Why does my dog freeze in place? Expert Advice

Here are a couple of examples of situations where a dog may offer a freeze:

A dog is hugged by a person. The dog does a lip lick, her eyes appear large, her ears are back, and her mouth is closed. She turns her head away and freezes as the person continues to hug her. As soon as the person lets go, she walks away and does a shake off. The dog is showing that she is not comfortable with the interaction. Luckily, in this case, this does not escalate to a bite, even though the calming signals have been ignored. Freezing, along with the other body language signals, should be paid attention to, as even a really friendly dog can be pushed if her communication is continually ignored. There may be times that calming signals are not displayed and only a freeze is seen, as mentioned in ‘How do you greet a dog politely?’

Here is an observation of a dog that is quite fearful in a new shelter environment: When a person walks into the dog’s room, it does not approach the person but keeps at a distance, staying on its bed. The dog’s ears are back, eyes are wide, and pupils dilated. Her body is stiff, lowered and crouched. Her mouth is closed, and there is tension in the mouth as well as furrows on her brow and other areas of the face. She avoids direct eye contact by turning her head slightly or by slight movement of the eyes to the side, but she does not feel safe enough to take her eyes off the person in the room. This calming signal of trying to avoid eye contact whilst still trying to keep an eye on the person, means the whites or sclera of the eye are visible. This is called whale eye. The dog also seems frozen in place. With this observed body language, I would keep my distance, as this dog is experiencing a high state of stress and fear. If cornered with no escape, it is highly likely she would feel no option but to bite to defend herself.

This is an observation from a video, showing an interaction between a dog and toddler, who does get bitten by the dog. The whole interaction takes 19 seconds, and a great deal of subtle body language occurs during that short space of time to show the dog is uncomfortable. The toddler is crawling on the ground, playing with the dog’s tail. The dog lies on the floor, positioned in a corner without escape. When the toddler starts pulling at his tail, the dog turns his head away. His mouth is closed, tension is seen in the face and eye areas, his ears are to the side, and he keeps still, in this position for a while. The toddler continues to pull at the tail. The dog then turns his head in the other direction, still facing away, this time with his head slightly lifted, mouth still closed, eyes wide, and ears to the side. Now, the dog is even stiller and in a frozen position. The toddler gives one more yank on the tail, and the dog lashes out after his subtle body language warnings have been ignored. This unfortunate situation should have been managed so that neither child nor dog was placed in such a position.

For resources to learn more on ways to provide safe supervision and management of children and dogs go to www.familypaws.com

An older dog is playing with a toy and a younger dog is circling her. The older dog would rather play with the toy on her own. The younger dog keeps jumping around in front of the older dog, doing play bows (this is when the paws go down on the ground and the dog’s rear end is in the air), and he barks at her. The older dog’s ears are to the side; she closes her mouth, freezes, and gives direct eye contact. This is a direct warning to the pup to leave her alone and give her space. If the young pup continues pestering her, it is likely the older dog may growl or snap at the pup after this firm warning. People normally react to the fracas involving their dogs a few seconds later and miss the short freeze and stare before the situation escalates.

A dog is eating out of his food bowl. As someone passes by, he keeps his head down over his bowl; the dog freezes, his ears are to the side, his tail tucked away, and his body looks very stiff. The dog is feeling uncomfortable and feels some perceived threat. The person should not move closer as that will escalate the situation.

These are just a few examples; there may be many more. Start observing to see if you can notice any freezing or stillness in different contexts. As discussed below, interpretations such as the above examples should not be attempted without careful observation and consideration of all aspects of the situation.

When I mention stress, this does not necessarily imply negative emotion. I mean stress in the physiological sense. So certain body language signals can mean the dog is feeling some sort of emotional discourse. This discourse could range from positive to negative emotion. Both excitement and fear could have similar effects on the body, with various hormones being released and activating the sympathetic nervous system. The dog may be feeling uncomfortable/fearful or it could also be excited about something. When analyzing stress in body language, it is worth noting the frequency and intensity of the various body language signals. Although in this scenario, when a dog feels the need to display stillness or freezing, the dog is feeling a high level of discomfort and threat.

Why Do Dogs Freeze on Walks?

Dogs freeze on walks for a handful of reasons, including fear, physical weakness, bad behavior, and perhaps the most frustrating—they don’t want to go home. Let’s go through these reasons why dogs freeze on walks and explain the cause of each.

If you just got a puppy or have an old dog, physical weakness may be the reason why your dog freezes on walks. Just like people, dogs don’t have unlimited stores of energy. They need to stop and take a break sometimes.

And that goes double for young or old dogs.

Although puppies may seem like a bundle of energy, they have their limits. Often, when owners take their puppies for a walk, they’ll get tired and lay on the ground, refusing to move. With such little legs, it’s no wonder they get tired quicker.

Older dogs have similar issues. When a dog is nearing the end of its life, it can be tiring or painful to go on long walks. They may freeze, lay on the ground, or refuse to move forward.

These are all signs your older dog is tired and would rather go home.

Sometimes it’s not simply the fact they’re old. In some cases, chronic conditions like arthritis which is more prevalent in older dogs, make it painful to walk. In these cases, your dog is in pain, and you should reduce their physical exertion.

Physical weakness is one of the most common reasons your dog freezes on walks. When your dog is a puppy, a good way to change its behavior is through training. For an older dog, try to go for walks that fit their fitness level. That way, you won’t have to deal with a frozen dog!

Dogs are naturally in tune with their senses, even more than people. If you’ve ever wondered why your dog stopped suddenly in the woods, it’s likely because they sensed something you can’t.

When dogs sense things, they often freeze in place so they can get a better read of their surroundings. You’ll notice this quickly because their ears often perk up and their eyes stare off at a random distance.

Unless you live in an area with high numbers of wild animals, your dog’s sensing something that won’t cause you harm. But it’s still best to help them through their fear instead of rushing them along.

To do this, allow the dog time to monitor its surroundings. A dog that understands its surroundings is much less likely to be afraid. Watch their body language. If they relax, gently coax them along your walk.

If this is a common problem for your dog, bringing treats or a toy may help them move along.

Dogs are willful animals. If you don’t properly train them, they’ll do whatever they want. That’s why you must train your dog to follow your commands when out in public.

If you don’t you’ll have bigger problems than freezing on walks.

Most bad dog behavior presents as hyperactive behavior, such as pulling on the leash, rushing to strangers, or jumping on people. But one sort of bad behavior people don’t talk about much is when they freeze on walks.

Dogs freeze on walks for multiple reasons, some of which are due to their environment. If your dog freezes after passing something smelly and refuses to move, it may want to eat or smell it.

In other cases, dogs freeze because they know what’s coming. If you drive to the veterinarian, your dog may recognize the parking lot and connect it to bad memories. That’s why it’s common for a dog to refuse to get out of your car when going to some places.

The key to preventing such behavior is active training. Most people stop training their dogs when they grow up from the puppy stage. By training your dog into adulthood, you can ensure they have good behaviors when out in public.

Although this is just one example of bad behavior in dogs, it’s the most common and it causes owners the most grief. If you’ve spent any time around dogs, you’ve seen one that absolutely refuses to go home.

People often experience this when going on a walk or to a place their dog enjoys, like the park or beach. You and your dog will have a great time until you have to leave. Then, the dog will either lay down or refuse to move.

A similar problem occurs when you take your dog for a walk. Once you get near your home, you may notice your dog freezes or lays down. In some cases, they lay on their back, making it even harder to move.

Not wanting to go home is a specific type of bad behavior that causes your dog to freeze. Solving this problem is similar to any other bad behavior, and that means consistent training throughout their lives.

If you allow your dog to dictate where and when they go somewhere, they will continue using those tactics to get what they want. By training the dog throughout their life, you can limit these outbursts of bad behavior.

You need to reinforce the training when your dog reaches adulthood. Sometimes this can be as easy as bringing treats along with you to entice your dog to come home. In other cases, you may need to do extensive training before bringing your dog back to such places.

Why does my dog block my path?

Dogs that block your path or refuse to move out of your way when you tell them to get off something are showing dominant behavior. Again, they are showing that they don’t respect you. 7. Will not let anyone including you, the vet, or groomer handle him.

DOGS FROZEN IN TIME FOR 4 MINUTES | The Proof Is Out There (Season 2) | Exclusive

You’re just out with your dog, enjoying a walk, and then SCREECH!… 3 blocks from home, they put on the brakes and refuse to take even one step further. Why? Why does this happen? Here are ten possibilities

It’s often more nuanced and a combination of the above. You’ll likely need some pet detective work to sort this out.Here are ten things you can try to get your dog up and moving again: