Italian Greyhounds have delicate, lightly built bodies.
Rosie's narrow frame makes repeated collisions particularly concerning.
Any impact that causes pain, limping, swelling, reluctance to move, or other changes warrants veterinary attention.
Preventing another collision is far better than waiting to see how many her body can tolerate.
The behavior cannot simply be dismissed as Rosie “freaking out.”
Her environment has to be adapted around the reality of what she does when frightened.
Eventually She Finds the Corner
After the running comes the collapse.
Rosie reaches the junction between two walls.
Her body drops.
Her belly presses against the floor.
Her legs pull inward.
Her head lowers.
Sometimes she pushes so tightly into the corner that her shoulder remains against one wall while her back touches the other.
Then the trembling begins.
It can move through her entire body.
Her legs shake.
Her chest trembles.
Even after the kennel becomes quiet again, Rosie often remains flattened there.
She Doesn't Immediately Believe the Danger Has Passed
The sound may last five seconds.
Rosie's response can last much longer.
That difference is important.
Fear does not necessarily end when the trigger disappears.
Once her nervous system reaches a high level of arousal, Rosie may need time to recover.
The hallway becomes quiet.
She stays in the corner.
A person passes without approaching her.
Rosie stays.
Her bed remains several feet away.
She does not return to it.
The world is quiet again.
Her body is not.
Pulling Her Out Would Not Teach Her That the Corner Is Unnecessary
Rosie may look miserable pressed against the wall.
That can create an urge to immediately bring her out.
But forcing physical interaction with a terrified dog can increase distress.
If Rosie is safely positioned and does not require urgent medical intervention, giving her space may be more appropriate than making her confront something she is desperately trying to avoid.
The goal is for Rosie to leave because she feels capable of doing so.
Not because she has been physically removed from the only place she currently perceives as protective.
Her Kennel Needs Somewhere Safer to Hide
Rosie's current strategy is failing.
She searches frantically because the open kennel does not provide the kind of retreat she appears to be seeking.
Eventually, the corner becomes the closest substitute.
A carefully designed sheltered resting space may give Rosie another option, provided it is appropriate for her safety and can still be monitored.
The objective is not to make her invisible.
It is to give her somewhere to retreat before panic turns into uncontrolled running.
The Hide Needs to Be Easy to Find
This matters especially for Rosie.
A retreat across the kennel is not useful if she cannot locate it once she is already panicking.
Its position should remain consistent.
The entrance should be obvious and accessible.
It should not require climbing or squeezing through something dangerous.
Rosie needs a simple route.
Noise happens.
Turn.
Enter.
Stop.
That is much safer than:
Noise happens.
Run.
Turn.
Run again.
Hit wall.