Toki forgot how to walk on tile flooring?

jellyfish

Ack, this is weird and random.

Toki has developed a sudden confusion of how to walk on floors in Petsmart/PetCo. "Not able" wouldn't even be the right way to put it. It is seriously like he has forgotten how to walk on tile, and I can tell he is really uneasy about it, but not fearful. He shakes and his legs slip out from under him while trying to walk before finally he giving up and laying down. Or he stands there and I can't get him to move. Or he tries to find something to lean against. However, when we leave the building, he is okay, walks normal, no pain, no confusion, not phased at all, like it never happened.

It all started when we went to PetCo and there was the cage of kittens. Toki, being the persistent dog he is, scared the kittens into hiding. Finally, they hissed and jumped at him, which made him jump back...and he slipped on the shiny tile floor. (and people pointed and laughed at the silly puppy afraid of kittens, hehe). He had trouble walking for the remainder of our stay in petco, and as soon as we got outside, he regained confidence and walked normally.

Today, basically the same thing again at Petsmart. I mean, we go here a LOT. Its not like he has ever had trouble walking on tile. The cashier lady was so nice; she got carpet for Toki to walk on so he could leave the store. But really... what is going on inside Toki's head?

It wouldn't be a big deal if petstores/hardware stores/ ect... didn't have tile. I kind of need to socialize him.

Ugh, i feel like this is really weird?

What can I do to help him????? ((

MirkaM

Nuuk had the same situation with stairs when we moved back from my hometown to the city where I currently live (do you any word for the town where you study? I'm stupid...). We live in the fourth floor so it was kind hard to carry him up and down (he weights now about 20 kilos). Well, one day I just left him in the middle of stairs and after few minutes he remembered how to walk in the stairs.

MirkaM

Nuuk had the same situation with stairs when we moved back from my hometown to the city where I currently live (do you any word for the town where you study? I'm stupid...). We live in the fourth floor so it was kind hard to carry him up and down (he weights now about 20 kilos). Well, one day I just left him in the middle of stairs and after few minutes he remembered how to walk in the stairs.

cezieg

Daww poor Toki! Was it a lot of people or a large fuss made when he slipped? That could have just stuck in his mind and now he's put together that slipper tile is a big deal.

I would think some time and some praise -> reward for walking on the tiles would get him used to it again, considering he sounds like such an upbeat little guy!

jellyfish

Ehh... There wasn't a crowd, but there was a large family who were kind of loud, laughing.

I took him back to petsmart again, same thing. He didn't want to leave the rug. So. He got ran over by a mastiff, hehe

I think I'll try to take him back with treats, short trips at first.

Heidi

Tell Toki it's okay. Yesterday I forgot the combination for my locker at work. Brain farts and mental relapses happen. Don't worry too much about it.

lindsayt

Same thing happened with my CO Grym when he accidentally bumped into a toy rack and it tipped over spooking him in his training center, and then lost his footing on the shiney floor. Since then he has had a really hard time walking into places with shiney floors. Giving him time, coaxing him with pats and treats and letting him regather himself so he enters on his own without me dragging him in has worked best.

jellyfish

@lindsayt ah!! I'm so GLAD i'm not the only one, lol! How often did you take Grym to a place with shiny floors to get him comfortable with them again? I have all the patience in the world to work with him, so time isn't an issue, I just want him to be happy in public so I can continue his socialization

lindsayt

He did this when he was about 10 months old I think. I took him every week at first and now he goes about once a month to some store like Petsmart, sometimes less, or the Vet for his donations every 4-6 weeks. He still pauses at the doors and hesitates, but he goes with me and realizes pretty fast that nothing bad is going to happen. The staff feed him all kinds of things and about 10 ninutes into it he is fine. On Brad's advice I would give him baby food to slurp out of a jar in situations like that, and liver treats. I would suggest taking Toki as often as possible (more than I did with Grym).

jellyfish

So Toki has almost overcome his fear of walking on tile!

We stayed at a holiday inn for a week that had tile flooring and it was hell trying to get him to go in to the building. By the end of the week, he was going in and out with no issues.

Went to petsmart today...NOT A SINGLE ISSUE. He went in the building without hesitation. His tail was up the 90% of the time, he even greeted strangers, which, i was extremely surprised, (and he got tons of praise for)


He slipped a little a few times but regained his confidence. I was SO PROUD OF MY LITTLE TOKLATON.


I was kind of bummed out that I had to force him to face his fear of the tile flooring at the hotel. I don't like forcing him to do anything he doesn't want to do, but i really had no option. we were on the 14th floor... BUT now he is much better with the tile.... so, i guess yay?