Rasta, our Black Lab is now 4 years old, was castrated at 2 and we've had him from a pup. We (my wife and I, retired) live in an isolated area of Cornwall and he doesn't meet too many other dogs or people although, when he does, he's very friendly and enjoys their company. He's very sensitive to our moods and generally delightful company. He gets at least 2 long walks a day taking in fields, woods and river swims and is always off the lead, coming back immediately he's called by whistle. He's absolutely fine with cattle, sheep and ponies and has learnt not to show any interest in them at all. On his walks and outdoors in general, he behaves as he always has, being a very happy dog, but we've noticed recently that he sometimes gets particularly nervous by occasional unexpected noises in the house (knocking the top off a can, using a hammer drill, me swearing over some problem or other and even the sound of a wooden ball striking a wooden bat). Whenever this happens, he generally hides under my office desk and just won't budge, sometimes shaking uncontrollably. If we then take him outdoors he reverts to his normal self. He has never had a hand raised to him and I don't know of anything else that may have brought this on, but he is such a good friend and a huge part of our family that we would love to know what has brought these problems on and the best way of getting him back to his normal, wonderful self.
Hi and welcome , I`m also in Cornwall ! I wonder if he has some hearing issues ? It may just be an infection which has distorted some sounds and made it scary for him ? As this is a recent development , I think my first port of call would be the Vet , just for your peace of mind as this change must be worrying for you . Good luck , and please do let us know
Hi and welcome to the Forum, I don't have any useful information but I'm sure some one who does will be along soon. I've just got to say that Rasta is a fabulous name I'm sorry Rasta is going through this, you all sound like the dream team. I do know that when my puppy, Cassie, who is 16 months old now, was 5 months she suddenly stopped going out into my garden. Eventually I found what it was that had frightened her, but it wasn't obvious to start with. What I mean to say is he may have made an association you are not aware of.
You may never know what caused the issue; dogs make associations we don't even notice, and don't think the same way we do. I have a dog who is fearful of certain things. She was fine as a youngster, but then it suddenly became a problem, and got worse and worse to the point I started medicating her, because it was massively affecting her quality of life. It's made a huge difference to her. I wouldn't have done this if it was just the occasional fearful episode, but she was refusing to leave the house for days or longer at a time, which was obviously very distressing. She can now cope well with the things that triggered her previously, but she'll always be of a more nervous disposition; it's just the way she's wired.
Hi and welcome. My yellow lab, Wispa, can be very nervous too. Sometimes I can tell what's spooked her, but not always. Has something happened in the house that you're not aware of, perhaps when you were out, e.g. something falling down near him and spooking him? Tuppence, my younger lab, was spooked when I accidentally knocked over the (folded) ironing board recently while getting their food. She dashed out of the room and fled upstairs, shaking. I thought I'd never get her back downstairs again, but eventually she recovered - possibly because the food bin is in the same place as the ironing board! It would certainly be worth a visit to the vet just to check.
Hi @Cret Parsons and welcome to the forum. You may never know what has caused your boy to start reacting to sudden noises, what is more important is how you help him overcome his reactivity and fear. As @kateincornwall said your first point of call is an appointment with your vet to rule out any physical/medical reasons for the behaviour change. Then the next step would be to consult a behaviourist who will work with you to help your boy. Your vet may be able to recommend a behaviourist, and any good behaviourist in any event will ask you to see your vet first to ensure there are no health issues.
Hi there and welcome from me and Lilly! Lilly also has a tendency to be timid and cower in certain circumstances, usually if there are raised voices in the house (either arguing or in jest) or if someone drops something or swears loudly ( not me I hasten to add ) and likewise we can't relate it to anything. For us its relatively harmless, we just make a fuss of her afterwards and she is fine - though thinking now......are we reinforcing her behaviour? Anyway, if it is affecting his normal activities, a chat with your vet should definitely be on your agenda.
My 10 year old became very afraid of the peep of the smoke alarm when the battery was going, he even freaked out when my husband's shoes squeaked on the kitchen floor and made a similar noise. He was so afraid once that he managed to get the steel plate which blocked the dog flap out. He had a short course of sedatives from the vet and after about 6 months seemed to recover. However, the smoke alarm hasn't peeped of late!
If she's acting the way she is because she's afraid, then, no, you're not reinforcing it. It's the same as a young child who gets scared by a loud noise; I vividly remember screaming my lungs out as a youngster when the big firework display we went to started with a huge banger which scared the bejeezers out of me. My parents comforted me. The next year, the same thing happened to start the display and, whilst it still made me jump, I didn't scream for attention because that's what had happened previously; I laughed because I knew it was nothing to worry about. Comforting actual fear is a good thing
Hi and welcome! Rasta sounds like he has the perfect life with you. I'm sorry to hear that he's having these panic/fear episodes. You've already gotten the best advice, so I just wanted to say I can really sympathise. My dog (now passed) had fear issues his whole life but the apparent reasons and his reactions changed as he aged. He finally got over most things except for fireworks/gunshot and his reaction was much as you describe Rasta: uncontrollable shaking. It was so upsetting to see and I felt helpless. I hope you find a solution for you both and keep us updated on how Rasta is doing.
Hi all, Thanks SO much for all your valuable comments and helpful advice. Rasta means everything to me and I'm desperate to halt this nervousness as soon as possible. I'll be giving it a little while longer, during which time I'll adjust my behavior accordingly, and then, if all else fails, the dear boy will be having a word with Orla, our local vet. Many thanks again for all your support. Very best regards, Cret.
