathing and even shots at the vet and nail trimming at the groomer without flinching.
Once we've forced her outside she seems fine too. She seems to enjoy the walks around the block (once we get past that big scarey gate thing) that we go on almost nightly. But she's very eager to get back inside once we get "home".
If anything yesterday's thunderstorm only increased and personified her fears. Ever since that she's extremely skittish about any kind of sudden sounds. She goes and cowers under the computer desk at the slightest things.
Sometimes she'll start to act like she's going to go to the kitchen by herself, but then hears the tiniest sound and scurrys right back to her hidey hole under the computer desk. Yesterday this happened, and I tried to block her from running back in with my leg and she bashed her head into my shin so hard I thought she'd broken it for a bit. I have a HUGE bruise. And I'm sure her head does too.
There have been a few (very few) times that we thought things were getting better, but then the boogey man has returned at the next venture into the scarey parts of the house.
Does anyone have any ideas of things we can do to soothe her fears yet get her to do what we want without it seeming like punishment to her?
Coaxing with treats is USELESS...doesn't work at all.
She only wants to be in the family room and acts extremely afraid to venture into any other parts of the house. Only goes outside (which means walking through a small hallway and the kitchen) voluntarily when she absolutely has to Go first thing in the morning. Any other time of the day we have to carry her or take her by the harness and literally force her to go outside. Once she's outside she does her business quickly, and makes it clear she's ready to get back inside. As soon as we let her back in she scurries as fast as her little bully butt can right back into this room.
We want her to eat in the kitchen, not the family room. But she normally won't venture out in the kitchen by herself. We've tried to just gate her in the kitchen with us while we're eating dinner, and she acts like she's being punished to the max. She won't eat her food out there (or very little of it), but if it's brought to her in the family room she'll eat it.
Now when we're in the room with her (which is most of the time during the day) she's extremely loving, wants to be constantly petted and loved on. She seems to love everyone who she's met, dogs, cats kids and adults, but does show a preference for women and smaller people. She will cower a bit when first meeting men but not badly. She's extremly complacant when being groomed. Takes all the wiping, bathing and even shots at the vet and nail trimming at the groomer without flinching.
Once we've forced her outside she seems fine too. She seems to enjoy the walks around the block (once we get past that big scarey gate thing) that we go on almost nightly. But she's very eager to get back inside once we get "home".
If anything yesterday's thunderstorm only increased and personified her fears. Ever since that she's extremely skittish about any kind of sudden sounds. She goes and cowers under the computer desk at the slightest things.
Sometimes she'll start to act like she's going to go to the kitchen by herself, but then hears the tiniest sound and scurrys right back to her hidey hole under the computer desk. Yesterday this happened, and I tried to block her from running back in with my leg and she bashed her head into my shin so hard I thought she'd broken it for a bit. I have a HUGE bruise. And I'm sure her head does too.
There have been a few (very few) times that we thought things were getting better, but then the boogey man has returned at the next venture into the scarey parts of the house.
Does anyone have any ideas of things we can do to soothe her fears yet get her to do what we want without it seeming like punishment to her?
Coaxing with treats is USELESS...doesn't work at all.