My grey won’t walk!!!

[WingingWonder]

He’s a retired racer and has been with us a few weeks but suddenly freezes walking. Google tells me it’s a thing, but any one experienced it? Any ideas to help? Thanks

[79andnotout]

Yeah one of my greys does this. She only walks when she wants to - she hates noise, cold, rain. We don't force her. She usually stays inside for the whole of winter and will only go into the garden to pee. We have some toys and a ball for her inside to play with if he wants to burn off some energy. She's perfectly healthy.

[StripeyLurcher]

Have you tried walking him at different times of day? My dog likes a morning walk but sometimes refused an evening one.

[79andnotout]

Yes this is a good point. My nervous one doesn't like evening walks after we were out at the 8pm thursday clap for nhs and lots of people were setting off fireworks. She's refused to go out in the evening since..

[Judashascomeintosomemoney]

Yep. It’s definitely ‘A Thing’. A leaf blowing down the road, some wind, a single rain drop, a cat - literally anything can cause ’the freeze’ . It does get better, they have to trust you I think, after nearly two years our greyhound now is very happy to go wherever we take her. But, and I do realise this may sound insane, we initially found it really helped if we didn’t try to go forwards and stop at any point and try to turn back. If we did, she would immediately plant her feet and refuse to move. We eventually realised that if every walk was essentially one big circle (ish) with no actual turning around, she’d be ok. Just like a giant greyhound racetrack. We still stick to that premise and make every walk a circuit. Also, just accept early on, if your greyhound stops and refuses to move, you’re there, stood patiently, till they do decide to move. It’s a war of attrition . And your greyhound will win. After we first got her, lots of our neighbours would tell us they’d seen us standing in position for ages on end and wondered what we were doing. She’s pretty much over it now 🤞. Good luck!

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

After we first got her, lots of our neighbours would tell us they’d seen us standing in position for ages on end and wondered what we were doing.

Ha, ha. My old Greek collie/cross, being a South European dog, used to lie down flat out on her side on the pavement for a little rest whenever she felt like it on walks. Passers-by assumed she had died or was very ill and kept stopping their cars to offer me a lift to the vets. At least a year after she had been PTS (ripe old age) and I was walking new JoyfulDog, I would still meet people saying - Didn't you used to have that big white dog that used to lie down on the pavement?