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My dog is freaking me out

modeyinkmodeyink Posts: 2,251
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He's spent half of today going up and down the stairs growling at nothing, and ten minutes ago he went to each doorway upstairs and peed up each of the frames. He never pees in the house, and I very rarely hear him growl at anything other than the odd cat outside. And he's very restless. He can't seem to settle. Just pacing all over the house when he's not growling at the stairs.

We've had no visitors for a few days, no other animals in the house, the routine is the same it's always been, nothing different.

What could be causing him to do this? I'm vaguely worried he knows something we don't -- ie. someone's been in the house while we've been out...

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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 327
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    Could he be poorly? I've found pain or discomfort makes dogs behave oddly sometimes. It might explain the restlessness too.
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    Susan_A1951Susan_A1951 Posts: 1,081
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    Surely you would know if someone had been in your house? I imagine you mean a burglar. If you had other animals, for example a cat - I would wonder if there had been a visitor through a cat flap.

    If he continues to exhibit this behaviour - I would look at a medical reason. I had a cat who suddenly acted totally out of character. The vet diagnosed mild epilepsy and he was fine on low level medication.

    Hope he is ok in a day or so.....but I can imagine how his behaviour is freaking you out.
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    ejmejm Posts: 3,515
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    I would get him checked at the vet. If he is an older dog, if could be the start of something like dementia. It could be a simple urine infection. The vet is the best one to ask for advice.
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    modeyinkmodeyink Posts: 2,251
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    Thanks, everyone. He seems to have stopped now since dinnertime and was playing with my son like normal this evening. I'm not sure what was wrong with him but if it happens again, I'll definitely take him to the vet. He's a young dog so I don't think it's dementia, but I'll get him checked out for anything else.
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    merlinsmummerlinsmum Posts: 3,991
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    It's amazing what can freak them out. We ended up moving a picture hanging in our hallway of a previous pet as one of ours decided to growl and put her back up when looking out to the hall from the living room. The picture had been there for years but she obviously had suddenly noticed it. It took us ages to realise what was winding her up, but the picture is quite large and the eyes follow you, we love it as it's a painting of an old friend.

    Once it occurred to us it could be that, we just moved it along out of her eyeline from the other room, and she has never bothered growling again.

    Hope your problem has gone for good.:)
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,256
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    One of my dogs has suddenly developed a terror of any noise my mobile phone makes! I've had the same phone for years and it's had the same ringtone etc. for ever. I am stumped at what started her off but I just have my phone on vibrate only now.

    This time of year with all the fireworks has my wee boy dog a bundle of nerves. He hates loud noises at the best of times - he also has other issues with random things. Examples - we moved the table in the garden and he wouldn't go in the garden till it was moved back. He freaked when he heard the new baby next door crying. Perhaps fireworks or other unusual loud noises have been going on when your dog has been home alone and this has unsettled him.
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    Doll FeetDoll Feet Posts: 1,948
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    Surely you would know if someone had been in your house? I imagine you mean a burglar. If you had other animals, for example a cat - I would wonder if there had been a visitor through a cat flap.

    If he continues to exhibit this behaviour - I would look at a medical reason. I had a cat who suddenly acted totally out of character. The vet diagnosed mild epilepsy and he was fine on low level medication.

    Hope he is ok in a day or so.....but I can imagine how his behaviour is freaking you out.

    Op, you haven't given your dog a flea treatment recently have you? One of my dogs had a couple of episodes, one where he was fixated on something I couldn't see, he looked totally out of it, couldn't hear me and nearly jumped out of his skin when I touched him. Couple of vets said maybe mild epilepsy and he'd probably need medication at some point. It was only though reading about other people's experiences online that I worked out that the episodes coincided with drop-on flea treatment prescribed by the vet. You'd think they'd have worked that out for themselves wouldn't you, makes you wonder how many pets are needlessly on epilepsy meds.

    Anyway, if yes maybe he had a hallucination which freaked him and he pee'd up your doors to reestablish his territory.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 202
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    A demon has entered your house.
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    finbaarfinbaar Posts: 4,818
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    A demon has entered your house.

    Yeah, dogs and cats can really see spirtits. Really.
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    CelticMythCelticMyth Posts: 3,090
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    Maybe you have rats or a fox or something living under the floorboards?
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    modeyinkmodeyink Posts: 2,251
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    finbaar wrote: »
    Yeah, dogs and cats can really see spirtits. Really.

    I don't have spirtits. My tits are quite normal :confused:



    :p
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    Mrs Cooper_Mrs Cooper_ Posts: 99
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    Is there a girl dog in season in the vicinity? Dogs can smell them from miles away. The peeing against the door frames seems to me like he is marking his territory:)
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    jim4bbjim4bb Posts: 3,485
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    Is there a girl dog in season in the vicinity? Dogs can smell them from miles away. The peeing against the door frames seems to me like he is marking his territory:)

    This would also be noticeable when out for a walk, more frequently marking posts, or scraping his bum on the ground, more eagre to get around pulling more on the lead etc.
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    xdowxdow Posts: 2,388
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    jim4bb wrote: »
    This would also be noticeable when out for a walk, more frequently marking posts, or scraping his bum on the ground, more eagre to get around pulling more on the lead etc.

    ours wasn't like this at all, but he did wander up and down the hallway whining and howled at the door all through the night

    the latter part was the final straw which sentenced his nuts to death :D
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 202
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    finbaar wrote: »
    Yeah, dogs and cats can really see spirtits. Really.

    You need help. You're really miserable. Is it because it's coming up to Christmas? Are you lonesome?

    Or, my post has scared you and you're in denial. Don't be scared, silly. Aww. :p
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    Stuart_RentonStuart_Renton Posts: 117
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    It can be so weird when my dogs just sit staring furiously at some mysterious point in mid air. They stare and stare and stare as though there's something there only they can see. Sometimes, for no reason, they growl, or even bark, heckles up.

    It would be so easy, were I a superstitious person, to think there was something lurking there that only they can see with their superhero doggy senses!
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    Mr ApplebeeMr Applebee Posts: 215
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    Mice???
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 88
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    It's better to bring him to vet for you to avoid worries and confusion.
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    AbewestAbewest Posts: 3,017
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    modeyink wrote: »
    He's spent half of today going up and down the stairs growling at nothing, and ten minutes ago he went to each doorway upstairs and peed up each of the frames. He never pees in the house, and I very rarely hear him growl at anything other than the odd cat outside. And he's very restless. He can't seem to settle. Just pacing all over the house when he's not growling at the stairs.

    We've had no visitors for a few days, no other animals in the house, the routine is the same it's always been, nothing different.

    What could be causing him to do this? I'm vaguely worried he knows something we don't -- ie. someone's been in the house while we've been out...

    Could have been a mouse or something like that. I've got two terriers and they display the exact same behaviour (though they mark the territory outside) whenever they sense that another animal is outside. They sense it even though they're inside. And they've not been wrong so far. One of them caught and killed a rat that was hiding beneath a drain cover, and he was going berserk inside until we let him out and he went straight to the rat's hiding place and stood guard until it made its bolt from freedom.
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    confuddledconfuddled Posts: 3,758
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    modeyink wrote: »
    He's spent half of today going up and down the stairs growling at nothing, and ten minutes ago he went to each doorway upstairs and peed up each of the frames. He never pees in the house, and I very rarely hear him growl at anything other than the odd cat outside. And he's very restless. He can't seem to settle. Just pacing all over the house when he's not growling at the stairs.

    We've had no visitors for a few days, no other animals in the house, the routine is the same it's always been, nothing different.

    What could be causing him to do this? I'm vaguely worried he knows something we don't -- ie. someone's been in the house while we've been out...

    our dog acts like this, minus the weeing inside, if there are any bitches on heat nearby.
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