Dog is afraid of our new house - what the heck???

[chiefmickeymouse]

We have a Jack Russel, she is about 8. We have just moved into a new house and my dog is terrified. We have moved often, because DH was in the military and there has never been a problem before. This house has stairs, but she has lived in a house with stairs before. She refuses to walk down the downstairs hall, just sits and shakes!
I searched on line and the only thing I could find was someone saying we had a ghost. I don't know if I buy that theory, but I don't know what to do. I have to carry her into the house. She won't walk. When she is upstairs she seems okay. This is the strangest thing I've ever seen and I don't know what to do.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You could set up boundaries which gives the dog a chance to feel comfortable in a small space first.

Also use the leash technique with some treat training. Positive association will have him get over his fear of new spaces.

Key is to use a leash, treats, and a lot of patience to get the dog to walk into the house on it's own power. Do not pick him up. He will do it, you just have to set aside time to train.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My first thought was ghost, too but it could be who knows what.

At any rate, act like nothing's wrong. In other words, don't feed into the fear. Leash him and have him walk with you, do what it takes to make him walk normally even if it takes the happy voice you used when you were housetraining him and/or liver treats or something really good that he'll be very motivated to get.

If he still really won't go, don't force it right now. But still go about your dialy business as if nothing's wrong. Don't coddle him or you can increase his fear and make him a ball of anxiety. If he chooses to sit in another room and miss out on all the fun down the hallway well that's up to him.

With all that said, I do pay attention to a dog's instincts. Their senses are tuned into things that ours always aren't. I wouldn't be too, too quick to brush off something weird going on in that hallway. Give it some time to see what happens.

 

[Mrs.Malone]

My friend moved into a rental and her cat acted the same way! My friend actually had a priest come and bless the house, and immediately after that the cat relaxed and was fine
Seriously, I think Mystery Machine is right, maybe confine the dog to one small area for a while and then expand his boundaries as he starts to feel more at home.

 

[Hannathy]

Are the stairs different? Are they hard wood and slippery compared to carpeted in the old house? If she slipped going down once she may be afraid.

Did something scare her when you were moving in? like something dropped or someone startled her and she is associating it with that spot?

I would just give her time and act normal, don't feed into the fear and build it up in her mind. just reassure her but don't over do it.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

You could set up boundaries which gives the dog a chance to feel comfortable in a small space first.

Also use the leash technique with some treat training. Positive association will have him get over his fear of new spaces.

Key is to use a leash, treats, and a lot of patience to get the dog to walk into the house on it's own power. Do not pick him up. He will do it, you just have to set aside time to train.

She has never used her crate much, but maybe I should set that up for her and see if that helps. I'm not sure where to put it, probably in one of the smaller rooms?

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

Are the stairs different? Are they hard wood and slippery compared to carpeted in the old house? If she slipped going down once she may be afraid.

Did something scare her when you were moving in? like something dropped or someone startled her and she is associating it with that spot?

I would just give her time and act normal, don't feed into the fear and build it up in her mind. just reassure her but don't over do it.

The stairs are higher than our other stairs. Another thing is that our things haven't been delivered yet, so the house is mostly empty. We are camping out on air mattresses waiting for our furniture to get here.

 

[Hannathy]

The stairs are higher than our other stairs. Another thing is that our things haven't been delivered yet, so the house is mostly empty. We are camping out on air mattresses waiting for our furniture to get here.

Maybe she is afraid she is being left behind since all your things are gone?

I know I'm attributing human thoughts and emotions to a dog (my DH always complains at me for doing this) but it is a thought.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

My first thought was ghost, too but it could be who knows what.

At any rate, act like nothing's wrong. In other words, don't feed into the fear. Leash him and have him walk with you, do what it takes to make him walk normally even if it takes the happy voice you used when you were housetraining him and/or liver treats or something really good that he'll be very motivated to get.

If he still really won't go, don't force it right now. But still go about your dialy business as if nothing's wrong. Don't coddle him or you can increase his fear and make him a ball of anxiety. If he chooses to sit in another room and miss out on all the fun down the hallway well that's up to him.

With all that said, I do pay attention to a dog's instincts. Their senses are tuned into things that ours always aren't. I wouldn't be too, too quick to brush off something weird going on in that hallway. Give it some time to see what happens.

She absolutely won't walk, for treats or anything. She crosses her front legs and digs in with all of her 15 pounds. She does the same for every member of the family, even DH who she will usually obey no matter what. I have to pick her up to get her in the house, or down the hall. I'm having a hard time not coddling her because she looks so pathetic sitting there shaking, but I'll work on it!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

When are you getting your furniture? Probably once your house is set up the dog will relax.

If you think the crate would be helpful certainly is worth trying. You could leave the door open so he could come and go on his own.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

She absolutely won't walk, for treats or anything. She crosses her front legs and digs in with all of her 15 pounds. She does the same for every member of the family, even DH who she will usually obey no matter what. I have to pick her up to get her in the house, or down the hall. I'm having a hard time not coddling her because she looks so pathetic sitting there shaking, but I'll work on it!

I know! It's so hard to resist the urge to "comfort" them when they're like that, but in dogspeak it's reinforcing their idea that's something's wrong. Better to act like nothing's wrong and they follow your lead. Unfortunately, it sounds as if this time, he's having none of it, lol. I think the crate is a good idea, it might help him feel more safe. Again, I probably wouldn't force the issue right now, ie neither force nor coddle. Just remain neutral and see what happens. Hopefully he'll come around.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

She absolutely won't walk, for treats or anything. She crosses her front legs and digs in with all of her 15 pounds. She does the same for every member of the family, even DH who she will usually obey no matter what. I have to pick her up to get her in the house, or down the hall. I'm having a hard time not coddling her because she looks so pathetic sitting there shaking, but I'll work on it!

Will the dog walk outside?

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

Will the dog walk outside?

Once she is outside and moving away from the house she will walk. When she is heading back toward the house (in the front yard, about 15 yards from the door) she puts on her brakes.

My husband painted yesterday, but only downstairs. She seems okay upstairs. Could the smell of paint be freaking her out?

 

[yoopermom]

I would use the crate, covered with a blanket, and with something inside that smells of you (all), tshirt, pillowcase, whatever. Put it in a quiet corner near whatever "stuff" of your own is already in there.

On the ghost side: we had good friends who bought a house from a man who committed suicide in it. (Ok, from his inheritors, but you know what I mean...). Their house dog would always avoid a certain part of the hall, I mean walk wayyyy around it. We asked the previous owner's family, and, yes, that's where "it" happened...

Terri

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Once she is outside and moving away from the house she will walk. When she is heading back toward the house (in the front yard, about 15 yards from the door) she puts on her brakes.

My husband painted yesterday, but only downstairs. She seems okay upstairs. Could the smell of paint be freaking her out?

Ah, then that is easy.

What you do is walk toward the house and if she balks you turn her quickly and back around and then towards the house again. You do this over and over and over and over again until the dog caves and walks into the house with you on leash.

Key is to NOT STOP walking. When she puts on the brakes you quickly heel her away from the house and keep her walking.

Now you have to have the time to do the training because you have to have patience for this.

We have a dog that is scared of inanimate objects in the house and outside all the time. So we are always leashing him when his fears pop up.

Right now he is afraid of the fan that is by the stairs so he is very scared to come downstairs. So we leash him and we walk him back and forth near the fan many tmes and he ate treats off of it. Now he is hesistant but he comes downstairs at least. He will be 8yo in March.

 

[Mokat76]

It may be the lack "her" things and the echo-y sound in an empty house. she's getting older, too, and just may not adapt as readily. Steeper stairs may be really scary, like a ladder with rungs a couple of feet apart would be to us. Good luck.

 

[trip]

He's almost 8. Could he have developed hip Dysplasia?

 

[EllenFrasier]

Without reading all the responses, I have an idea. Since she is okay when you carry her, you could buy a "thunder shirt" - see thundershirt.com. It's for calming anxiety in dogs. People use it for all sorts of reasons, including thunderstorms. Good luck!

 

[EveDallas]

My first thought was ghost, too but it could be who knows what.

At any rate, act like nothing's wrong. In other words, don't feed into the fear. Leash him and have him walk with you, do what it takes to make him walk normally even if it takes the happy voice you used when you were housetraining him and/or liver treats or something really good that he'll be very motivated to get.

If he still really won't go, don't force it right now. But still go about your dialy business as if nothing's wrong. Don't coddle him or you can increase his fear and make him a ball of anxiety. If he chooses to sit in another room and miss out on all the fun down the hallway well that's up to him.

With all that said, I do pay attention to a dog's instincts. Their senses are tuned into things that ours always aren't. I wouldn't be too, too quick to brush off something weird going on in that hallway. Give it some time to see what happens.

LOL, I automatically thought "ghost" too! But I'm sure that's just because DS16 has been watching 'Paranormal State' nonstop, so I have ghosts on the brain.

Seriously though, I agree with the advice to just ignore it. Go about your day and don't feed into the anxiety.

 

[dizcrazee]

I'd be like Eddie Murphy talking about the Amityville house..."It sure is a nice house, honey, too bad we can't stay".

Seriously.