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

[Joan Ziehl <joan@ziehl.com>]

Natalie, 

Your post brought back memories for me.  I had the same problem you did,
and I hate to tell you but it seems that once that fear imprint is
there, it is a long time if they get over it, if ever.

After being out in the yard one morning, my boy came in on the run and
wiped out making a turn on the ceramic tile that was in the dining room
and kitchen.  Until the day I moved, he only went into those rooms when
it was necessary.  BUT, he would hang out in the hallway which is the
same tile!

I never forced him to come into those rooms, I 'encouraged' him by
placing treats on the floor and put his feeding dish in there.  I never
walked around the floor when he did go in as to not startle him, and
after about 6 months, he started to unwind.  

Just try to patient with her and good luck.  If you need any of my other
tricks, give me a yell!

Good luck, 

Joan
> 
> 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.
>