Why do greyhounds freeze?
Sometimes, we see some greyhounds freeze mid-walk. It all becomes a bit much and they don’t want to go on. It’s all a fear response – and one you can work with them on overcoming. There are four basic responses to fear: fight/flight/fiddle/freeze. Freezing is a common one that we see in greyhounds, and it can be really inconvenient if you’re out for a walk! Please don’t think that your hound is being stubborn, they’re just scared.
When they freeze, there’s all sorts of physiological things happening inside which means they’re not able to think their way through whatever’s freaked them out. The more you try to pull them, the harder they’ll stick, and forcefully pulling them through the fear may make it seem even scarier in the future. Whether you think that their fear is legitimate or not is completely irrelevant, they’re scared and the best that you can do for them is to respond with empathy.
What should I do?
Firstly, if your hound is prone to freezing at a particular spot on a regular walk then the easiest thing to so is to avoid that route! If you know what makes them freeze then steer clear. If your hound freezes randomly then there are some things that you can try.
Carry some treats with you at all times and use them to encourage them to simply turn around and walk in the opposite direction – they know nothing bad is back that way and will often come along. Sometimes you need to give them a minute, so just speak with them kindly and quietly to reassure them. If you can teel what it is that they are reacting to then use your body to block their view if you can. Sometimes a hound that is too overwhelmed won’t be open to taking treats.
Create a distraction (using a squeaky toy, your own enthusiasm for life, or your tasty treats) to break their attention away from what’s bothering them and change direction or move on. If something is interesting enough to take their mind off it then get moving as quickly as you can and reward them with some praise and positive reinforcement. If you really have to keep going in that direction you can try the distraction but pair it with walking around in a circle, by the time you’re facing that way again you want their focus back on you and just keep on trotting!
When your hound is really scared it’s important to remember that pulling them isn’t going to help – in fact they will probably instinctively pull against you. Try crouching down at the end of the leash and asking your hound to come to you as they will often come to you for reassurance. Give them some positive reinforcement and reassure them before taking a couple more steps and crouching for them again. It might be slow going but it doesn’t betray their trust.
If you can figure out what they find scary and can avoid it then go with that- it’s their walk after all! Most greyhounds will overcome issues with freezing once they become more familiar with their new world, and the process will typically be faster if they can trust you to be kind.