Help with my dog

Hey everyone. Lately my dog has been doing something strange that he has never done before. He will walk into either our computer or kitchen, which are connected rooms, lay down, and just stare into the opposite room. It's very unerving, especially when I'm home alone and I'll look down to find him staring at an empty kitchen. My mom has also noticed him doing this and has commented to me about it. The latest occurance of this was last night. He walked into the kitchen where we were eating dinner, sat down, and started staring into the computer room. I noted this as strange because usually when he goes into the kitchen while we're eating it's to beg for food. He started doing this around the beginning of the summer.

I would really appreciate any advice anyone has. I'm probably just being paranoid, but I would appreciate an outside source telling me I am. If anyone wants, the next time I see him doing this, I can take a picture of him plus the general area of where he is staring.

Yup, living on a sailing boat - my livingroom/office connect with the toilet/shower cabin. This week my dog has taken to lying down in the toilet cabin (which he NEVER did before) and staring far into the livingroom to the navigation bay that I currently use to house my desktop.

Curious to see other responses....

Is he primarily staring from a lighted area into a darkened one?

Y'know animals get "floaters" also -- those bits of cellular matter in our eyes that create those annoying little visual intrusions. I wonder...... is you dog an older dog? Does he make any other indicators, such as noises, does he seem particularly alert when doing this, and finally....... does he do it if you are not present also, that is..... spying on him?

Oh dear. Now I've suggested you spy on your dog. There has to be something fundamentally wrong with that. ;o)

Maybe a few of us together can figure this out. I'll look for your reply.


Cheers

Originally posted by argentus
Is he primarily staring from a lighted area into a darkened one?

Y'know animals get "floaters" also -- those bits of cellular matter in our eyes that create those annoying little visual intrusions. I wonder...... is you dog an older dog? Does he make any other indicators, such as noises, does he seem particularly alert when doing this, and finally....... does he do it if you are not present also, that is..... spying on him?

Oh dear. Now I've suggested you spy on your dog. There has to be something fundamentally wrong with that. ;o)

Maybe a few of us together can figure this out. I'll look for your reply.


Cheers

Spying on the dog, lol. Anyway, he's 9, so I guess you could say he is middle-aged. Our computer area has a pretty bright lamp that's on when I'm in there, and we have a couple of windows in the kitchen, so they are both bright. He doesn't make any noises, but alot of the time he cocks his ears up, so he might be hearing something, although he does the same thing if you start cutting up cheese, so I don't know what that means. I guess I could watch tv in my room for a little while and if I notice him going into the computer room I'll try to watch him from behind.

Edit: spelled something wrong.

[edit on 11-7-2008 by Zezima]

In the cultural of Hawaii, most of the Hawaiian people believe that dogs (especially) can see things that humans cannot see, such as ghosts or spirits. It is also believed that if you put the dogs makapiapia (the crusty or slimy things in your eye that you wake up with) in your eye, you will see what the dogs see. My husbands friend did this and it totally freaked him out, he was trying to run away and hide from what he was seeing, he said that he saw things that just totally scared him and he would never do it again. Would I recommend you doing this, I wouldn't even do this myself so I guess that's a no. But if anyone does do this then it would be exciting to hear about it. Maye you should try taking pictures or put a video camera up to see if there is any paranormal things happening, maybe hook a camera up to your dog.

I was in the kitchen washing my hands in preperation of making dinner. I looked over and sure enough, he was staring. He wasn't staring at me though, but at the end of the kitchen into the laundry room. He kind of jerked up when he realized I was looking at him. But alas, when I ran over to grab my camera, my mom walked in and he ran after her.

Originally posted by hawaiigurl
In the cultural of Hawaii, most of the Hawaiian people believe that dogs (especially) can see things that humans cannot see, such as ghosts or spirits. It is also believed that if you put the dogs makapiapia (the crusty or slimy things in your eye that you wake up with) in your eye, you will see what the dogs see. My husbands friend did this and it totally freaked him out, he was trying to run away and hide from what he was seeing, he said that he saw things that just totally scared him and he would never do it again. Would I recommend you doing this, I wouldn't even do this myself so I guess that's a no. But if anyone does do this then it would be exciting to hear about it. Maye you should try taking pictures or put a video camera up to see if there is any paranormal things happening, maybe hook a camera up to your dog.

I might just be able to talk my wife into trying this...


Watch this space...

I highly doubt that she would be up for it, but it's worth the try. Maybe you guys should try it together.

I don't know what to tell you OP. Other than my dogs went bug snit three days after my Mom died. They were barking and howling at nothing. Never saw anything like it. And I was a vet tech in HS.
Anomalies, shadows, dogs know.

He doesn't make any noises, but alot of the time he cocks his ears up, so he might be hearing something, although he does the same thing if you start cutting up cheese, so I don't know what that means.

When you're cutting cheese (or anything else, I assume) he cocks up his ears because of the cutting sounds, of course. (Try sometimes and scratch a wooden floor when he is in the room. )
And hearing something is definitely going to be the reason why he is cocking up his ears while observing the other room. Remember, dogs' hearing is incomparably better than human. He may be hearing ultra-sounds that you wouldn't hear. Is there a new appliance in that room? Or has an old appliance been repaired - or broke down - in any way? If so, that could be the reason. Appliances emit sounds in the range that dogs could hear, but humans couldn't.

Of course, there are also other possibilities.
Have you figured out where exactly is he looking? At which point in the other room? Is it always the laundry room? And if so, is he observing just one point in there?



[edit on 12-7-2008 by AdAstra]

[edit on 12-7-2008 by AdAstra]

For the record, putting doggie eye boogers in your eye is gross!

I remember reading that if you look between your dogs ears when he is staring at something incorporeal, that you will be able to see it too. I dont know if there is any truth to that. I read it in a book a very long time ago. It is infinately more sanitary, however.

no offense Hawaii gurl

No offense taken raven bombshell. Your suggestion is much more sanitary than mines, i never heard of that before but I will definately try it.

My dog has been doing this also. He's only one. He goes over to his corner quite quickly with his tail between his legs. Then locks his eyes on the kitchen. I just thought he was young and was reacting to a bug or fly or somthing like that. Found it funny till........ NOW

My dog has been acting like this maybe a month now. Mostly at night, she will raise up her ears and then cock them backwards and just stare blankly at whatever is in front of her. She will leave her bed and come in kitchen where we are and sit in middle of room and stare. It's like she is in a trance. I will call her and she acts like she doesn't hear us. The only thing that will snap her out of it is to ask her about 'Rex' ( a male dog she adores!). I can tell it is something she hears, sees, and most surely doesn't like. She's a bulldog and will growl at other things she doesn't like(people, something aggravating ...), but this must be something unknown and scary to her. The 'being in a trance' is what bugs me. She doesn't like going outside at night anymore 'cause she just stares in the sky and it freaks her out. It is interesting to know that other dogs are acting the same way. We need to figure out what is bothering our pets. It just might be bothering us next.

reply to post by imysbbad


That's very interesting.
(And cute - especially the "Rex" part. )

But whatever she is seeing or reacting to may not necessarily be "bad", negative - just unfamiliar. If it were "bad", she would probably react much more unambiguously.

Question OP. Does the dog seem to do this more when the PC fan/Fridge Cooler is running?

Just a theory, but dogs' hearing is literally incredible. A computer fan could do it. Or even the freezer kicking on could creep him out.

I also heard a theory that as they age and their eyesight worsens, their hearing gets more acute. I don't know that, but maybe.

Anyway, my dog has been acting odd too. She has been sitting in a corner staring at a doorway for a couple months now. Weird.

I'm used to this. My dog that I had before I moved did this a lot. She and I had a special bond though. My fiancee's dog started doing this after I moved in... my fiancee found it a bit odd cuz he never used to do that. He'd just stare at nothing. My dog now does the same thing. She sticks close to me and just watches the things around us. Sometimes she'll run around like she's playing with something. We close our sons room door at night or she'll go in there and check on him constantly and he's a light sleeper so she'll wake him up. She's very attentive and knows what's going on around her at all times(cept when she's sleeping in the bathtub... then it's easy to sneak up on her... lol) I think a lot this with her though is her protective insticts and the fact that she is a collie.

Could it be a mouse or some kind of animal your dog is seeing? My fiancee's dog used track flies in the summer. My aunt's dog keeps on staring in diffrent parts of her house, then he pounces and the next thing she knows is her dog is bringing her a mouse. LOL. Anyway... speaking of dogs mine is going a bit wonky now, but that is cuz my fiancee is home. LOL

Hey everyone, sorry to be away but I had to do some yardwork . Since we were out most of the day I couldn't note if he has been doing it. When we got home, my mom was on the computer and the dog was laying under the desk. Suddenly he started staring more than before and his ears were raised all the way up. Of course, this might be something normal, because it was storming outside, but still. I'll answer people's questions now.

SantaClaus: Whenever I notice him doing it I'm on the computer so the fan in that is on, but he's looking in the complete opposite direction. The fridge fan is running most of the time I think, but I can't hear it, but of course that doesn't mean he can't.

AdAstra: No, we haven't gotten any new appliances and all of them seem to be running normally. Most of the time when he stares it appears he is looking into the laundry room. The washer and dryer are the only hooked up appliances in there, and they are both running normally, and he stares in there even if they are not running. They are also the same washer and dryer we've had since we've moved in about 4 years ago.
To the end of cheese: He cocks his ears as soon as you pull it out of the fridge

reply to post by Vanitas


hey Vanitas. I thought when dogs ears were pointed backwards and laid down, that it was something going on that they didnt like. Or it wasn't good anyway. She really acts like it scares her. She trembles sometimes and has this worried look on her face. She will ignore (or can't hear) us until I mention Rex to her. She also starts panting . I'm not sure if she is hot or in pain.

reply to post by imysbbad


Absolutely. The ears laid down roughly translate to: "I am bummed!"

But she may be "bummed" because the thing, whatever it is, is unfamiliar - hence slightly frightening, or uncomfortable at the very least. It doesn't mean that it is necessarily bad in itself. (On the other hand, it could be, of course.)

Anyway, she must be a sweetheart!
And HER sweetheart, Rex, too, probably.