My dog is scared of something at night

surime

Hi, two days ago my dog woke me up at night whining and he was completely scared, he could not relax for over an hour and was shaking.
It happened when he was sleeping on the armchair next to my bed. I have absolutely no idea what happened to him. He was really very scared.
The same thing happened yesterday. I was sitting at my desk and at about 11 pm he started shaking and went under the bed. His muscles are tense and he is not looking at me while this is happening.
I am worried what is going on, he has no reason to be stressed or scared. We walk a lot, he has good food and loads of love and attention from us.
Does anybody know what might be the reason?

ps: during first time when he got scared, there were cats outside in the garden making noises and crying, but he heard it before and wasnt scared.

surime

ps: please somebody explain this to me, or I will start thinking its ghosts or aliens!

getz

surime wrote: »

Hi, two days ago my dog woke me up at night whining and he was completely scared, he could not relax for over an hour and was shaking.
It happened when he was sleeping on the armchair next to my bed. I have absolutely no idea what happened to him. He was really very scared.
The same thing happened yesterday. I was sitting at my desk and at about 11 pm he started shaking and went under the bed. His muscles are tense and he is not looking at me while this is happening.
I am worried what is going on, he has no reason to be stressed or scared. We walk a lot, he has good food and loads of love and attention from us.
Does anybody know what might be the reason?

ps: during first time when he got scared, there were cats outside in the garden making noises and crying, but he heard it before and wasnt scared.

there is a chance that you have had a visitation,as a sensitive myself [and a dog lover]i know that animals,are often the first to pickup on such things

kildare.17hmr

ghosts, definatly ghosts.......

neil_hosey

getz wrote: »

there is a chance that you have had a visitation,as a sensitive myself [and a dog lover]i know that animals,are often the first to pickup on such things

seriously...

some dogs cry at night. I wouldnt be worry about aliens or ghosts. Leave a light on for a few nights.

sambuka41

Are you sure he is scared? My Westie used to act something like what you are describing and he was having seizures, but they weren't really obvious seizures, he would rattle and had difficulty focusing. it only happened for a couple of weeks then it stopped all of a sudden. (he lived to 14 without it happening again).

not trying to scare you but maybe check with the vets? No harm?



edit: I believe in ghosts, I'm not throwing out that idea but if his behaviour is out of the norm then there's no harm in checking with a vet

demixed

surime wrote: »

ps: please somebody explain this to me, or I will start thinking its ghosts or aliens!

Worse. Ghosts....from space.

Try leaving on some talk radio in the background for him, apparently hearing voices can calm them

Works on my cat.

Vince32

I have nothing to offer on this except good wishes, hope you get rid of the ghosts

charlemont

My friends ex had a husky that could see the ghost in her house, It was class we would watch the dog suddenly jump up and his eyes would follow what we ourselves couldn't see. The light would go slightly dim at the same time..

Zapperzy

I would second a trip to the vets before worrying yourself about ghosts and aliens! Perhaps there was thunder in the distance that you couldn't hear, or could this have been around the time of the bad wind, something banging around outside maybe? I would still recommend a vet visit though.

getz

surime wrote: »

ps: please somebody explain this to me, or I will start thinking its ghosts or aliens!

nothing to get worked up about,most buildings get visited at some time or other by those who have moved on,the classic way is to watch where the dog is looking,and also you will see the dog following a movement, then again there maybe a very simple explanation,if it is of the spirit world its unlikly that it is grounded or the dog would have told you ages ago.

Rob Nulty

Would the next door neighbour be blowing one of those dog whistles? The poor dog probably doesnt know where the noise is coming from?

kildare.17hmr

getz wrote: »

nothing to get worked up about,most buildings get visited at some time or other by those who have moved on,the classic way is to watch where the dog is looking,and also you will see the dog following a movement, then again there maybe a very simple explanation,if it is of the spirit world its unlikly that it is grounded or the dog would have told you ages ago.

I think your in the wrong forum today

Graces7

The dog may well be hearing something you can
t; and I mean something "real"

Collie sometimes has one of her thunder phobia turns for no apparent reason; may well be a flashback sparked off by something we cannot detect. That it is the same time every night would lead to think about a noise you cannot hear.

Your dog gets over it in how much time?

RichT

Dogs dream, so it could just be that.... a bad dream.

Blueprint

Maybe someone is letting off bangers in your neighbourhood? Had a very hard time for the six weeks around Halloween with eejits letting off fireworks in the middle of the night and the dog freaking out - got so bad I had to sleep with the radio on. I wouldn't always hear them as I'd be asleep, but the dog would then wake me up as he was scared and trying to find a safe place to hide. With New Year's being so wet, some people may have fireworks left over this year and be letting them off late.

My guys acts just like your fellow when it happens.

Graces7

Blueprint wrote: »

Maybe someone is letting off bangers in your neighbourhood? Had a very hard time for the six weeks around Halloween with eejits letting off fireworks in the middle of the night and the dog freaking out - got so bad I had to sleep with the radio on. I wouldn't always hear them as I'd be asleep, but the dog would then wake me up as he was scared and trying to find a safe place to hide. With New Year's being so wet, some people may have fireworks left over this year and be letting them off late.

My guys acts just like your fellow when it happens.

This to my mind is the most likely. I always know then the local crowbanger has changed hands yet again even if I don't hear it. Happened earlier today but I was outside and heard it so I knew why collie was freaking out.

mikom

Blueprint wrote: »

Maybe someone is letting off bangers in your neighbourhood?

Ghost bangers....

surime

Thank you all for your post's.. I can't say I feel any better after reading few of them I got shivers.. :rolleyes:
To answer few questions :
- I am 100% sure he was scared, he was shaking and was hiding under bed.
-he was never scared of any thunders or fireworks
-I don't think any neighbour was blowing a dog whistle, it was late and nobody has dog around.
-he was complitely calm during the recent storms and it was crazy outside, I wasnt calm myself, but he was just sleeping.

The second time it happened he stood under my desk and was looking towards wall I felt him shaking and then the same, he went under bed and didnt want to go out for over hour.
We moved house recently and I havent got used to it, all the noises etc yet myself,but its very quiet here around, so no idea what he could hear.
(or see )
The other thing I thought about was that he got some pain or something and it was just the way to deal with it, he is a very sensitive dog and panics when you even slightly step on his tail, but it was much more like a fear..

surime

Blueprint wrote: »

Maybe someone is letting off bangers in your neighbourhood? Had a very hard time for the six weeks around Halloween with eejits letting off fireworks in the middle of the night and the dog freaking out - got so bad I had to sleep with the radio on. I wouldn't always hear them as I'd be asleep, but the dog would then wake me up as he was scared and trying to find a safe place to hide. With New Year's being so wet, some people may have fireworks left over this year and be letting them off late.

My guys acts just like your fellow when it happens.

I used to have a fox terrier when I was teenager and she was absolutely horrified by any sound like fireworks or thunders, but the dog I have now just ignores them. There could be explosion just next to him and he doesn't mind.

star-pants

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs so if you don't agree with someones' suggestion just ignore it and post your own.

It might be a few things, like noises or movements you can't hear or see. Like others have suggested, neighbours noises or other dogs.

It could be something the dog can smell (recently my dad was in a neighbours attic and when he came back my youngest dog sniffed him and her tail dropped and she ran up the stairs to me. She was physically shaking badly, for ages and kept pushing into me for cuddles/security. She wouldn't come down the stairs or go near my dad for ages. I eventually brought her down the stairs and she with her tail down still, tentatively went over to his shoes, one sniff and back up the stairs. She was like that with his shoes for days until eventually he put 4 layers of shoe polish on (he'd dettol'd them and everything) and she was suspicious but no longer scared. She was fine with him when he'd changed his clothes & shoes. We still don't know what it was in the attic on him that she was scared of, cuz my other dog wasn't bothered in the slightest.)

It has been a full moon the last two nights, my dogs do get restless around that time.

Also if there are shadows in a room / through the window or curtains my younger dog will start to bark or stare at them.

As always - we can only guess here what it *might* be, if you can't find a definitive answer at home, check with your vet.

ollie1

Could be foxes nearby my dog can smell/hear them when they are near the house and it drives him crazy. He also won't go outside when they are around.

Draupnir

A neighbour may have gotten a new dog also or there could be a stray wandering about near your house that the dog is aware of but you wouldn't hear or smell. There are an infinite number of possibilites really.

The only real solution, after a trip to the vet gets the dog the all clear, is to comfort the dog if it gets like that again and help it feel better.

I wouldn't be getting in the priest for the exorcism just yet.

Tranceypoo

I would second the suggestion about seizures/fits. I would get the vet to check it out.

surime

Tranceypoo wrote: »

I would second the suggestion about seizures/fits. I would get the vet to check it out.

what kind of seizures/fits do you mean? Sorry I am not native english speaker and I am not sure.

To above posts:
-there are foxes near by, there are stray dogs and I even noticed just now that there is actually a new small dog next door ( a yorkee) , but I very much doubt he could be in a such state because of those things!
We walk a lot in the woods, so he knows foxes smell, he knows also local stray dogs..
I have no idea, it was really intense and I just hope it won't happen again.

planetX

To me it suggests something physical going on - if not mild seizures then another healthh issue that is causing the fear. Trip to the vet is in order.

sambuka41

surime wrote: »

what kind of seizures/fits do you mean? Sorry I am not native english speaker and I am not sure.
(

Like epilepsy, my dogs seizures were mild and could have been mistaken for him acting up had the vet not checked him. While it occurs we had to turn off tv/radio/ lights and just reassure him.

Graces7

planetX wrote: »

To me it suggests something physical going on - if not mild seizures then another healthh issue that is causing the fear. Trip to the vet is in order.

Fear itself is a serious health issue but I never met a vet yet who took it seriously.

Cedrus

I'd go with the idea that it's something you can't hear, the dog can hear but doesn't understand (bangers, car backfire, foxes, cats, etc. ad infinitum).
My dogs were going berserk every now and then after we moved to a new house but it took months to realise that whenever there was blasting in the quarry a couple of miles away, they could hear it even indoors but we had to be outside in the garden with the wind in the right direction.
If this is it, don't worry yourself or try to comfort the dog as this (apparently) just reinforces the fear, just acknowledge that "yeah something's out there" and leave it, ours always just settle then as if to say "well if he's not bothered then neither am I". (I know they don't understand english).

david75

not to soud wacky but we live in a very old house and our pup sometimes stops, looks up and stares and its as if hes watching something walk through the room..this has happened a few times. we've no mice or rats, i thought maybe he was hearing something but when it happens hes definitely watching something. Ive goosepimples even thinking about it.

bring him to the vet anyways. sound slike hes in some discomfort, go just to be safe.

meercat

mice per chance?

david75

not mice, our trap yokes are always empty plus there's zero sign of them at all.

i do believe dogs are tuned into stuff we cant see or hear. Who knows though?

funkyouup

david75 wrote: »

Who knows though?

It looks like you do seen as you believe it.

surime

I just thought that the reason can't be any far (or close) noise I can't hear, because there are noises coming from around all the time.. so why he would be so horrified of anything like that..
I will just watch him and got to the vet if it happens again.

(hate you all for all ghost stories! :pac:)

DogsFirst

sambuka41 wrote: »

Are you sure he is scared? My Westie used to act something like what you are describing and he was having seizures, but they weren't really obvious seizures, he would rattle and had difficulty focusing.

there's no harm in checking with a vet

Second that, seizures are common enough (epileptic or otherwise), dogs can do some strange things when it happens.

Other symptoms: dialted pupils (one or both), frothing at mouth, involuntary urination, possibly blanched gums.

Take him for a check up, bloods will reveal any upset.

Or it could be ghosts. Classic symptoms of Elvis is your dog humming "hound dog" and strong thrusts of the pelvis. Watch your leg.

meercat

david75 wrote: »

not mice, our trap yokes are always empty plus there's zero sign of them at all.

clever mice??????




Really.
my dog used to be agitated at night ,until i found out that mice were scampering around his bedding at night

no obvious signs either

Cherry Blossom

OP, a lot of medical problems can cause odd behaviour in dogs so I would definitely take the dog to your vet to rule out any serious underlying cause.

Has your dog been eating anything out the ordinary since this started happening?

I get some pretty strange reactions from my dog if she spots an earwig, it took a while to figure out what the problem was first time it happened.

surime

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

OP, a lot of medical problems can cause odd behaviour in dogs so I would definitely take the dog to your vet to rule out any serious underlying cause.

Has your dog been eating anything out the ordinary since this started happening?

I get some pretty strange reactions from my dog if she spots an earwig, it took a while to figure out what the problem was first time it happened.

Earwig! lol :pac: No, he has not been eating anything new or different.
The house that we moved into is quite new, so I would be surprised if there are any mice here, but who knows. (anyway my bedroom doors were closed so I very much doubt it). He was also never afraid of any bugs or spider.
Its just a big riddle to me now.

ppink

I would first get a medical check to be sure the dog is ok.

I was just thinking that one of my dogs has a massive "issue" with banging doors. She just cant stand it if a door is open and the wind even catches it slightly. Even with the tv on she can hear the door when noone else can and by now I know her reaction and know that somewhere in the house the wind is catching a door. I cant even count the amount of people who have sat here and said what the hell is wrong with Ruby as they can hear nothing!!

One of our other dogs I discovered recently is terrified of nail guns and pellet guns. It sends him into an awful state when he hears them, although we can all hear that sound and see him fleeing from it so it is quite obvious.

I dunno about ghosts:eek:.