[PyrNet-L] Chat: Strange problem, any ideas?

[Natalie Lewis <ulewinj@lexis-nexis.com>]

I've been lurking for a while, and thought that this group might be able
to help us with a problem.

We're having a strange problem with our Pyr pup Sierra.  She's 5 months
old, and weighs 50lbs.  She's a complete sweetheart, but a bit of a
chicken with new situations (and old ones sometimes).

The problem is that she's somehow developed a fear of our kitchen floor,
well actually any floor that's linoleum.  It happened "overnight" for no
apparent reason that we can think of.  Her food and water are in the
kitchen, and the door to the backyard is there as well.  She'll walk on
the floor, but only if the door to the backyard is open.  And she'll only
walk on the edge near the wall at any rate.

We've racked our brains trying to think of what could have scared her
while she was in that room, with no luck.  We thought at first it was just
the kitchen, but she's got the same problem with the bathrooms (same
floor).  It's not a slickness issue (I don't think) since she doesn't have
a problem on the tile entryway.

It was bad enough that she wasn't eating at all, but we've worked with her
to the point that she'll eat if I'm in the room sitting on the floor.  We
got her to that point by offering her treats (the really good kind -
leftover steak and such) but only if she walked out on the floor.  Started
with just all four feet on the floor and worked her into coming into the
middle of the floor.

She's still very nervous when she's eating, and that can't be good for
her.  Any suggestions about what else we can do to help her?  We walk very
carefully in the kitchen when she's around, and keep our voices and
movements smooth.  We also praise her when she comes into the kitchen on
her own.  

The other thing would be to figure out what caused the problem in the
first place so we can keep anything like that from happening again.  But
that's probably not something that the list can help with.  We were here
and can't come up with that one.

Natalie and Sierra (who thinks that the cats are just toys that move)