Came home yesterday and the dog was cowering under the bushes at the back of the garden. He then spent the whole evening running up and down the stairs while gazing and whimpering at anything above his head (like lamps, fans, vases etc).

Just let him in again today and his nerves haven't improved!

We occasionally have balloons and 'copters go over our house, so I suppose he may have been scared by one at some point yesterday.. Anyone have any ideas how we can calm him down?

I'm not going to ask why your dog was all alone outside......

Don't fuss over him, it will make him think there really is something to worry about if you act like there is. Just do your normal routine, and ignore any stressing out/different behaviour, unless you think there might be a medical reason for it.

Could he have been stung? Just keep an eye on him in case he looks to be in any way ill or in pain (licking a particular area, for instance). If necessary, you could then consider veterinary assistance.

Is it possible that something in the garden fell on him??

I don't know if you have a bird bath or something that may have clocked him one on the head?

Maybe he was barking and someone threw something over and it hit him. Dogs aren't usuallly bothered by things in the sky and if they are it's because they can't catch it.

(Our Doberman used to try to catch planes.....this was a problem as we lived in the Stansted flight path!!)

He may have been hurt...not spooked??

Oh yeah....I forgot to mention wasps....and this is the time of year they are drowsy and sting anything....

Hi guys, he does tend to try and catch insects though he hasn't been licking himself anywhere. He's definitely more concerned about what's up above his head than himself.

Doesn't seem to be anything large fallen over in the garden. We do have a rather busy path past our house so I suppose it's possible some cad hurled something in, but I haven't found anything.. and normally he just barks and growls his head off!

He has really peculiar behaviour at the moment. Wonder if a vet call might be in order?

jasvinyl gave some fantastic advice there

Are you sure your dog is actually being fearful? I know that probably sounds a bit weird but my dog goes a bit crazy for a few days after she's spotted a squirrel up in the branches of a tree. She dances about and keeps looking upward and whimpering, desperate for me to let her off the lead and at them Is there any way your dog could have spotted a cat or something in the bushes and just keeps remembering that it was there?

Hmm usually if any furry animals or birds come into the garden he charges them while barking madly, then gives a few 'seeing off' barks and that's that. But the past couple of days he's had his tail permanently between his legs and whimpering..

Anyway, my dad bought some pet calming tablets on his way home from work which seems to have calmed him down, if he starts up again later we'll have to get some help

Maybe he was dive-bombed by magpies.

They do it to my cat all the time.

possibly a very loud car noise or kids letting off bangers (as its that time of year again)?

Have you spoken to the neighbours to see is a helicopter may have flown low over the house and spooked him or if they noticed anything at all yesterday that may explain his behaviour.

Why on earth are you keeping it locked outside all day long??

Ghosts.

It's possible Diana is trying to communicate with you via your dog. Has she said anything about her sons? Perhaps asked about Paul Burrell?

On a more serious note, might be worth a quick call to the vets.. better safe than sorry. Poor thing.

Couple of the responses have thrown me.. Do you leave your dogs inside while you're at work? 'cause we don't!

Yeah, we spoke to the people next door who weren't home either

But if he doesn't improve by the weekend then we'll get him down to his veterinarian pal

Yes and I have had no problems, the odd accident here and there but at least I know she is safe indoor in the warm. I would not leave her out in case she got stolen.

Personally, I would never leave my dog outside while I am away from the house, there are too many dangers

If I have to leave my dog, I leave him safely locked in the house..we have dog theives and kids, some with air riffles, who like to torment dogs around here, I'd be too afraid he would get stolen, or somebody would do something horrible too him


I am sure you have adequate shelter for you dog though, as you do sound like a caring owner...but I do wonder if maybe there has been somebody tormenting your dog while you have been out and that may have upset him..people can be quite cruel

Is there no way you could keep him inside for a few days...or ask a neighbour to keep an eye on him, just in case anybody is doing anything to him, that you are unaware of?

I leave both my dogs in doors when i go to work, i dread to think what would happen if I left them outside. One of them has a phobia about closed doors.


I would take him to the vets for a check up, you never know someone might have hurt him.

Damn right I leave my dog indoors when I'm at work. I only do half days and the vast majority of my mornings at home are spent listening to the howling and barking of dogs whose owners have left them outside while they're at work all day.

ETA My dog has the run of the house ( except the kitchen) and is NEVER left for more than 4 hours at a time. I don't agree with leaving any dog alone for hours on end whether it's inside or outside, and certainly not for an entire working day...

There are a lot of people who would be at you for leaving a dog locked up indoors all day - for example Battersea Dogs Home who won't (or wouldn't last I heard) rehome to people who intend leaving their dog on it's own indoors while they're at work. As long as this person's dog is in a secure garden/yard and has adequate shelter and access to water it's probably happier than dogs who are bored rigid locked in some kitchen all day and unable to get out to relieve themselves.

I'm home all day with my dogs. What they do mostly is sleep. They don't seem to care one way or another whether they're outdoors or in as long as they can get on with sleeping a lot in between brief bouts of wrestling and eating.

op, greed tends to act as a good distraction to distress with dogs. Try giving it a large marrowbone or one of those massive rawhide chews that will take it hours to get through (and then be prepared for well-meaning dog lovers giving you a lecture on how dangerous it is to leave dogs unattended with bones and chews in case they choke. If only it was an ideal world eh?)

Well he has a kennel, and we usually leave him in the laundry if it's going to bucket down if that makes anyone feel better

Hrmm I suppose we could leave him in for a couple of days if you think it might help




Hiya, that's a good idea might give it a shot tomorrow

Although I have always had dogs and kept them indoors - why should it be wrong to keep a dog outside? The are not naturally domestic we have made them that way. IMO it doesn't necessarily spell out cruelty if an owner chooses to keep their dog outside - personally I wouldn't but we are not all the same.

My dog houls if I even go upstairs and howls periodically throughout the day - it's nothing to do with him being outside as he is always in, he has hound in him that is what they do (unfortunately for the neighbours!)

Any unusual behaviour in dogs that persists for more than a couple of days should really be checked out by a vet.

Presuming there is no physical cause, then jasvynal is right. Try not to fuss the behaviour otherwise it will become a learned response.

Leaving dogs inside/outside. Depends on the dog and the set up. If shelter and water are provided and the environment is completely safe, then for many dogs outside is fine. I live in the country and most of the the farm dogs have free range outside, rarely if ever entering the house. They are happy, healthy, fit, socialized dogs. There is a right of way though my nearest farm, out of five dogs there is one collie that is a bit of a git but even he is physically fine.

My dogs stay inside if we are out. This is what they are used to, they cry else (popped to the shop once, leaving one outside, he was practically howling when I got back FIVE MINUTES later. Inside, not a peep.