flooraphobia… like arachnophobia but lots worse

Jan 22, 2022

My Dharma has never been a robust dog… she’s has health issues. Now I’m wondering about her mental health. She’s always had this thing about floor vents (they’re scary!), and some areas of the floor around doorways (they’re scary too!). What’s crazy is that her “fear areas” change for no apparent reason.

We thought at first the wood floors were scary because they’re a slick type surface. I put runners down the hall. Then she would stand at the office door and grunt… too scared to cross the threshold. So I put a rug there too. Then it was the back door — the door she uses 100 times a day for access to the back yard. She was afraid to cross the threshold to come INSIDE after she’d been outside. A bad back and poor hips, I thought it might be related to that.

But now… she can jump right back INSIDE the door — but she’s terrified to GO OUT of it.

Merida isn’t afraid of anything and jumps and bounds around everywhere. Wouldn’t you think Dharma would see that and realize the door didn’t grab the other dog?

I’ve read a ton of articles and most suggest treats. So the fat girl is now being coaxed with her favorite treat just to go outside — and of course, that will lead to the request for more treats all hours of the day/night.

I swear… she didn’t learn the “high maintenance” routine from me. Good grief!

TIL (Today I Learned): The White Tailed Deer, generally considered to be herbivorous, have been caught on camera slurping baby birds out of their nests like candy and munching on human bones.

And finally… Perry’s Bengals won again — one more to be off to the Super Bowl.