Behaviour moods/changes

[mdkel]

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Hello again everyone,

zappa's being very nice this past weeks, BUT (there is always a but), for some strange reason, this past 3 or 4 days his behaviour has changed.

Nothing around him changed, but he is being very nervous and stressed for no apparent reason. He's sleping and suddenly goes outside barking like crazy, then runs inside to sleep again(he never did this before). He's been chewing a lot more lately too, went back to mouthing us, a lot, and being very unsettled . I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow as he is lickin and scratching his but a bit. But on this occasions the vet never has a "response". Zappa just seems to be stresses with no apparent reason.

Does this happen (or did it happen) to your pups/dogs?

Zappa did mouth us a lot in the past, but with a few time outs he stopped (time outs really work for him), but he came back to it this few days.

What happenned??? What can I do???

 

[leashedForLife]

.

since we're not there, & U are, & U tell us that nothing whatever has changed, how would we know?
We're not telepaths, or at least, i know that i'm not - that learn-by-mail program was completely useless.

If it's a problem, & assuming U're in the UK, i'd go to the APDT-uk website & look for an accredited trainer near U who specifically does behavior modification. Even if they can't tell U the precise cause, they CAN help U change the behavior.

- terry

.

 

[doggie1]

Hello again everyone,

zappa's being very nice this past weeks, BUT (there is always a but), for some strange reason, this past 3 or 4 days his behaviour has changed.

Nothing around him changed, but he is being very nervous and stressed for no apparent reason. He's sleping and suddenly goes outside barking like crazy, then runs inside to sleep again(he never did this before). He's been chewing a lot more lately too, went back to mouthing us, a lot, and being very unsettled . I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow as he is lickin and scratching his but a bit. But on this occasions the vet never has a "response". Zappa just seems to be stresses with no apparent reason.

Does this happen (or did it happen) to your pups/dogs?

Zappa did mouth us a lot in the past, but with a few time outs he stopped (time outs really work for him), but he came back to it this few days.

What happenned??? What can I do???

How old is the dog?

 

[leashedForLife]

How old is the dog?

.

Zappa was adopted, & per a post on March 20, he'd been with them at that time for 6-mos -
I know he's not a young pup, I think he's approaching a year?... is that right, @mdkel ?

- terry

.

 

[merlina]

We have a rescue that had multiple homes before us. We have found that it's a different sort of progress with a dog with history. Even now- five years on!- he can seem to go backwards and revert to anxiety/aggression. I think there will be a reason but you'll probably not know it. Just try to be calm around him and not change anything in the routine. Don't know if it works for all dogs but when Ricky is not doing well we ignore him totally. No eye contact, no extra fuss, no talking to him. He just gets on with his little life and somehow seems to get over it.

 

[mdkel]

.

Zappa was adopted, & per a post on March 20, he'd been with them at that time for 6-mos -
I know he's not a young pup, I think he's approaching a year?... is that right, @mdkel ?

- terry

.

Yap, about 9 month now.

When I said nothing changed, I meant in his environment, at home, nothing changed, routine is the same. Maybe a pshysical condition? I'm in Portugal BTW...

 

[mdkel]

How old is the dog?

9 month more or less. ....

Could the weather have somthing to do with his moods? It's been rainning a lot, 1 sunny day and then 4 consecutive rainy days. Maybe that makes him anxious??

 

[mdkel]

.

since we're not there, & U are, & U tell us that nothing whatever has changed, how would we know?
We're not telepaths, or at least, i know that i'm not - that learn-by-mail program was completely useless.

If it's a problem, & assuming U're in the UK, i'd go to the APDT-uk website & look for an accredited trainer near U who specifically does behavior modification. Even if they can't tell U the precise cause, they CAN help U change the behavior.

- terry

.

I'm just trying to understand him.. I already can predict a lot of his behaviours, but I want to understand him the best I can.
He's going to be trainf by a force free trainer, as soon as I can (finnancely I mean)...

 

[doggie1]

It's difficult, we've had our dog 6 months, but he's 2 and a half. He seems to be carrying so much baggage, he's never the same from one day to the next. Your's is a young dog, I'm used to older ones. When Eddi does his loopy mood bit, I just try to reassure him.

 

[JudyN]

I think dogs go through a fear period around 9-10 months, which may be connected. I won't have thought weather would cause this unless there's storms brewing (bear in mind that he will hear thunder a lot further away than you can).

How about wildlife? Could there be foxes visiting your garden, or calling? Any other local wildlife he might be able to sense?

If anything is making him itch then that will be generally stressful. As well as fleas, ticks, and other parasites think of any chemicals or allergens he might have come into contact. Maybe he's been through a patch of nettles?

Then there's sounds in general - alarm systems, air conditioners? I heard of one dog who was a stressed-out mess and eventually the owners figured out that her bed was underneath a burgler alarm that regularly emitted a high-pitched bleep that only the dog could hear.

Keep thinking outside the box and see if you can come up with any ideas, but in the meantime just try to keep his stress as low as possible to ease him through this phase. And it could just be a phase.

 

[mdkel]

I think dogs go through a fear period around 9-10 months, which may be connected. I won't have thought weather would cause this unless there's storms brewing (bear in mind that he will hear thunder a lot further away than you can).

How about wildlife? Could there be foxes visiting your garden, or calling? Any other local wildlife he might be able to sense?

If anything is making him itch then that will be generally stressful. As well as fleas, ticks, and other parasites think of any chemicals or allergens he might have come into contact. Maybe he's been through a patch of nettles?

Then there's sounds in general - alarm systems, air conditioners? I heard of one dog who was a stressed-out mess and eventually the owners figured out that her bed was underneath a burgler alarm that regularly emitted a high-pitched bleep that only the dog could hear.

Keep thinking outside the box and see if you can come up with any ideas, but in the meantime just try to keep his stress as low as possible to ease him through this phase. And it could just be a phase.

Thanks Judy. No wildlife, no storms (just bad weather), no parasites (I think), no alarm, no air conditioners. Nothing changed. he just seems stressed this days. I havent changed anything, and nothing I can see is changed. He doesnt mind thunder at all (he sleeps trough it like a baby).

For example: usually if he hears a sound outside, he goes to inspect it and comes back quickly, these days he storms off barking a lot and then comes back. He usually chews a lot his toys, but this days it seems hevis chewing harder and with "rage", like he is angry lol any sound is making him bark and he usually does not bark a lot. He is acting like he is angry at something, or like he is fearful of something, but I cant see it... went for walks yesterday and today, and on walks he is normal, at home he is "different" (not settling down as much).

It's like his normal reactions are enhanced in some way...

Anyway, I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow, just to see if he is in pain, or something like that....

 

[mdkel]

It's difficult, we've had our dog 6 months, but he's 2 and a half. He seems to be carrying so much baggage, he's never the same from one day to the next. Your's is a young dog, I'm used to older ones. When Eddi does his loopy mood bit, I just try to reassure him.

Zappa has a routine, and most of his behaviours I can now predict or understand what they mean (not all of tem, maybe 70% ). but this mood changing thing is very weird. Maybe just a phase??

 

[Caro Perry]

Could be a phase. Could he be hearing something you're not? Maybe the something is emitting a strange new sound which is out of our hearing range? No one would have put one of those ultrasonic animal deterrents in their garden?

 

[mdkel]

Could be a phase. Could he be hearing something you're not? Maybe the something is emitting a strange new sound which is out of our hearing range? No one would have put one of those ultrasonic animal deterrents in their garden?

All day?? for 3 days?? But no, no animal deterrents anywhere....

Another example: I caught him this morning chewing his own paw.... :|

Side Note: As for vets here, a friend's bulldog was not eating, vmiting, and making green poo, the vet just did an xray and sent her home.... I mean, no moore tests?blodwork?diagnosis? This is how the vets here work...

 

[doggie1]

All day?? for 3 days?? But no, no animal deterrents anywhere....

Another example: I caught him this morning chewing his own paw.... :|

Side Note: As for vets here, a friend's bulldog was not eating, vmiting, and making green poo, the vet just did an xray and sent her home.... I mean, no moore tests?blodwork?diagnosis? This is how the vets here work...

Oh, that's not good for me coming to live there with my dog.

 

[JudyN]

Another example: I caught him this morning chewing his own paw.... :|

That could suggest a reaction to something he's stood on. Even if the vet finds nothing, it might be possible to give him a non-sedating antihistamine and see if he gets better (I say non-sedating because if he's sedated he might seem calmer anyway). If it seems to make a difference then you've narrowed down the problem. There is a 'human' OTC antihistamine in the UK that is safe for dogs, but I think it may be sedating, so you'd have to ask your vet.

Or you could try a soothing foot bath. There's a web page about itchy paws & remedies here, though I can't vouch for its reliability: http://www.limitlesspawsibilities.com/Going_Essential/Entries/2016/4/26_Itchy_Paws_101.html

And more here: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/aromatherapy-allergy-relief-itchy-dogs/

 

[merlina]

Excessive paw licking and chewing can be a stress indicator- or of course could be the site of a foreign body- it took my vet three goes some time ago to find the thorn embedded in the pad of a spaniel foot. All you can do is try to rule out the physical- and then treat the mental.

 

[mdkel]

Excessive paw licking and chewing can be a stress indicator- or of course could be the site of a foreign body- it took my vet three goes some time ago to find the thorn embedded in the pad of a spaniel foot. All you can do is try to rule out the physical- and then treat the mental.

Exactly, that's why I am taking him to the vet. But the chewing on a leg is quite normal on him, but only a few secs, I found him and he chewed for a good minute or so, with no damage, but still....

 

[arealhuman]

Hmmm, could be a million reason I guess and my first thoughts were along the lines others have mentioned - sounds and smells that he can detect but you can't and these are upsetting him. I'm sorry I don't have an answer other than to say you could try an Adaptil product, if you can get it there, which has a calming effect, but that's not actually fixing the issue.

 

[mdkel]

Oh, that's not good for me coming to live there with my dog.

There are a few Veterinary hospitals that can help a lot, and some excellent vets, but they live in the major cities (porto and Lisbon), so, for me, that's difficult....only in a extreme situation