# Suddenly terrified of the back yard!



## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

There must be an odor of an animal who entered your yard when no one observed it?
Perhaps just take him out front for a couple of weeks in hopes the smell of the other animal dissipates, then try to re-introduce him to the back yard?


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

He may have been bitten or stung by something. My bridge boy suddenly became scared of my front porch and I couldn't figure out why. One day I'm sitting outside with him, a hummingbird buzzes by, and he bolts for the front door. My best guess was that he was stung by a bee or bitten by a buzzing insect and he associated the sound with pain. Prior to this sudden fear of buzzing, he and I would sit for hours watching the hummingbird feeder.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Goldenbear*

GOLDENBEAR

My guess too is that an insect, or creature, frightened him or possibly bit him.
It is also possible he smells another animal in the yard-do you have any coyotes, or skunks, around?


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I would also guess that he was either stung by something or that there is an odor of an animal that has him distressed. The deep sniffing is a calming signal that shows exactly how stressed he is. 

I went through something very similar up at the lake with my Danny a few years back. All three dogs took off barking at something that I didn't see. Danny ran along with them and when I called, they all came running back, but Danny was obviously very distressed. He was sniffing deeply at the ground and was crouched down and then he bolted for the house and couldn't get in fast enough. The other two dogs weren't stressed like that, though they did come to me and went into the house. I had to take Danny out on a leash with some super yummy treats and I just sat on the deck to start and talked to him and gave him treats. Then I got him to sit and lie down. Then we got down into the yard and I sat with him and talked to him and once he was a little less stressed, I had him sit and lie down (doing commands that I knew he knew well and that would distract him from his fear). I continued this with him all the way down to the dock which is pretty far from the house and then we headed back up to the house. By the next morning he was still a bit wary, but not terrified like he was the day before.

Maybe you could start by taking him out in the front yard and then making your way to the back yard, turning back around as soon as he starts to show a stressed response. Have his favorite treats and ask him to do some basic obedience moves on and off. Eventually you should be able to make it around to the back yard, but don't push it too quickly or the whole thing might backfire.


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