Abi’s Peculiar Current Issues
I think Abi needs a therapist. Or a dog whisperer.
Every evening now, about the time it gets dark, I hear her jump into the bathtub. And she won’t get out.Â
Luckily I take my shower around 6 p.m.
She has never acted like this before. She’s headstrong, yes. Bossy and picky. Yes.Â
She will bite me on my shoe as I try to shimmy through the door to keep her from getting out when I go somewhere.Â
But this is just plain odd. Even for her.
Sometimes I wonder what’s going through her head.
There are no other flying insects indoors that I can see. Charlie isn’t freaking out. And he’d be the first to freak out if something was flying around inside, no matter how small it might be.
So what’s with the nightly bathtub routine lately?Â
My daughter, Andrew’s mother, has to give their Boston Terrier, Gizmo, a plethora of mental health drugs. But of course he was a rescue and has probably been traumatized. The poor dog fears so many things, mainly rain and fireworks.
But Abi has had a relatively easy life.Â
The pupsters are ten years old now.Â
She is happy, though spoiled.Â
She takes advantage of Charlie whenever she can. Like hogging the food.Â
Which means when I’m not looking. Because I nip that behavior in the bud real quick.Â
Poor Charlie has two teeth left, if that. His tongue lolls out the side of his mouth most of the time.Â
She clearly is the alpha dog here.
She is fed well. She is treated well.
She is a photo diva, as you know. She loves being in the spotlight.
So I just don’t understand this new habit of hers.
Does your pet have peculiar habits?
Brenda,
We just lost our bulldog, who was 6 (they don't have a very long life-expectancy, but normally 8 y.o. is the age they pass). He showed signs of Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, which is like doggie alzheimers. I am sending a link to a good article about this, which is sometimes referred to as CDS. I'm not saying Abi has it, but between this and OCD in dogs (there are lots of articles on that as well) she may be starting to exhibit signs of her getting older, which may include wonky actions with her brain.
Best of luck with your puppy. It broke my heart when my dog started acting goofy, we even thought he had suffered a number of strokes. I hope you get something out of the article.
http://www.2ndchance.info/CDS.htm
Glenda from Kansas
Maybe she's getting in there because it's cool? And oh, yes, my little Monkey has her peculiarities, no doubt, but I think your Abi trumps my Monkey! What a goofball she is!!
That Abi is a doll! So funny that she likes the bathtub. I have 2 cats and last night I brought them in before it began to rain. One of them went nuts…running around the kitchen, jumped on the fridge, then into the loft, yowled a bit, then jumped down and attacked the other cat until he yowled. I just put them both outside to get under the car if it started raining! They were out all night, happy as larks I guess! Try some chill pills for Abi!
It could be a combination of the earthquake you experienced and her age. Animals are no different than humans…we all have our quirks and typically get worse the older we get lol.
I think animals get a little senile as they age. My 17-year old cat howls in the mornings and also follows me around, trying to lick my legs (if I'm wearing shorts or capris) and hands if I've just put on lotion.
Brenda, two things I thought of….is there a mouse in the house…they hide very easily and come out at night. Another thought is have you used and new floor cleaner or any type of spray in your home that she does not like? Spray would settle on the floors, something that she DOSENT care for. Good luck…animals tell us things, it's up to us to figure it out!
My dog spends time under the bed when fireworks, thunder or rain. Go figure when he could be sitting on my lap he finds being under the bed safer.
My cat Sam likes the bathtub and bathroom sinks. He loves to curl up in the master bathroom sink to nap. Scares me sometimes when I don't have the lights on.
I bet it has to do with her age, Brenda. We had a giant malamute(165 lbs) and when he got older he cried to be let in when it stormed and he would curl himself as tightly as he could under our entry bench. He went from a bold, high energy dog to the most docile, homebody!
I remember a few weeks ago when you experienced the earthquake there. Did she start getting in the tub around that time? She still looks like a young pup. My little Fuzzy black Pomeranian is 11 and he is starting to get gray around his nose and mouth, and at his temples, where the fur fuzzes out from the sides of his ears and face. He is trying to look distinguished. He freaks out when my Lazy Boy Chair doesn't work right and all of a sudden the foot rest clunks down real loud, usually that causes me to cuss, so I don't know if it is the sound of the chair or me cussing that freaks him out. I now need to refrain from cussing in front of my little dog.
It's kind of funny / strange in a way because it is usually cats that love the sinks / bathtubs etc.
Maybe she's just discovered it and is enjoying it like a cat would : ) So darn cute though!
My Springer shakes terribly during storms and fireworks. I found some calming pills at the pet store. It helps. Makes him a little calmer.
Have you tried a thunder shirt. Someone told me to use a t shirt. It would have to be one of Andrew's..
We had a rottweiler years ago. We got him as a puppy, but within a year or so he began going into the bathroom and just sitting in the bathtub. If we called him he would peek out from behind the shower curtain that hung over the tub. My husband finally YELLED loudly at him one day to get the H out of the tub and he never did it again. LOL
I think she is just getting old. All of my three dogs have started to act quirky and do weird things as they age. I hope that you have a great weekend.
Is it cooler there for her, perhaps?
My mom's little Pek-a-poo used to jump in the tub when she wanted a bath!
We have 2 Shih Tzus and both are terrified of rain and/or thunder. Ginger gets scared and just wants to be held while she shakes uncontrollabley. Bella however will try to hide. Anywhere. U Der the bed, in the back of the closet, behind the dog food in the pantry, etc. The oddest thing was when she jumped into the refrigerator and now mostly recently the bath tub. She has done that twice. I'm guessing it just feels like a safe space.
Tiffany
Maybe it just feels safe and cozy. Does she come out after a period of time? A friend whose physical situation worsened ask me to care for her small dog. She has separation anxiety. When I leave I give her a favorite chew and put her in a chair where she can watch drive way. It has helped some. Love her anyway.
I'm not sure what she's thinking. Maybe the bathtub seems like a nice, quiet spot. It reminds me of our male cat, Mickey, who is 14. He has shown a new behavior in the past year. He now sneaks off and hides when there is a thunder storm. But he always comes out again, and I hope Abi will too!
This sounds strange… Poor Abi! I wonder if she is thinking that some flying creature may come again, so she is running for cover ahead of time☺ Or, maybe she discovered that the bathtub is nice for chilling! Oh boy… I am always trying to figure the actions of furry family members (pets. I hope she comes back to her regular sense soon though ♥
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