Strange dog behavior

[conorsmom2000]

Okay, our Black Lab Molly just turned 3 recently. She has always been slightly neuortic - she is beyond sweet, still very jumpy but otherwise well behaved, but she definitely has her quirks. She is not much of a barker at all, but will find odd things to be scared of - for example, my neighbors had a huge garbage pail filled with clippings from their yard by our fence, that I guess looked like some kind of scary green monster, as Molly would get skittish when she saw it, then bark at it. :blush: She jumps if she hears a loud noise, is terrified of the vaccuum, dust buster and landscapers....etc. Even a really windy day can make her jumpy.

While she's quieted down when in the house, when she's outside, she's all play, all the time (she's even learned how to open the back storm door herself - so, if we just run outside to throw a bag of garbage out, she lets herself out and runs to us with the ball...) She's been having a blast this summer swimming in the pool and is always bringing us her toys to throw.

Well, the past few days, she won't go into the middle of the yard. We have no idea what is going on with her. She won't really run up to us with her toy, but if you tell her to get it, she will. When you throw it to the back of the yard, she will only run around the perimeter of the yard to go get it - not straight down the middle. If you toss it and it lands near the middle, she will just sit down. If you tell her to go get it a few times, she will cautiously make her way down, and she'll bring it back, but the games over - she doesn't really want to play. Anytime you throw the toy after that, even to the side of the yard, you'll have to tell her to go get it - she won't just chase it. We can see her staring cautiously at the middle of the yard, but she will avoid going there.

Mike is wondering if she got stung by a bee there, but we don't see anything on her and it seems like it would have to be something bigger than that to scare her like this. We've looked all around but can't see anything that might be causing the issue. :confused:

Any thoughts on this? I'm not sure if we should keep trying to encourage her to play and run through the yard, or if it's making it worse. This is just so weird! I just realized now that she's not asking to go out as much as normal either - normally she would have gone out at least a 2nd time by now, but she's upstairs sleeping (probably on our bed or in her crate).

We have a vet appointment in 2 weeks but I'm wondering if I should bring her in earlier - though, it really seems more like fear than being sick.... :confused:

Any help would be appreciated!!

[iheartmickey]

I don't have any advice really. I just wanted to send :pixie:that what ever is causing her behavior is something she forgets quickly and that nothing is physically wrong with her. (That's what it sounds like to me.)

Good luck Jen ... I'd wait for her normal visit in 2 weeks ... see if her behavior changes by then. I wouldn't take her in unless her symptoms change or become more physical.

[cheshirecollector]

Do you possibly have moles or ground squirrels underground? Something where she would feel the vibrations? Or something she may have stepped on?

[Horizon93]

I think that she will get over this eventually. I would give her a little break from having to play and then reintroduce play. One of my dogs is easily scared, and it can be the simplest thing.

It sounds like you have a wonderful dog. See how she does over the next few days to a week. As was posted earlier, it could be some underground animals, but even my easily scared buddy would just chase them and bark at them. I just wish that dogs could talk!

[MsMin]

Something could have interrupted her "territory" as mentioned a mole or even if another animal marked the yard that can make an animal avoid something.
My Chloe is a perimeter dog and very neurotic. She has a set pattern for going to do her business and freaks if another dog has been in the yard- she knows - they have great noses. When we have had ppl over w/ dogs she will behave that way, avoiding her typical pattern and acting frightened.
Max is the "barker of leaves" anything new in the yard he has to let us know. He jumps like it's alive so I can imagine a huge leaf pile would send him into a tizzy too.
I know there is a big difference in our pups size but mine think they are big and Molly sounds like a very loving gentle pup. I could imagine the behavior being similar.
I'll ask my dd when she gets home from work but honestly I don't imagine it's illness if it's limited to this area. Now if she was acting strange inside too I would investigate a little more.
Have you tried playing with her in that spot? has it rained to help wash away any foreign scents?
I wouldn't rush to put my dog on any meds for anxiety.
Dogs will pick up a human's depression or stress and get a little more neurotic. Was she a rescue baby? (sorry I can't remember, I know you had the other one from Katrina). A depressed human can contribute to a dog's neurosis.
I think the thing that makes it worse if you baby her-- don't do the "awe baby what's wrong" but the come on Molly it's okay routine.
Max here is very neurotic and literally acts very lame when you baby him... fellow intercotees who have visited have seen his performance.
I wouldn't run to the vet too fast, not if you are going in soon. I will check it out and keep us informed. :pixie: for Molly..:paw:
I spoke to my dd and she is thinking along the same lines as many of us that something could have interfered with her territory. She asked if she was eating regular and having any other signs of illness? Her behavior typical in the house? She asked if she would go into the middle of the yard for a treat? She believes that if her appetite is good and she's not had other behavior changes that she wouldn't rush her dog to the vet. Just check it out when she goes for her checkup. I'm sure a call to the vet's office may be able to help too. :paw:

[mrsgaribaldi]

I'm thinking that something scared her. I'm sending her some :pixie::pixie::pixie: from the :cat::cat::cat: so that she's over it soon and it's nothing serious.

[vizsla]

It sounds like something scared her or she could of got bitten by a bee. One thing you can try is to take her back out side and walk with her through the yard where she won't go, and reward her has you are going through those areas which will help show her evertything is OK. I would do this two or three times a day, for a few days and then see if she will start going on her own. Eventually, she will realize it is ok.

[conorsmom2000]

Thanks for the help, everyone!!

Saturday we really just let her be - if she wanted to play, we did, we didn't force her into the middle of the yard at all. We did more walks than yard playing, plus we were in and out during the day.

Yesterday, I took her out with me for a bit and got her to walk around the yard with me. She was a little hesitant, but if I called to her from the middle of the yard, she came. I didn't push it with her though. By the afternoon we had about 6 people over hanging out in the backyard, which always gets her extremely excited and playful, so there was lots of ball tossing and she had no problem running throughout the yard. I went out with her this morning and noticed she still headed towards the perimeter of the yard, but she's definitely more willing to go to the middle. So, while something obviously did scare her, she's getting more comfortable again. Right now she's sunning herself on the grass - not quite in the middle of the yard, but more towards the top - which is definitely better than she had been doing! :mickey:

[Jasper]

We currently have a white lab and comparing her to some of the other dogs we have had in the past, she is far more neurotic than any other dog we have ever had. She also doesn't seem to be nearly as intelligent either. We have several different friends who also have labs and they all say the same thing about the labs being neurotic and not terribly bright so it seems to be a pattern with that breed. Don't get me wrong, they do make good pets and are very loving.

Based on our experiences I would say it could have been just about anything. Let's face it, if a dog gets spooked by a bucket of weeds it certainly is a sign that it doesn't take much to throw them off. Since you are seeing positive improvement with what you are doing I would continue down that path. While it wouldn't hurt to mention it to the Vet. when you visit I wouldn't make a special trip or call since she seems to be getting over it. Of course, if she has a major relapse then a call may be in order.

Good luck.

[PlutoLVT]

I'm glad your dog is doing better. She was probably just scared. I have a 100 lb chicken of a dog. He slipped on the kitchen floor once and wouldn't walk across that spot for six months. He would climb under the kitchen table instead.