Our lab, Ceili, will be 10 in July. Once before she started this behavior of being skittish to walk into a room or around a table. We thought it might be that she was having trouble seeing but she can still catch a treat that is thrown to her. For example, she will come to the door of our study, start to head in and then do a quick back-up. She will do it 5-6 times (or sometimes more) before entering the room. She started doing this a year ago and then it went away but now she is doing it again and it seems more pronounced. What is funny is that she is wagging her tail the whole time that she is doing the go forward and back-up move. It has even been happening with her food bowl. We all know how labs LOVE their food but the last few mornings she will go forward and back-up many times before she goes forward bravely to eat her food. It does not happen all the time but multiple times a day entering different places. Other than this she is a very healthy and happy lab! Any thoughts?
Hi Kim, I’m curious what type of floor covering that this is happening on? Our lab has times where he does what you’re describing on non-carpeted floors. It happens if he’s had a small slip on the floor then for about a week after he is scared to walk on any floor that’s not carpet. It lasts a little while and we found the best way to deal with it was to walk with him on lead being very encouraging and treating. Eventually he is ok again but it does come and go. Not sure if that is what’s happened with Ceili but it sounds like something has scared her at some point in those situations (maybe sun reflecting off the bowl?) Hope someone else can help more, but wanted to let you know our experience.
It was happening on our hard floors which is most of our downstairs. I wonder if it was something with the water bowl (water movement). I have taken the advice to walk with her going into the kitchen and then over to her bowl and that has been helping. Thanks!
