# Ellie afraid of her own backyard



## Dan_A (Jan 19, 2021)

Recently Ellie has been apprehensive about going out to the backyard. She never wants to be left alone which is rather annoying as we have to stand around while she decides to go potties. If we leave her she runs right to the door in a panic.

Now when we go to the backdoor and call her to have her come, she ignores us and tries to go hide. Now we have to leash her just to get her out back. Then when she is outside, any little noise freaks her out. Truck goes by, someone hammering 3 blocks over, etc. She panics and runs to the back door to get back into the house.

Even when we are all outside hanging out or in the pool, she freaks out and wants to go back in the house. This is getting very tiring for us as its a chore to ensure she goes potties and hope that a noise in the neighborhood doesn't pop her fuse.

Anywhere else she is fine, on walks, running through the woods, etc. Perfectly fine and besides being afraid of garbage trucks doesn't pay anything a care. Only our nice safe backyard is apparently super scary, you know the one she grew up in!

She is going on 11months now. We had went through other chicken phases with her, could this be another?


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

They do go through some weird phases, and develop some odd behaviors.
Hopefully she gets past it.
Maybe bring a toy out with her to distract her and make it fun???


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

yes, chicken phases like this come and go, you may even have one around 18-24 months with vizslas and other short hair sporting dog as well (hearing it from other short hair hunting dog owners). with some dogs it is suddenly getting afraid of man, noises, new scents even. some start barking at every stranger or dog at their walks, while a week ago they were tail wagging for everyone, the list is endless. main thing is to work thru and never punish as annoying the behavior is. distractions as gunnr mentioned are important, toys, food etc, so that she can associate the fear object with something very positive.
as for not wanting to be alone on the yard, that is normal, there is a reason why they are called velcro. i have used that feature a lot when it came to our recall training


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## Dan_A (Jan 19, 2021)

Thank you @Gabica and @gunnr for your replies. I'm happy to know it looks to be just another phase. She has also picked up barking at people walking in the street or other dogs, like she is acting all tough when I know the slightest look and step in her direction will send her running for the hills in fear lol.

We don't punish her and try to keep it positive. Usually she can care less about a toy or play distraction, and I was thinking of trying treats. I was just afraid of setting up an expectation of a treat every-time she goes out which may turn into her faking potty calls just to get treats. I always try to be one step ahead of these little manipulators!

Will carry on as normal and hope she soon forgets about all the things she currently feels she needs to fear!

And so true on the velcro with this breed. I completely underestimated the velcro-ness levels we experience with Ellie!


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## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

Fred also had her phases (she is 14 months old); exactly like Ellie she suddenly barked at people outside on her last walk in the dark (while the entire dark winter nothing happened). We brought treats and asked her to sit and give paw (which she really enjoys doing) when she started barking which ended the whole phase very quickly.

No experience on the issue with the garden though but I’d try making it a fun place for playing for a while and maybe take her potty somewhere else for a week or so? See if that might reset her brain a bit?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Dogs can do it for any number of reasons.
Jasper (smart dog) goes on high alert if he smells Insecticides outdoors. If a neighboring sprays their yard with something to keep bugs away. Jasper is like Nope, I’m not going out there.


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