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Blue, my four-year-old smooth coat has, all of the sudden, developed a fear of our kitchen.  He is normally sensitive but also quite confident.  I run him for miles off leash in the woods most mornings well before sunrise.  In addition to being odd, this new behavior is a problem because the only way to get from the rest of our house to the back yard is through the kitchen.  Neither my wife nor I (the only two humans in the house) have any idea what started this behavior.  Our hopes that it will just disappear as suddenly as it appeared are beginning to wane with the passage of time (about two weeks at this point).  He will only transit this small space if one of us do it with him and sometimes not even then.

The only thing that has changed in our environment is Bonnie, a four-month-old rough coat that came to live with us at six weeks.  For her, Blue was love at first sight.  It took him a few weeks to adjust but they then became almost inseparable.  They play fight (hard) almost continuously during their waking hours.  Bonnie has no fear of the kitchen but did hate being penned in there behind a child gate while she was learning not to pee in the house.  She sleeps in a crate (which she likes) but was kept in the kitchen if we both had to leave during the day and would whail like she was being drawn and quartered as we walked out the door.  Bonnie LOVES the kitchen because that is where the food is.

Does anyone have any ideas about what may have caused this or how to fix it?  I feel terrible for normally fearless Blue.

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I’ve heard of cases where the dog slipped on the slippery kitchen floor and hurt or scared themselves, and are avoiding it because of that. Do you think that’s a possibility, especially if he was chasing/roughhousing with the pup in the kitchen and wiped out? 

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It is definitely possible.  They zip around the house like a pair of Tasmanian devils several times a day.  You would think it would be the wee one that would wipe out  but Bonnie has been tough, athletic and pretty fearless from day one.

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I had a dog who slipped on the kitchen floor and crashed into the cupboard when she was careening through to get to the back door to go out, so I'd agree that slipping could be the culprit. But it isn't important what happened. What matters is what you can do now to prevent it from generalizing to other places with slippery floors. (My dog became completely paranoid of any smooth floor surface.)

If you think this could be even a remote possibility, I'd start by putting some some rubber backed mats or runners so he can navigate the floor without the risk of slipping.

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Thanks for both of your suggestions.  I think I am going to try the systematic desensitization / conditioning technique suggested in the youtube video Rika posted first and do the mats second if still necessary. 

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Desensitization is a fantastic option, but be aware it can take a while, sometimes a long while. In the meantime if it is a fear of the slick floor every time he slips, even just a little bit, will set your efforts back.

Another option could be some sort of paw wax or something that'll provide traction for him. I thought I remembered a product called Tacky Paws, but I'm either mis-remebering the name or it's no longer made. UI did a quick search and see there are several options you could try. https://www.amazon.com/tacky-paws-dogs/s?page=1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Atacky paws for dogs

Just be sure whatever you try in this category needs to not make the problem worse. A friend just told me she's started using Musher's Secret for salt, but that now her dog slides on her hardwood floors. You don't want to make things worse (or create a new fear if the guess is incorrect) by making the floor even slippier.

Good luck.

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Great video, Riika. I really like Kikopup for training ideas, and recommend her videos. My Kit got scared to cross the kitchen floor because the floor grate tipped up one time when she stepped on it. I never counter-conditioned her on that because very soon after that we moved. As an older dog she hated the floor because it was too easy for her to slip on it. You might try mats on the floor while you are doing the desensitization, so that a repeat of the slipping doesn't occur, as GL has said. The very best thing I have used is yoga mats. They are cheap (sometimes even available used at a thrift store) and machine washable and they do not skid on the floor at all. And, they are long. Much cheaper than buying runner mats.

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9 hours ago, Blue Dog said:

Thanks for both of your suggestions.  I think I am going to try the systematic desensitization / conditioning technique suggested in the youtube video Rika posted first and do the mats second if still necessary. 

I suggest you do both at the same time. As D'Elle mentioned, you can find yoga mats at thrift stores sometimes. I've bought at least 3 over the last few years and they are mostly used for anti-slippage. The great thing about yoga mats is you can easily cut them to fit in tighter spaces, or cut one into 2 or more parts for different small areas around the house. And when they're dirty they are easily cleaned w/a damp rag and perhaps some windex or similar. I buy one whenever I see one. You could even put an ad on FreeCycle (if you have one) or craigslist looking for used yoga mats.

The thing I like about de--sensitization is that once your dog experiences the process, he's more likely to take to it if you need it again. That's been true for me and all my 4 bc.

Good luck!

Ruth & Gibbs

ETA ~ Very, very cute photos! 

 

 

 

Edited by urge to herd
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I concur with the suggestion to purchase some cheap non-skid mats.  My elderly girl has become more and more tentative walking on my tile floors as her rear end muscles have weakened.  Then I added a puppy to the household, and her fear of slipping went up exponentially as the little demon buzzes around her.   Adding some strategically placed carpet runners has improved her quality of life immensely, and I'm kicking myself that I didn't think of yoga mats as a cheaper alternative. Genius!  As others have said, mats and desensitization aren't mutually exclusive.  You can certainly continue to work on desensitizing, but adding a non-slip pathway through your kitchen may prevent setbacks that could occur if your dog slips again.  And, trust me, I know this is easier said than done, but try to limit your dog's roughhousing to non-slippery surfaces as best you can.   Dogs and puppies can experience some pretty serious injuries bashing into each other on a slick surface. 

Also.  Adorable photos  ;-)

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Things had actually gotten worse this morning.  He developed a little limp yesterday (left front) and I had to carry all 45 pounds of him through the kitchen so he could take care of his morning business in the back yard.

We pulled a big carpet remnant out of the attic that covered most of the kitchen floor.  That, a lot of patience, and a lot of cat treats seems to have solved the problem for now.  Looks like hell but he is happy.  After Bonnie settles down and Blue forgets his trauma we will probably pick the kitchen carpet back up.  By the time either of them get old, I'm sure we will be living elsewhere.

Thank all of you for your suggestions and encouragement.

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