# He hates the back yard



## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Ben, our new three year old rescue, loves to walk. Since he has a lot of energy and needs to work it off, we've been taking him on walks three times a day, usually three or four miles total. He loves it. Problem is, now he despises our back yard. It's not nearly as much fun as walking around the neighborhood or in the woods.

When we get up in the morning, we'll take Ben out back to pee. He'll sniff the air for a minute or two, then head right back into the house. We take him for a walk through the neighborhood after breakfast, usually mid-morning. He'll hold it till then. Mid-afternoon comes another walk or sometimes a short hike, and he'll pee again, then we'll go on another wander through the neighborhood before bed and he waters another piece of grass. In between, I'll take him out back whenever he shows any signs of needing to go out (i.e. standing at door, barking for no reason, etc.) It rarely results in anything. Lately, he has taken to refusing to go out the back door. If we head toward the front door, hurray, he'll race us there. If we head to the back, he lies down and refuses to move. If I do take him out back, we'll wander in circles or sniff the air for a few minutes, but nothing happens. Tonight I tried twice to get him to go to the bathroom in the back yard. He refused, then an hour later peed on the bedroom rug. 

Aside from the frustration factor, I want to start training with the electric fence, so we can play with Ben off leash, but we spend so little time out back that we're still in lesson 1. He won't wander across the fence line, because he doesn't want to be in the back yard at all. All he wants to do is lie down and roll on the icy grass. As we walk along the perimeter, he keeps pulling me back to the house or over to the car. I haven't dared try to use the electric shock yet, because I'm afraid it will traumatize him so much he won't go out back at all. Most of the time I don't even put the collar on him because I don't want to scare him off the yard completely. He doesn't seem to mind the beep that much - but it may be a factor to his hating the yard.

We can't stop taking him on walks. His behavior has gotten better with all the exercise. We've been able to start training him with basic obedience commands now that he has started to calm down. But how do I make the back yard more interesting so he'll take care of business there instead of either holding it until we take him on walks or going in the house? He's not much for interactive play, though he'll sometimes chase a ball two or three times before getting bored. I have to be careful with getting him excited because he bites (hard) when he gets wound up. That's why we've been doing so much walking: he gets excited, but he doesn't get aggressive. But walking around the yard just isn't much fun for him. Any suggestions?


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

It seems Ben has some bad backyard memories- he's afraid he is going to be left out there. You said he was tied up outside by his former owner- likely for a good part of his 3 years, and he doesn't want to let it happen again. I would try just taking him out, giving him a treat, and bringing him back into the house, repeating often - so that he learns thru experience that he will be allowed back into the house. When you are taking him for a walk can you leave and return via the backyard? Help him build some good backyard memories. Try to be patient with him and help him build his confidence and trust in you, and allow him time to realize that his new home is his forever home and he will be treated as part of the family.


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## BajaOklahoma (Sep 27, 2009)

Try taking him out back on a leash. No playing, no fence collar, just go potty (or phrase of your choice) and back inside.
Make sure that you use the same words on the walk.
Do it for several weeks before adding the fence collar.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I agree, I think the fence training is making him nervous. I know that when you started he would lie down and refuse to move, so I have two thoughts on it. He is either afraid of the beep or he was previously trained on a IF improperly. Either way, I think you need to back off from trying to use the IF with him for the time being. Give him time to bond with you and your husband and build his trust in you.


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Was he this way before you started training the fence. If so--could he not want to go outside because he wants to be with you (my dog is like that sometimes).

Most likely though, it sounds like he doesn't want to go in the backyard because he doesn't understand the electric fence.


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