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I've read some of the threads out there on dogs that are fearful of going on walks and going outside in general. I've been having similar behavior with my 3 year old cairn terrier and I wanted to get feedback on what specifically may be causing this.
My wife and I moved a year ago from a quiet gated condo complex to a relatively more urban area. A few months after we moved she started getting increasingly fearful and unwilling to go on walks - she would resist going away from our building until she realized we were serious about walking her at which point she would pull ahead and try to get around the block as quickly as possible so she could get back home. I always attributed this to her being scared of busses/cars/construction workers/etc that were new to her. As a resuly we would try to drive her to quiter areas or to dog parks when we could and would walk her around our neighborhood the rest of the time to ensure she still was getting exercise. This wasn't ideal, but it was acceptable. She has always been somewhat timid and very aware of her surroundings so I am sure that moving to a much busier area has been overwhelming for her.
Lately however she has been getting scared (shaking/hiding) when we try to take her out just to go to the bathroom (she knows the difference between walks and potty when we tell her). In the mornings she is been particularly bad with the shaking and has started having accidents in our elevator/lobby. When I do get her out she often will continually try to pull us back in until she finally does #2. My condo building has a large grass area right outside the door so she doesn't have to venture far away to do her business and up until recently she has been fine with the whole setup.
The accidents and being scared to even go outside is the most troubling to me. Another factor is that my wife started a new job last fall and now we have been leaving her at home during the day whereas before one of us would come home during lunch to take her out and play with her for a little bit. We decided at the time that it was ok to do this as she never showed signs of separation anxiety or discomfort in having to wait to go potty on the times we had left her alone for longer periods of time.
What I'm trying to figure out is if this largely a response to the change in her surroundings, moving to a city, or if it is due to our change in schedule, or if there is something else I haven't thought of. Sorry for the long-winded post but every dog is unique so I wanted to give the most detail possible about her situation.
Thanks!
My wife and I moved a year ago from a quiet gated condo complex to a relatively more urban area. A few months after we moved she started getting increasingly fearful and unwilling to go on walks - she would resist going away from our building until she realized we were serious about walking her at which point she would pull ahead and try to get around the block as quickly as possible so she could get back home. I always attributed this to her being scared of busses/cars/construction workers/etc that were new to her. As a resuly we would try to drive her to quiter areas or to dog parks when we could and would walk her around our neighborhood the rest of the time to ensure she still was getting exercise. This wasn't ideal, but it was acceptable. She has always been somewhat timid and very aware of her surroundings so I am sure that moving to a much busier area has been overwhelming for her.
Lately however she has been getting scared (shaking/hiding) when we try to take her out just to go to the bathroom (she knows the difference between walks and potty when we tell her). In the mornings she is been particularly bad with the shaking and has started having accidents in our elevator/lobby. When I do get her out she often will continually try to pull us back in until she finally does #2. My condo building has a large grass area right outside the door so she doesn't have to venture far away to do her business and up until recently she has been fine with the whole setup.
The accidents and being scared to even go outside is the most troubling to me. Another factor is that my wife started a new job last fall and now we have been leaving her at home during the day whereas before one of us would come home during lunch to take her out and play with her for a little bit. We decided at the time that it was ok to do this as she never showed signs of separation anxiety or discomfort in having to wait to go potty on the times we had left her alone for longer periods of time.
What I'm trying to figure out is if this largely a response to the change in her surroundings, moving to a city, or if it is due to our change in schedule, or if there is something else I haven't thought of. Sorry for the long-winded post but every dog is unique so I wanted to give the most detail possible about her situation.
Thanks!