[Dyane]

Hi everyone! I apologize for the length of this post - brevity isn't my strong point when it comes to my furbaby's situation.

I'm brand-new to this wonderful forum. Last night I read DogForum's guidelines and then I searched for a while to see if there were similar posts. While there were a few posts about walking difficulty-related topics, there was nothing like my situation, so please bear with me.

I've had my beautiful Scottish collie Lucy, who's 8, since she was a puppy. She's the light of my life, and she knows it! I have a husband and two teen girls, and while they adore Lucy, I'm her primary caretaker as well as the person who has been closest to her all along.

For many years, Lucy and I walked together at the local high school and surrounding forest, often going for 45 minutes or more. I had to drive us there because our neighborhood was an extremely dangerous for walking. Then the pandemic struck. My eldest daughter and I were able to walk Lucy around our neighborhood together since there were hardly any cars, and it was 100% safer than it had been pre-pandemic.

One day my daughter and I were walking Lucy near our home, and a neighbor started yelling at me from several hundred yards away. He was totally out of line about his "reason" for yelling, but I can't go into details here or else it would become a novella. My husband has had confrontations with him the past, as have many other residents.

I yelled "Leave us alone!" at the neighbor, and we took off, but my daughter began to cry as she was understandably scared. I apologized to her because I should've ignored the neighbor from the get-go.

Surprisingly, Lucy didn't react to the yelling, but she took it all in.

That's the only incident in which I acted inappropriate and scary in front of her, and I wonder if my behavior possibly freaked her out so that it made me seem unreliable when it came to walking her. I know it's a stretch, but I just can't figure this out!

Lucy won't walk with me anywhere unless one of my family members comes along.She's still loving as ever to me, and she always wants to be right by my side at home; she usually sits on one of my feet. She will accompany my husband for short walks up our street, but she needs way more exercise as she's overweight, and I have the time to give her longer walks.

This dilemma is breaking my heart. I'm on disability, our family income is super-tight, and we cannot afford a dog trainer's services.

Lucy is treat-driven but when it comes to motivating her to go on walks with me, they don't work, no matter how much she loves them.

I've also read in this forum that someone whose dog doesn't wish to walk with him will walk their dog with another person, and then the 2nd person will quietly leave mid-walk. That doesn't work either.

I would be deeply grateful for your advice!

Thank you!

 

[JoanneF]

What happens if you drive her somewhere else?

 

[Dyane]

Hi Joanne, & thanks for your reply! As an Anglophile I'm especially happy to hear from you.

That's an excellent point you made. If I drive her somewhere, the same behavior happens.

We're in spectacular Lake Tahoe right on a short vacation. I thought there would be a good chance she'd accompany me on a short walk. We got as far as 5 feet.

She's in excellent health (she swam quite a bit in Lake Tahoe!) and she was recently checked out by our new vet. I told the vet about the walking issue, and she didn't know why Lucy would be doing that. My psychiatrist (a dog person who I have immense respect for) thinks Lucy may be tapping into my fear; i.e. it could be some kind of spiritual thing.

😥

 

[MaisieAndGem]

I think its entirely plausible that her behaviour could be as a result of the scary (for her at least) incident you mentioned, especially if she is a more sensitive type of dog. Whether it is unease about you or if she just feels safer with more of her family with her it's hard to say. Dogs definitely do pick up our emotions as well, so if you are harboring some nerves after the encounter or are even just not completely confident while walking her then she absolutely could be bouncing of this.

Personally I would try walking her 4 feet (since you said 5 feet is her limit) and then sitting down. Have some treats or a favourite toy to interact with her while you sit and just let her take in the world. Sit for about 10 minutes if she seems calm and then walk home. I would repeat this at the same spot for a week and then try to advance another 4 feet. Rinse and repeat. If she gets nervous walking that extra few feet, turn back and sit at the old spot for a bit and then go home. If she seems confident after the first few rounds of Advance and Adjust (that's what I call it lol) then try walking her until she refuses and sit down again. Be careful not to push her over threshold though, as soon as she seems panicky retreat to the previous spot you sat at for a little and then head home.

Not saying this will work, just something to try if you like. Either way I would love to hear updates!

 

[JoanneF]

I agree with @MaisieAndGem , work within her comfort zones. You could also just spend some time at your doorway, watching and feeding treats or playing with her toy. This (and the walking 4 feet) does two things.

First, it shows you are listening to her and not pushing her beyond what she can cope with. That will help build her confidence because she won't be over-faced. Second, the treats/toy change her emotional response to the environment, from scary to positive.

 

[Dyane]

I think its entirely plausible that her behaviour could be as a result of the scary (for her at least) incident you mentioned, especially if she is a more sensitive type of dog. Whether it is unease about you or if she just feels safer with more of her family with her it's hard to say. Dogs definitely do pick up our emotions as well, so if you are harboring some nerves after the encounter or are even just not completely confident while walking her then she absolutely could be bouncing of this.

Personally I would try walking her 4 feet (since you said 5 feet is her limit) and then sitting down. Have some treats or a favourite toy to interact with her while you sit and just let her take in the world. Sit for about 10 minutes if she seems calm and then walk home. I would repeat this at the same spot for a week and then try to advance another 4 feet. Rinse and repeat. If she gets nervous walking that extra few feet, turn back and sit at the old spot for a bit and then go home. If she seems confident after the first few rounds of Advance and Adjust (that's what I call it lol) then try walking her until she refuses and sit down again. Be careful not to push her over threshold though, as soon as she seems panicky retreat to the previous spot you sat at for a little and then head home.

Not saying this will work, just something to try if you like. Either way I would love to hear updates!

Hello, @MaisieAndGem, and thanks so much for taking the time to write! Your kindness and insights have made my day.

I'll definitely try your "Advance and Adjust" technique (I love the name!) and let you know how it goes.

Also, one thing I haven't done yet is to take her to our old stomping grounds by the school that we walked pre-pandemic. That's something I'll do when we return home, and I'll share how that goes, too.

Have a great day, and take care!

Warmly,

Dyane and Lucy

 

[Dyane]

I agree with @MaisieAndGem , work within her comfort zones. You could also just spend some time at your doorway, watching and feeding treats or playing with her toy. This (and the walking 4 feet) does two things.

First, it shows you are listening to her and not pushing her beyond what she can cope with. That will help build her confidence because she won't be over-faced. Second, the treats/toy change her emotional response to the environment, from scary to positive.

First off, both you & @MaisieAndGem are awesome.

I like the idea of staying at the doorway with her (watching, feeding her treats, playing with her rainbow ball) and then I'd gradually introduce "Advance and Adjust" to regain her trust and create a positive environment for her again.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart!

Dyane & Lucy

p.s. Ironically she absolutely loves swimming in the nearby icy cold lake! She can swim for a long time, but alas, I'm not a good lake swimmer.

 

[Dyane]

What happens if you drive her somewhere else?

When we return home, I'll take her to our old stomping grounds & report back!
Thanks again!