Dog now refusing to go to bathroom in the backyard.
Our 6-year-old male dog suddenly became terrified of our backyard after what we think was some kind of injury or scare, and we’re not sure how to help him feel safe out there again.
About a week and a half ago, our dog was in our fenced backyard when my partner heard the loudest yelp we’ve ever heard from him. Neither of us actually saw what happened. My partner just saw our dog hobble back into the house afterward. He wouldn’t put weight on his back right paw for a few hours, so we assumed he either stepped on something or got bitten/stung by a bug.
He seems physically okay now, but ever since then he refuses to go to the bathroom in our yard. He acts very nervous to be out there. However, when we take him on walks around the neighborhood or to the park, he goes to the bathroom completely normally.
This makes me think he got hurt while going potty and now associates the backyard with that experience.
Has anyone dealt with something similar? How do we help him feel safe and comfortable using the yard again?