The manic pacing and circling begins

It started on her second day at home.

Myrtle would spend time circling a table in the living room.

Sometimes she’d circle the table in the kitchen.

Outside, she circled a big flower pot on a patio.

Was she kept in a round pen? Is this just a anxious behavior? We got different answers from everyone we consulted, but most agreed: it was important to stop it.

That was easier said than done, since we weren’t even able to get close to Myrtle.

It would take hours for her to come inside at night. I get home after the newscast around 11:00pm. I’d let her out to ‘do her business,’ and she’d refuse to come in. Several nights in a row, I’d be up until 2:00 or 3:00 waiting for her to gather the courage to come through the door and run to her cage.

A major challenge is: Myrtle is not motivated by anything. She doesn’t care about food or treats. In fact, she won’t even eat a treat. She didn’t care for chicken or deli meats or cheese or anything.

I’d throw chunks of meat in a path, from her ‘circling pot’ (flower pot) up the sidewalk and into the house, trying to lure her inside. It never really worked.

The first trainer to come over deals with shy dogs. He suggested with-holding food until Myrtle had no choice but to come to us for it. That didn’t work, and she was already so skinny (under all the hair) … we didn’t want to with-hold anything.

More than that, it’s not that Myrtle is shy. She’s terrified and stressed.

Myrtle displayed a series of anxious, manic behaviors. In addition to the circling and pacing outside, she feared the door, and was terrified to come anywhere near us.

A few nights, after I’d sit on the floor looking away from her dangling chicken, she’d gather the courage to inch closer for a bite. It would literally take hours. We weren’t making any progress at all, and I couldn’t see what would change course for Myrtle.

If you are interested in my travel adventures, check out my travel blog Jared’s Detours.