Opie - The dog that makes me ask a thousand questions for advise!

ShaShaBear

Trying to figure out what's going on with Opie. This past three nights he's absolutely hating being left alone. Can't figure out what's going on - nothing has changed! His routine is minute for minute what it always is, his feeding hasn't changed, neither have his walks. Nothing's happened to scare him and we've even asked neighbours if there's been any construction or revamping done that he might hear that is worrying him! I even worried that he might be too cold and put two new fleece blankets in his bed! Vet says he's perfectly fine and in good health, it was her who suggested something we couldn't hear.

What do we do here? There's nowhere else downstairs we can put his bed, and upstairs is not an option as he is waaay too rough when it comes to the baby, who is obviously in our room, and the layout of upstairs means there's no hall to put him in. Is it something we should ignore?

DBB

What is it he's doing? Is it only at night that it happens?
He's at an age now when odd things start to happen in terms of them suddenly reverting to old, forgotten behaviour, or suddenly develping new fearful behaviours.

muddypaws

Its a full moon, my dogs usually act differently around them. Its been very bright.

ShaShaBear

DBB wrote: »

What is it he's doing? Is it only at night that it happens?
He's at an age now when odd things start to happen in terms of them suddenly reverting to old, forgotten behaviour, or suddenly develping new fearful behaviours.

He literally starts at a slow whimper, then moves onto full-blown crying. It stops as soon as he thinks someone is coming into the room. If you stand outside the door and don't enter, he kicks off again! It's only at night, but then I'm here all day. He doesn't do it if we leave the house and put him to bed, so it's obviously because he knows we are here. I thought something might have startled him or he was feeling afraid, but then I was a bit worried that constantly going to him would teach him that gets him what he wants. I'd love to have him in bed with us but he really is just way too hyper for it. He won't even settle on the couch with us in the evenings for more than two minutes (not that we mind, it's what we signed up for with the breed ) but I'm not really sure how to go about reassuring him without "spoiling" him!

Murray007

What breed is he?

ShaShaBear

Murray007 wrote: »

What breed is he?

Border collie

DBB

Might do no harm to get him into a bit of a habit of settling in the night-time room during the day for short periods, with the radio on, whilst you're still in the house but not with him. I have also gone as far as skyping whimpery dogs so that I can talk to them for a little while after I'm gone, other owners make a looped recording of them just talking.
Also, get some Kong Toys on the go, obviously make sure he doesn't need to toilet, and it may help if you leave a night-light on. Some lavendar oil sprinkled on his bed might also help.

ShaShaBear

DBB wrote: »

Might do no harm to get him into a bit of a habit of settling in the night-time room during the day for short periods, with the radio on, whilst you're still in the house but not with him. I have also gone as far as skyping whimpery dogs so that I can talk to them for a little while after I'm gone, other owners make a looped recording of them just talking.
Also, get some Kong Toys on the go, obviously make sure he doesn't need to toilet, and it may help if you leave a night-light on. Some lavendar oil sprinkled on his bed might also help.

He settles in it just fine during the day. OH had a day off his course and we were in the living room with the baby and he was on his own in the dining room for 2 hours snoozing on the sofa. Probably would have stayed there only it was his dinner time so I obviously went in to him. We tried leaving the baby monitor plugged in so he could hear us, thinking if we sounded close it might sooth him, but that didn't work. I'll pick up some lavender oil and give that a go!

DBB

Is there a difference such as the door being closed on him during the night, but not by day?
Light may be a trigger too.

ShaShaBear

DBB wrote: »

Is there a difference such as the door being closed on him during the night, but not by day?
Light may be a trigger too.

Well the door is closed at night but it always has been, so I suppose the night time routine hasn't changed. But if we leave him in the room during the day (like when I am feeding the baby), we close the door too.

I let him out of bed just now because I'm still up and he was frantic. The second he got out, he dashed up the stairs and sat crying in our bathroom. I went up to see what he was at, and there his tug toy was sitting in the bath where he couldn't get it. OH suggested I just put all his toys in bed where he can get at them, but he has about 40 hidden in the garden

tk123

Could you maybe leave him in the hall and put a stair gate on the stairs? Bailey is fine downstairs in the sitting room or hall where he can keep tabs on us but doesn't like being left in the kitchen with the door closed.

doubter

Shasha how old is the baby? Or better, since how long is he/she home?

ShaShaBear

doubter wrote: »

Shasha how old is the baby? Or better, since how long is he/she home?

She is nearly 7 months, but we've only had Opie since November so it's not her doing
Well we moved his blankets into the sitting room last night and closed him in there, he scratched at the door for about 2 minutes, then we heard a bit of banging and grumbling (the noise all my dogs have made when swinging a toy about that they are killing until it is dead) and then utter silence. I was convinced we were going to get up to poop everywhere and that half of the house actually eaten and digested by him, but he was sound asleep on the couch and not a thing was out of place save the toy he slept with
Thinking whatever is upsetting him, it's in this room. We'll try him in the other room again tonight and see how it goes :rolleyes:

Murray007

We have collies and there are two things that make the male act funny.

Thunder or any sort of rumbling noise like a tumble dryer.

When there is a bitch in heat near by, he is normal during the day but at night he searches around sniffing, lying down, stands up goes around in circles and howls when we all go to bed. This will go on for six to seven days, drives us mad.

ShaShaBear

Murray007 wrote: »

We have collies and there are two things that make the male act funny.

Thunder or any sort of rumbling noise like a tumble dryer.

When there is a bitch in heat near by, he is normal during the day but at night he searches around sniffing, lying down, stands up goes around in circles and howls when we all go to bed. This will go on for six to seven days, drives us mad.

Oh.
My.
God.

I never even thought of a bitch. My next door neighbour has an unneutered bitch.
Good jaysus, I am stupid

Zapperzy

A while back a new neighbour moved in two doors down with two dogs, after a while we started noticing charlie acting funny. To put it politely he was tripping over it and paying extra attention to the fence the new neighbour's side of the garden. Got chatting to said neighbour and turned out her unspayed bitch was in heat. He was neutered 6 or 7 years previous but they obviously don't lose the urge :P

Ashbx

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Oh.
My.
God.

I never even thought of a bitch. My next door neighbour has an unneutered bitch.
Good jaysus, I am stupid

Wow, it just goes to show exactly how good a dogs scent is!

ShaShaBear

Ashbx wrote: »

Wow, it just goes to show exactly how good a dogs scent is!

Definitely does - theory tested, as now he is back sleeping in his crate in the same room as before with no issue a week after neutering :pac:

Murray007

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Definitely does - theory tested, as now he is back sleeping in his crate in the same room as before with no issue a week after neutering :pac:

That would shut anyone up:pac: