Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | American Staffordshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 2 years and 2 months old | 47 lbs
My dog is petrified to go outside after shock from invisible fence
1 Answer
Published on May 10th, 2017
I'm sorry to hear that! Unfortunately, I see this fairly commonly - it's one of the main reasons that I don't recommend invisible fences :( I would recommend working with Sophia over the next several days (or weeks, if needed) to help her learn to feel safe again in the yard. You can start by just sitting in the doorway with her and feeding her treats. When she is comfortable and relaxed in the doorway, try taking one step outside - stop and feed her treats there as well. Gradually work your way back out into the yard, step by step, with lots of praise and treats as long as she is comfortable. If she gets nervous or tense at all, just back up to where she was comfortable and start again. It may take quite a bit of time for her to learn to feel safe again, so you will need to be patient. In the meantime, you may need to drive her down the street to another grassy area to potty if she is too afraid to use the yard.
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