Dog Growling/Agitated

flowerbattle

Hi! I've got two dogs, they've been outside their whole lives. One is a cocker spaniel/collie 13 y/o who hates being inside, the other is a 4/yo yorkie/shihtzu/mongrel who loves her comfort and has been more or less living inside since the nights got cold before Christmas. She's been wonderful, she sits on her bed in the sitting room, sometimes jumps up on the couch but only when there's people on it, barks to go outside when she needs to do her business etc etc.

But in the last two days she's been acting weird. She's taken to ripping up the newspaper we have down around her food bowl and water dish with her claws and getting very agitated at nothing. She growls and scratches her legs on the ground at the corner of the room for minutes on end, then she settles, has a ten minute nap, then goes off again. Any advice?

cocker5

flowerbattle wrote: »

Hi! I've got two dogs, they've been outside their whole lives. One is a cocker spaniel/collie 13 y/o who hates being inside, the other is a 4/yo yorkie/shihtzu/mongrel who loves her comfort and has been more or less living inside since the nights got cold before Christmas. She's been wonderful, she sits on her bed in the sitting room, sometimes jumps up on the couch but only when there's people on it, barks to go outside when she needs to do her business etc etc.

But in the last two days she's been acting weird. She's taken to ripping up the newspaper we have down around her food bowl and water dish with her claws and getting very agitated at nothing. She growls and scratches her legs on the ground at the corner of the room for minutes on end, then she settles, has a ten minute nap, then goes off again. Any advice?

When a dog behaviour changes the first protocol is always a trip to the vet explain her behaviour to the vet and get a full check up - especially at 13.

She could be in pain, she could have anything wrong with her in fairness... pain etc or she could be displaying all shorts of behavioural issues due to her being outside all her life - I'm not sure from your post but how often is she inside etc? Has interaction with the family?

Esel

cocker5 wrote: »

When a dog behaviour changes the first protocol is always a trip to the vet explain her behaviour to the vet and get a full check up - especially at 13.

She could be in pain, she could have anything wrong with her in fairness... pain etc or she could be displaying all shorts of behavioural issues due to her being outside all her life - I'm not sure from your post but how often is she inside etc? Has interaction with the family?

Read the OP again. It's the 4yo dog which has the issue.

cocker5

Esel wrote: »

Read the OP again. It's the 4yo dog which has the issue.

Ok sorry .. oops too early!

My advise is still the same.. a vet trip is in order to rule out any under lying medical conditions.. a change in behaviour .. the vet is the first step!

flowerbattle

cocker5 wrote: »

When a dog behaviour changes the first protocol is always a trip to the vet explain her behaviour to the vet and get a full check up - especially at 13.

She could be in pain, she could have anything wrong with her in fairness... pain etc or she could be displaying all shorts of behavioural issues due to her being outside all her life - I'm not sure from your post but how often is she inside etc? Has interaction with the family?

Normally when she's in pain though she comes up to someone and growls or barks at them, whereas now she's just barking/growling defensively at the corner.

She used to come inside quite often, usually just for the evening and whoever was going to bed last would put her outside. Then the weather started getting quite bad and we took her in full time. She's always interacting with the family, she's so lovable so we all take turns playing with her.

aonb

+1 for having a check at the vet, with any change of behaviour. Agitation can be a sign of pain/stress. Could she be having a seizure of some sort - the scratching the ground, then sleeping?
Alternatively, could there be something around her bowl - a bee/wasp/fly (caught behind a piece of furniture and buzzing?) - a mouse behind the skirting/under floorboards? Grasping at straws here, but if there is a behavioural CHANGE of any sort, I would always try to find the CAUSE of the change - there is an underlying reason - could be something as trivial as the soap you are using to wash her bowls, the newspaper crinkling and making a noise when she eats/drinks, a different newspaper (ink smell?!) Who knows.
Have you checked her coat for fleas? Ticks?
Could her collar be rubbing or pinching when she bends down to eat/drink?
When she is bending down to eat/drink could she be pinching a nerve?


Get your sherlock-holmes-hat on and investigate. If you can find nothing I would suggest a trip to the vet - the scratching/agitation/growling would worry me.

Let us know how you get on